Best Pore Minimizer For Men (10 Cheapest & The Most Effective Ones)

We asked tons of men about their skin insecurities. And we were surprised! We did get our fair share of the wrinkles, fine lines and dark circle, but if there’s one complaint that was consistent throughout, then it would be those dreadful PORES! Pores are hands down one of the toughest skin issues to tackle. Thus, we decided to do an article about the best pore minimizer for men.

It is stubborn and has more willpower than most humans. However, you are not powerless against pores. Pore minimizers today do a fantastic job at concealing and treating enlarged pores. But how do you know which one’s good? That’s where we come in. We are going to introduce you to some of the Best pore minimizer for men, right here, right now. Let’s start!

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Best Pore Minimizer For Men: Our Top 10 Picks

1. Maybelline Master Blur Stick Pore Minimizing Primer

We want to kickstart our list of the best pore minimize for men with a products that are perfect for your pre-makeup routines. And the first on list is the very convenient, easy to use and super affordable, Master Blur Stick Pore Minimazing Primer from Maybelline.

The Maybelline Master Blur Stick Pore Minimizing Primer, as you can guess from the name already, is a stick primer. This obviously means that the formula and texture of this thing will be harder than your liquid pore minimizers. It comes in a lipstick tube and is therefore super portable and easy to use on the go.

This pore minimizing stick is dimethicone-based which makes it glide on to the skin and sink into the deep pores to create a more even and plain canvas. The silicone formula fills up the pores to create a very blurred, and soft skin look, It has a slightly oily skin feel, but has a matte finish.

We recommend this for people with normal to dry skin. What’s also very nice is that the Maybelline Master Blur Stick Pore Minimizing Primer comes in a universal, transparent formula which is usable on every color and skin tone. However, you also have a few other tinted variations which are perfect for special skin demands.

The Maybelline Master Blur Stick Pore Minimizing Primer is perfect for people who are looking for a convenient, fast and instant pore minimizing action on the go. It is compact, gets the job done and is inexpensive too. A must have for everyone looking for an instant solution!

Pros:

• Compact and portable
• Universal shade
• Comes in other shades
• Non-drying

Cons:

• Oily and dense
• Needs frequent touchups
• Clogs pores; silicone formula

2. Benefit Cosmetics The Professional Pro Balm Primer

If there’s any pore minimize that has taken the people by storm (and made it to our best pore minimizer for men), then it has to be the The Professional Pro Balm Primer from Benefit Cosmetics! This product is in the bag and drawer of every makeup lover and YouTuber. It has gained immense popularity for its performance. And now, it’s your turn to try on this magic!

The Professional Pro Balm Primer is the pioneer, if you will, of mainstream and commercialized pore minimize products. And the leader always knows how to do it best!

This magic of a product packs quite the punch for its size. It is a liquid pore minimizer which comes in a convenient tube container in various sizes and quantities. It is easy to use and very portable. The texture of the Benefit Cosmetics The Professional Pro Balm Primer is somewhat a cross between silky and velvety balm-like texture. But don’t get out of by that balm part.

This thing is extremely lightweight and thin. It blends like a dream and seeps into pores and fills them in to create a smooth, even and soft canvas. It is mostly worn under makeup for the most flawless and pore-less face to apply foundation on. The consistency and skin feel is almost near to nothing, so we would recommend this to users with all skip types. It has a matte finish, but you also get a variation that gives you a beautiful, pearly and luminous finish.

The Professional Pro Balm Primer is a fantastic pore minimising product that works like magic and is very long wearing too. It is great for busy and on the go people who demand instant and long-lasting skin perfection!

Pros:

• Compact and portable
• Universal shade; transparent
• Comes in finishes
• Non-drying
• Long-lasting
• Oil-free formula
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Perfumed

3. Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Foundation Primer

The next name to make it to our list of the best pore minimize for men is the very popular and well-rated, Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Foundation Primer from none other than Smashbox.

The Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Foundation Primer is the real deal for people looking for the most flawless foundation coverage. Why? We will come to that in a second.

Let’s talk formula now. The Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Foundation Primer has a liquid formula which is thick and creamy. It blends into the skin and seeps into the pores to cover them up and create a smooth finish.

Speaking of finish, this pore minimizes give you a very nice and healthy looking matte finish. Now, despite the creamy consistency, the Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Foundation Primer is very lightweight and comfortable thanks to its gel formula. It does not feel heavy or oily.

Oh, and it is an oil-free formula! Great for people which normal to oily skin types. The Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Foundation Primer comes in a convenient tube container which is easy to travel with.

However, what make this pore minimize the ultimate pair for your foundation is that it comes in heaps of color correcting tints! Salmon, yellow, green, purple, you name it! These colors, cancel out different types of skin discoloration so that your foundation can do its job even better! And one more thing is that it is very longl asting. Up to 8 hours of mattifying goodness! Pretty neat, right?

Pros:

• Compact and portable
• Comes in several color correcting shades
• Non-drying
• Oil-free formula
• Long-lasting
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Tends to feel and look greasy after hours into wearing

4. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water

We did cream and gels, and we did a stick formula. It’s time for something a little different. And for that, we give you the very special and high performance Photo Finish Primer Water from Smashbox yet again! Yes, it made it to our list of the best pore minimizer for men.

Primer waters are becoming the next big thing very quickly. And the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water is at the top of this game. This pore minimzer product has a , as you can guess from the name already, water formula!

This is undeniably one of the most lightweight and sheer pore minimizers out there. And refreshing too! You get heaps of product, almost 4 ounces, in a container with a spray nozzle. You spray the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water at your face before your makeup routine. This primer water is soaked into the skin and is quenched in by prominent pores.

Made with electrolytes and other skin benefitting ingredients, it works to make your skin look and feel great. It isn’t just a primer and a pore minimize, but it also serves as a refreshing and hydrating mist for your face. It can also be used as a makeup refresher and setting spray after you are done doing your makeup. Ideal for all skin types, the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water is hands down one of the most versatile and multitasking pore minimizers on our list today!

If you want a product that is generous in performance and oh so fantastic on the skin, then the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water just may do the trick for you. Give it a sprits!

Pros:

• Suitable for all skin types
• Non-drying
• Includes skin beneficial electrolytes
• Oil-free formula
• Long-lasting
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Not the most portable
• Scented
• Greasy finish

5. GUERLAIN L'Or Primer Base 

Sometimes, just good is just not good enough. For people who are looking for pore minimizers a little more refined and luxurious, we have for you the very premium and prestigious L'Or Primer Base from GUERLAIN.

The GUERLAIN L'Or Primer Base is definitely not your drugstore pore minimize. This super luxurious product is one of the best of the best (and pricey too!). But anyone and everyone who has used this thing knows that every penny is worth it.

The GUERLAIN L'Or Primer Base is a liquid and gel formula pore minimize and base. It is very lightweight and very hydrating. You get no oiliness or greasiness from it. The finishes is a supple matte, yet not too matte kind of thing. But part of what make this so luxurious and premium is its world-class ingredients. One of which, is pure 24-carat gold flakes!

This royal ingredient is suspended into the gel formula and blends into the skin as you apply it. You get the most beautiful and health glow from the gold flakes. We also like so firming and supple this product makes your skin feel. You can instantly see and feel a slight different in your skin in terms of tightness and elasticity. And it is great for all skin types as well! The GUERLAIN L'Or Primer Base comes in a container bottle with a pump head. Something we appreciate more than any other types of packaging due hygiene reasons. Luxurious, and smart!

If you are looking for a pore minimzing primer base that does more than just blur the skin, then the GUERLAIN L'Or Primer Base is going to become one of your most favorite products. Expensive? No doubt. But worth every penny for the right person.

