I have been blessed with VERY OILY skin. And lucky for me, oily skin is usually combined with large pores. Yay.
Milk of Magnesia is my long-time favourite beauty product. That's right - BEAUTY PRODUCT.
Applying it under my regular foundation has essentially erased my pores, and stopped oil production. Without it, my face is an oil-slick within a few hours, and my pores are terribly unsightly.
Here's how it works:
1. Wash & dry your face. Apply moisturizer or whatever product you normally use. I use a drop of organic Jojoba Oil as a moisturizer, as it does not cause breakouts, dryness, or overproduction of oil.
2. Dip a cotton ball in the Milk of Mag, and apply liberally to your face. If you only have an oily T-Zone, only apply it there. I use it all over my face. Yes, I'm a mess.
3. Let it dry. At this point, you can take the chance to hide from any loved ones that you may frighten from your appearance.
4. Once dry, you may apply your foundation as normal. I use liquid foundation with a sponge, but I've used mineral powder with no issue.
5. Rejoice.
I use this every day. I find that the milk of magnesia actually prevents the makeup from clogging my pores, and therefore further prevents pores from getting larger in the process. I use less foundation, because it acts as a binder, and you do not need cake it on since the Milk of Mag acts as a veil between your skin and the makeup. A 12-ounce bottle will last me months, and it's always under $10. I have used the expensive 'real' primers (Ahem, $40) but I find that they still make my skin oily and clog my pores.
My life of compacts and oil-absorbing sheets is but a distant memory.
Ironically, I've never had to use milk of magnesia for its intended purpose. But it's good to know I have it in case I do.