Mandelic Acid Benefits for Minimizing Large Pores.

Pores are actually the end of a pilosebaceous duct, which connects the sebaceous and sweat glands to the outside environment. They allow sebum and sweat to pass through them, but they can also become visible. The more dilated they are, the more impurities settle in and blackheads and pimples form. This problem is especially visible on the T-zone and in the extension of the cheeks. There are many reasons for the dilation of a pore.

• Sebum production: the size of pores varies according to the amount of sebum you produce. Indeed, their agglomeration stretches the pores and widens them little by little.

• Amount of dead skin cells: The other factor that determines pore size is the presence of a large number of dead skin cells. Their accumulation can further clog pores.

• Aging process: As we age, pores expand and take up more and more skin surface area. This is due to the degradation of collagen levels, which causes a loosening in their structure.

Mandelic acid is a fruit acid of natural origin (bitter almond) belonging to the family of alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA), like glycolic acid and lactic acid. Mandelic Acid is commonly used for its exfoliating benefits and its softness for the skin, explained by its high molecular weight. This virtue is notably exploited in skincare formulas to tighten pores. Clogged with impurities, the removal of excess dead skin cells and the initiation of cell renewal progressively removes pore clogging and promotes pore evacuation, which is the cause of pore dilation. By an indirect mechanism, the pores thus find their “normal” shape thanks to the mandelic acid benefits. 

It can take several weeks 

until the tangerine-like 

aspect of the skin is improved.

Naturally, larger pores cannot be eradicated, but it is possible to temporarily refine them. Sebum production and pore size are genetically determined parameters. At Typology, we offer two products to reduce pore size, including AHA cleansing and exfoliating mandelic acid treatment. These products can also be part of your skin care routine to prevent the appearance of enlarged pores.

• The peeling gel-mask helps get rid of dead skin cells that accumulate on the skin, giving a tightened appearance to the pores and limiting the appearance of imperfections thanks to its dose of AHA and PHA in the formula. In addition to this, it provides a glow to the complexion.

How to use it? Apply it to the face in a semi-thick layer, once or twice a week, only in the evening. Leave it on for 10 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water.

• The exfoliating night cream with 6% AHA and pink grapefruit extract is a care that can help pores to regain a “normal” size and allow a better flow of sebum. Night after night, the combination of mandelic acid benefits, glycolic acid and pink grapefruit extract (INCI name: Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract) eliminates dead cells that have accumulated on the surface and could have ended up in the pores, enlarging them with an increased and non-negligible risk of turning into blackheads.

How to use it? In the evening, after the serum on a clean and dry skin, apply a hazelnut of cream on the whole face and neck. Start with one to two applications per day for a few weeks before switching to daily use.

If the cause of enlarged pores is an

overproduction of sebum or sagging skin, 

there is no possible solution to reducing 

their visibility to the naked eye.