Pros:

• Suitable for all skin types
• Non-drying
• Includes skin beneficial gold flakes
• Oil-free formula
• Long-lasting
• Lightweight
• Firming

Cons:

• Not travel-friendly

6. Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner

We reviewed 5 pore minimizing product for instant and pre-makeup use so far in our best pore minimizer for men guide. But the solution to pore minimizing is skin deep. Which is why, we want to introduce you to some pore minimizing products that you can use in your skincare regime. On that note, we present to you one of the most trusted products in the department, the Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner.

The Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner is a dermatological correcting pore treatment that works by tightening the pores and improving skin texture. This pore minimize uses a cream formula and has a very creamy and moisturizing formula.

Despite the creaminess, the Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner is very lightweight and comfortable to wear. It is specially perfect for people with combination or oily skin types. The Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner uses a very strategic approach to correcting pore size by targeting your skin’s sebum production. This formula uses the company’s patented Fluidactiv^™ complex which biologically regulates sebum quality. Apart from the many antioxidants and beneficial ingredients in it, the Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner also uses Agaric acid which is a powerful astringent that tightens pores and corrects the skin texture into a more smooth and even canvas. The formula comes in a very portable and convenient squeezy tube container which you can carry with you anywhere you go. You also get an ounce of product which is pretty generous for a treatment based product. Oh and you can also use it under makeup so that’s pretty nice too.

The Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner is hypoallergenic, free of parabens and does not clog pores. If you are looking for a dermatological approved formula to help correct your pores in the long run, then this is the pore minimizer to start with!

Pros:

• Compact and portable
• Universal shade
• Non-drying
• Hypoallergenic

Cons:

• Scented formula

7. Clinique Pore Refining Correcting Serum

Next on our list of the best pore minimize for en, we have for you the Clinique Pore Refining Correcting Serum which has earned quite the reputation among users for its great results.

The Clinique Pore Refining Correcting Serum, as the name suggests already, is a liquid formula. And because it is a serum, you can expect it to be much more concentrated and potent than creams or gels.

The Clinique Pore Refining Correcting Serum comes in a nice container bottle with a pump dispenser, which as you know, we are a great fan of. Great for travel and on the go use.You get a good ounce of this serum which is pretty great for the price. Now, let’s talk business.

This formula is made to improve pore sizes, but the great thing is that you can expect some instant results from it. This lightweight and super hydrating serum glides onto the skin seeps into those pores to cover them instantly. You can immediately see a difference. Your skin looks and feels smooth, even and not so porous! It is made for casual wearing and is especially perfect for oily, combination and normal skin types given how non-greasy and light this is.

The Clinique Pore Refining Correcting Serum is hands down one of the best pore minimizing product out there to include in your skincare regime of you want to see some results in the future. Convenient to use, potent formula and high performance result. Just what you want!

Pros:

• Compact and portable
• Universal shade
• Not greasy or oily
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Could feel a little drying

8. Paula's Choice SKIN BALANCING Pore-Reducing Toner

Paula’s Choice has been popping out some of the best skincare products for a while now. It is a very trusted and reputable company, and the SKIN BALANCING Pore-Reducing Toner is undeniably one of its best!

The BALANCING Pore-Reducing Toner from PC is, as you can guess from its name, a toner. It is therefore a liquid formula and is perfect for use before starting your skincare routine.

The BALANCING Pore-Reducing Toner has been formulated specifically for combination, normal and oily skin types. It uses ingredients that suppress over production of oil, or sebum. Speaking of which, this toner is great for targeting blemishes and black heads too!

The BALANCING Pore-Reducing Toner is made using tons of antioxidants and hydrating ceramics that helps shrink pore size and also help rejuvenate and revive dull, irritated skin.

This formula is, obviously, very lightweight and comfortable to wear, and is in fact perfect for almost all ages and skin types. You get 6.4 ounces of product, which is very generous. And it comes in a bottle with a dropper mouth for easy dispensing.

