Interior designer Abrielle Stedman spends her days thinking about details. From sourcing inspiration across Los Angeles to tending to her Silver Lake garden, she has a streamlined eye for design that delivers big impact without the excess. Her approach to beauty, she admits, follows suit. “I’m a pretty low-maintenance girl,” she says. “I only wear makeup for events, so I’m always aiming for the nicest skin possible, using the fewest number of products.”
In committing to Pore Refining Complex for eight weeks, Stedman hoped a single step could meaningfully shift the look of her acne-prone skin—by improving overall texture and reducing redness. She applied the targeted nightly treatment serum once every day, only in areas like her cheeks and T-zone.
The powerhouse ingredient behind Pore Refining Complex is 10% Azelaic Acid, which helps to prevent dead skin buildup and excess oil at the skin's surface while boosting healthier cell turnover. Benefits include smoother skin, less redness, cleaner pores, and fewer dark spots. (Bonus: Azelaic Acid is gentler than stronger acid alternatives and contains anti-inflammatory properties that mitigate angry looking flares.)
Rounding out the formula are two proprietary systems: a Pore Refine Complex, which uses Exosome technology to deliver ingredients more deeply into the skin to shrink and tighten pores; and Skin Bright Complex, which boosts the skin barrier and controls oil production.
From the first application, Stedman says she noticed how easily Pore Refining Complex serum fit into her pared-back routine: She washed skin with a gentle cleanser, misted on rosewater spray, and allowed skin to dry before smoothing it onto the areas where she needed it.
By Week 2, early impressions evolved into visible change. She noticed smaller-looking pores and “a more even skin tone,” followed by a reduction in redness and, at Week 6, improved brightness. By Week 8, Stedman described her skin as “so much more resilient,” adding, “I barely need concealer now. I’ve never achieved this level of skin health.”
Watch the video (below) to see her full 8-week transformation. And for more on the science behind Pore Refining Complex, here’s Gucci herself on its Exosome-powered formula.
