Areas of Research & Development

Skin Area

In the cosmetics industry, skin area is one of the most prosperous areas in terms of advanced research and development. Mandom is also conducting its own original research and development, and aside from performing basic research which forms the foundation of these original endeavors, the company is also placing efforts into conducting consumer awareness surveys.

Until now, Mandom has continuously performed investigations and research regarding male and female skin conditions, and has clarified that there are differences between each skin type.Within the cosmetics industry, Mandom was the first company to particularly conduct full-scale investigations and research regarding men. Mandom found that men's skin has characteristics that differ from women, and in recent years the company has been conducting research and development that even takes into consideration the impression of appearance received from the skin's condition. Mandom is also uncovering new findings in its research that pays close attention to the relationship between women's skin condition and their estrous cycle.

Mandom keeps track of situations both male and female consumers actually face and strives to establish original technology that achieves the skin consumers want.

Research Example [1] Men's Skin Care

Mandom is conducting research on skin that makes an impression in order to apply that knowledge to the development of products that help improve the impression given by skin's appearance. Mandom found out that the youthful impression given by middle-aged men in their 30s and 40s is influenced by the brightness of their skin, and that this impression can be improved through appropriate skin care. In addition, the company also discovered a very close correlation between the impression of cleanliness and irregularities, pores and skin color (brightness and unevenness), particularly on the cheeks and forehead of young men in their teens and 20s.

Research Example [2] Women's Skin Care

Mandom investigated the relationship between the skin condition and estrous cycle of women around the age of 30. The company found that large amounts of sebum are secreted and that the skin's barrier functions are weakened during women's hyperthermic phase. In addition, the company also confirmed that women's skin becomes dull and pores more easily-noticeable during this phase. This clarified that different to aging skin, the skin of women around the age of 30 undergoes a peculiar but temporary change. On the other hand, Mandom discovered that phytic acid derived from rice milk has a property that improves the skin's temporary deterioration (increased secretion of sebum, increased transepidermal water loss, and dull skin) during this hyperthermic phase.

Research Example [3] Clarified the Structure & Functional Mechanisms of Sebaceous Glands

Mandom is promoting the clarification of mechanisms and the establishment of a new evaluation method regarding sebaceous glands that secrete sebum. By extracting a human sebaceous gland in an observable state, Mandom has successfully observed a three-dimensional image of the sebum's interior, and has established a new evaluation method by quantifying the amount of sebum produced in a human sebaceous gland.