Some of it is just your face — and it deserves saying plainly: pore size is largely structural, set by genetics and how much sebum flows through each one. Nothing topical permanently shrinks a pore, and every product implying otherwise is selling the lighting in its own ad. What evidence does support is making pores less noticeable by managing the two things that enlarge their appearance: oil sitting in and around them, and the dead-skin-plus-sebum plugs that stretch them.
For the plugs, salicylic acid is the right tool — it's oil-soluble, so it exfoliates inside the pore where the congestion actually is, and it has controlled-trial support in oily, acne-prone skin (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38051857/). A 2% leave-on a few nights a week is the standard starting dose; results build over several weeks. For overall skin behavior, niacinamide is a reasonable daily companion — well tolerated, with 12-week trial data on texture and tone at 5% (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16029679/).
Set expectations mechanically: this is maintenance, not renovation. Consistent BHA keeps pores clear so they look smaller; stop, and the plugs rebuild within weeks. Clay masks give a real but strictly temporary tightening. Primers are optics. Blotting papers are fine — they remove shine without disturbing anything.
Skip the compulsion to add more: layering three "pore" products mostly adds irritation, and irritated skin looks worse in office lighting than shiny skin does. One BHA, one niacinamide, sunscreen, patience — that's the evidence-backed version of this fight.