Tackling conspicuous pores from start to finish

The skin of the face has many pores which are associated with sweat glands and hair follicles. Those related to the hair follicles are much larger (40–80 μm) and are mostly visible to the human eye. Pores associated with sweat glands are only 5–10 μm in size. The density of pores related to the hair follicles (in this text, hereafter called pores) on the face is about 200–300/ cm2 . It is not unimaginable that, when pores change their normal natural features, they can become a problem.

A growing number of consumers feel that the visibility of the pores on their face makes them look less attractive. They find their pores too conspicuous and feel the need to counteract this by using makeup or skincare products. Where makeup normally only covers the problem, skincare products can have different biological activities which make pores less conspicuous.

In the past, astringent ingredients were widely used. These lead to irreversible coagulation (‘firming up’) of superficial skin proteins, which ‘tightens’ the pores. However, there are important downsides to this approach. Astringent ingredients do not present a fundamental solution to the problem; they have a temporary effect at best and interfere with the natural state of the skin’s own proteins.