The SKIN BALANCING Pore-Reducing Toner from PC is also free from scent or fragrances, and never tested on animals. If you are looking for a pore minimizing toner to amplify your skincare routine after a good cleanse, then look no further than the SKIN BALANCING Pore-Reducing Toner from Paula’s Choice!

Pros:

• Not greasy or oily
• Lightweight
• Free of fragrance

Cons:

• Not the most portable or travel friendly
• Tends to cause allergic reactions and breakouts to certain skin types

9. Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner

There are a few products that are very low profile, but work like a power horse. And the Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner is one such product!

The Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner isn’t the most commercialized or popular skin minimize out there. But those who use it, swear by it and are hooked for a good amount of time. This pore minimize is a toner which means is has a liquid, watery formula. This is therefore used best after cleansing and before skincare or makeup routines. The Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner is super lightweight and comfortable to wear.

You feel no greasiness whatsoever and it seeps right into those pores to fill them up. Something that makes the Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner so unique is that it corrects the problem right from the root. This toner uses a formula that is rich in DMAE, salicylic acid and a copper complex.

These ingredients are known to inhibit and cut down sebum production and shrink pore size to create a more firm, even skin. The Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner is also a very gentle exfoliator. Thanks to alpha lipoic acid, the formula also gently exfoliates the top and dead layer of your skin to reveal a more youthful and bright version of you! As for the finish, you can expect nice and light, matte look.

The Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner comes in a amber glass bottle with 4 ounces of product in it. If you are looking for a skin minimizing product that means business without irritating or harming your skin, then try out the Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizing Toner. You just might get hooked!

Pros:

• Not greasy or oily
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Strong smell

10. Kiehl’s Precision Lifting & Pore Tightening Concentrate

And the final name to make it to our list of the beta pore minimize for men is staple and favorite of many skincare regimes: the Precision Lifting & Pore Tightening Concentrate from Kiehl’s!

The Kiehl’s Precision Lifting & Pore Tightening Concentrate is the real deal. This pore minimizer is not here to joke around. It is is concentrate which is far more potent than your creams and gels, and it means serious business! The Kiehl’s Precision Lifting & Pore Tightening Concentrate is a liquid formula which glides onto the skin and seeps into the pores instantly.

It is super lightweight and hydrating at the same time. What’s unique is that, unlike typically serums which tend to be very watery and runny, the Kiehl’s Precision Lifting & Pore Tightening Concentrate has a creamy, smooth and gel-like serum which isn’t heavy at all. Despite the lightweight formula, it does not dry out your skin like most serums or concentrates do.

The Kiehl’s Precision Lifting & Pore Tightening Concentrate, as potent as it is, is still great for a wide range of skin types starting from dry to oily to combination to normal, to even sensitive! And the word around the town is that it also helps lift and tighten your skin. A great, potent serum to go before your skincare or makeup routines.

The Kiehl’s Precision Lifting & Pore Tightening Concentrate comes in an amber glass bottle which a pump dispenser, and has about 1.7 ounces of pore minimizing magic potion. Easy to use, easy to carry and delivers every time. Definitely worth the splurge if you want to see some results!

Pros:

• Lightweight formula
• Not greasy or oily
• Not drying
• Usable on almost all skin types
• Has a pump dispenser
• Compact and portable

Cons:

• Is scented

What Can a Pore Minimizers Do For You?

Conceal & Fill Pores

Let’s start with the absolute obvious. One of the most important and popular reasons behind the very existence of pore minimizers is to cover and conceal large pores. Pore minimizers, especially the ones made for instant correction, are made using a various different types of “filler” ingredients.

These ingredients, like silicone, fill in the depth of your pores to reveal a smoother, plainer and even skin texture. Typically, cosmetic pore minimizer will also mattify or blur the skin so that pores are less prominent and visible to the eyes. However, these days, you will find pore minimizing product that come with heaps of finishes, including dewy, luminous, semi-matte, etc.

