Most pore-care formulations still chase the same two levers: sebum control and mechanical tightening. But a growing body of dermatology research is pointing at a third, largely unaddressed driver of enlarged pores — glycation. Daily exposure to sugar, grilled and fried foods, sweat, makeup, and urban air pollution (PM10 fine dust) accelerates the formation of Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs), which damage collagen and weaken the skin's structural support around the follicle. The result: pores that look larger not because of oil, but because the scaffolding around them has collapsed.
This is a meaningful shift for formulators. Pore-minimizing actives built purely around sebum absorption or astringent tightening don't touch the AGE-driven mechanism — which means they're treating a symptom while the underlying structural damage continues. POREZERO™, newly launched at in-cosmetics Korea 2026, was built specifically to close that gap.
Why POREZERO
POREZERO™ is a 3-plant complex — Centella Asiatica Extract, Sophora Japonica Flower Extract, and Asparagus Racemosus Root Extract — designed as a 2-step Anti-Glycation Technology rather than a single-mechanism astringent. It's Patent Pending, Cruelty-Free (Non-Animal Test Certified), and carries an ISO 16128 Natural Origin Index of 1.0.
Mechanism
Step 1 — Fine dust defense: Recovers collagen production by inhibiting the collagen damage caused by daily exposure to fine dust (PM10).
Step 2 — Anti-glycation: Recovers collagen production by suppressing AGE formation — the glycation process that breaks down collagen and weakens skin structure.
Together, the two steps target both an external stressor (pollution) and an internal one (glycation), rather than relying on temporary pore-tightening alone.
Clinical Data
Clinical test: POREZERO™ applied at 2%, 20 subjects, 4-week assessment.
- Pore Number: −17% (vs. placebo, 12% greater improvement)
- Pore Area: −23% (vs. placebo, 15% greater improvement)
- Pore Depth: −11% (vs. placebo, 9% greater improvement)
- Skin Elasticity: +23% (vs. placebo, approximately 30% greater improvement)
Recommended usage level: 2%.
Interested in Formulating with POREZERO?
MAHA is the official supplier of Active Ingredients in Asia. Contact us now for technical support and TDS, and to request a free sample.