Allow Better Makeup Application

Have you ever tried applying foundation over skin with large pores? It is a thing of the nightmares. Pore minimizers, and its whole cover and concealing process, is a fantastic way to ensure that your makeup glides on flawlessly on to your skin. Without the use of a proper pore minimizing product, your pores would shine through the foundations, concealers and powder.

Not cute! Pore minimizers, at least the cosmetic ones, often use filler ingredients like silicone. This fills up the pores and creates a more even, smooth and non-textured canvas for your to do your makeup on.

Treat Enlarged Pores

Covering and concealing is not enough. Cosmetic pore minimizes can only do so much. They may provide instant pore coverage and concealing, but it does nothing to truly address the problem.

That’s where skincare and treatment pore minimizing products come in. These types of pore minimizers are different from your cosmetic ones in the way that are to be used as a form of treatment. These pore minimizers come include very potent ingredients that manipulate your skin’s activities, like sebum production, to help reduce the appearance of enlarged pores. With consistent and regular use, you can expect some satisfactory results in the long run.

How to Buy The Best Pore Minimizer For Men

Your Skin Type

And first, and undeniably the most important, factor that goes into buying and selecting the proper pore minimizer for you is by assessing your skin type. Typically, unlike concealers or foundations, a pore minimizer usually works on most skin types.

However, many pore minimizers now are formulated for specific skin types so you have to make sure you know which one’s right for you. Most pore minimizing products will have a smooth, velvety or waxy skin feel as it glides onto your skin. However, the wear may get oily or dry throughout the day depending on your personal skin temperament.

Formula

And depending on your skin type, you will decide the formula for your ideal pore minimizer. The formula should be judged on the basis of consistency, texture and weight.

Oily Skin Types

For oily skin types, we recommend using a pore minimizer that is liquid or water based. You could also try gel or serum formulas. Creamy pore minimizer aren’t all that oily, but they could feel heavy throughout the wear. Also, try and go for products that are oil of oil. Also try something with a matte finish.

Dry Skin Type

Next, comes your dry skin types. If you are selecting a pore minimizer for dry skin, then we suggest you pick something that has a creamy or mousse like texture and consistency.

Oil-based product will also work great to quench your skin’s thirst and make it look plump and hydrated. Also, for a more complementary look to your dry skin type, try and test out pore minimizers with a dewy, luminous finish.

Combination & Normal Skin Type

Combination and normal skin types are usually easier to work with. You could use just about any formula and finish on your normal skin types. Combination skin types may require using a pore minimizer that is neither too oily nor too drying.

No Greasiness & Oiliness

Many pore minimizers don’t feel all that greasy and oily to begin with. We said that previously, we know. But what happens is that some formulas are heavier than the next. As a result, in conjunction with your skin’s natural sebum, the pore minimizer tends to feel and look greasy.  It is therefore wise to think about the product’s outcome later in the day, and choose according ti that.

Finish

Pore minimzers are typically formulated to give you a matte and blurry skin effect. This is to take away the shine and eyes from those pore, which tend to look more prominent when shiny. However, in the market today, we are blessed with formulas that give you a dewy and healthy glowy finish without highlighting those pores.

Longevity

There’s nothing much to say about this point. Some pore minimizers last longer than others. Some need more touchups than the next. It all depends how much effort you are willing to give. If you are looking for a gets-the-job-done kind of solution, then just about any product will do.

But if you are a busy person, always on the go and never have time or energy for touchups, then try and go for pore minimizers that are more long wearing and durable.

Odor & Fragrances

One thing you will notice while shopping for pore minimizers is that majority of them are scented or fragranced. Something we don’t appreciate since we will be slathering it on around our eyes and nose. Having said that, a faint and soft fragrance is more than welcome. Just make sure you don’t get something that smells like a poke in the eyes from a garden or roses.

Easy to Blend

Pore minimizer, no matter the formula or the finish or the ingredient or whatsoever, should always feel smooth and comfortable on the skin. Some pore minimizers, especially the silicone based ones, tend to leave a waxy residue behind which is not okay. A good product will blend easily and heavy no traces behind. Also make sure that your pore minimizer has what it takes to be worn under makeup. Low quality pore minimizers have a tendency to shift and slip and split when foundation or concealer is applied on top of it. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about pore minimizers:

1. Most pore minimizing products use silicone. Isn’t silicone harmful for our skin?

Answer: That’s a fantastic point. Silicones, when people think of it, they think of plastic-y and artificial substance. But silicone is in fact derived from natural ingredients! It’s the overall processing that makes it synthetic, eventually. This compound is put into pore minimizers due to its clever fluid properties. It tends to be velvety and waxy when applied, and does a wonderful job setting into pores to fill them up. As for the side effect, there hasn’t been anything to prove that silicones clog pores or do any harm. Having said that, silicone is known for making other ingredients more permeable to your skin. So the only thing you need to be careful of are the other ingredients that are used in conjunction with silicone pore minimzers.  Not the silicone itself.

2. Can a pore minimize really reduce pore size?

Answer: Here’s the hard truth: nothing can. No pore minimize or magic potion can actually enlarge to shrink pore size. This is where many pore minimzer product manufacturers fool and trick people. Because pore minimizers can’t really change the structure of your pores! What they can do, however, is manipulate certain skin activities to REDUCE THE APPEARANCE of large pores. This could be in the form of inhibiting excess sebum product, or firming up the skin, and so on. These small manipulations and interruptions can help reduce the appearance of large pores, but not truly shrink them.

3. When do I use a cosmetic pore minimizer and a treatment pore minimizer?

Answer: Great question. Cosmetic pore minimizers are formulated to instantly fill and conceal pores. They may have skin nourishing ingredients, but is not a pore minimizing treatment by any means. Cosmetics pore minimizers are therefore best used before makeup routines, or just to even out the face for the day. On the other hand, a dermatological approved and treatment pore minimizer is formulated to treat and correct the skin from within reduce the appearance of pore size. This product may or may not give you instant pore coverage, but is something you should use consistently to treat enlarged pores.

Essentially, use this analogy: A cosmetic pore minimizer is a red lipstick while a treatment pore minimizer is a lip oil. Sometimes people use these lip oils as lip balms too. One make you look good on the outside while the other fixes things on the inside.

#8 Tips & Tricks To Minimize Pours:

1. Pore minimizers aren’t just for pores. They can be used to fill and conceal fine lines, and even wrinkles!
2. Want to fill up those lines on your lips for a more plump pout? Slather on some pore minimizer before applying lip gloss. You are welcome.
3. Do not apply pore minimizers on irritated or open (wounded skin).
4. If you are not into silicone based pore minimizers, then try and look into marine based products or essential oils. Mind you, the effect won’t be the same, but it does an okay job.
5. Use can make your own pore minimizing tinted products by incorporating your foundation or concealer into some pore minimzer.
6. Do not start applying makeup immediately after applying a pore minimizer. Wait for a few minute so that the product can settle in into the pores.
7. Feel like your pore minimizer is getting greaiser by the minute? Just pat on some transculent powder or bake for an extra long-lasting wear.
8. Do not leave the cap or lid of your pore minimizers open, especially the silicone based formula. These types of products tend to evaporate or dry out very quickly , and are also very difficult to fix or reconstitute.

Pore minimizers have definitely changed the game. It is a wonderful and versatile product and needs to be in everyone makeup bags and skincare routines ASAP! But finding the right pore minimzer is a job, especially for men. That is exactly why, we have dedicated today’s article into helping your guys find the Best pore minimizer for men! There are some quick help products that might help such as the Tiege Hanley but the ones we talked about in this guide are great enough. We have everything from cosmetic to treatment, stick to water formula, and drugstore to high-end luxury products. We hope you can find your perfect partner from right here!

Thank you for staying with us and taking the time to read our article. We hope you found it useful and informative. Don’t forget to leave behind any questions or comments you may have. Look and feel your best! Take care.