Facial Moisturisers: Does Skincare Work?

At my talk to the Society of Cosmetic Scientists last week, the discussion revolved around the real performance of skincare. The industry agreed with me that skincare will never match the instant results (and risks) of surgery but small step-by-step visible improvements (like when we exercise) benefit our appearance. The SCS president emailed later to say “I used your gym analogy to a reporter from The Sunday Telegraph on Friday who was writing a piece on whether skincare works…” Analogies help to illustrate what to really expect in the ever-so-hyped world of skincare. But let’s look at the facts now.

• Unilever research shows that a well-formulated moisturiser will improve wrinkles by at least one grade (1/5 on a 5 grade wrinkle scale) in 6 months. This will be a visible result – people will notice and compliment you on a softer, plumper look!
• A benchmark dermatologist prescription treatment, retinoic acid, will improve wrinkles by two grades (2/5 on a 5 grade wrinkle scale) in 6 months but often with side effects including redness, scaling and inflammation.
• Using a skincare routine with ingredients matched to your skin type and concerns will improve the results.
• As always I hasten to add that skincare only accounts for 1/3 of the success! Youthful looks require well-shaped muscles and good jawline definition achieved by regular anti-ageing facial massage and exercise!

Have you seen the change in the mirror yet? See the results for yourself.

Garnier, a L’Oreal company, launched an interesting campaign. Davina has a dry skin type and, as any presenter, using strong facial expressions and being in and out of make-up all the time, she is prone to premature lines and wrinkles.

I don’t recommend Garnier for dry/mature skin types very often as there are no anti-ageing peptides in the formulation. But this is a fun exercise to see how well your anti-ageing moisturiser works!

Please note that the Garnier wrinkle scale has 10 grades (not 5 as the research scale above). That means you should see a difference earlier!

Link to YouTube Garnier Ultralift Challenge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvvcNMGuDxU

Link to the Wrinkle Reader

http://www.ultraliftchallenge.co.uk/GarnierUltraLift_range_ruler.html

Even A Small Reduction In Wrinkles Makes Us Look Younger

New ground-breaking research shows that even small changes in skin surface topography (wrinkle depth, volume, skin relief) are noticeable to our eyes and affect the perception of our facial age and attractiveness!

It is widely known that visible signs of ageing impact on how attractive we appear to others. Perception and noticeability of skin surface topography was studied by computer manipulation of six facial images of British women, aged 45–65 years. All topography cues (e.g. wrinkles, skin relief) were removed from the cheeks, the “crow’s feet” and the under the eye area, above the upper lip, and on the forehead at once and also gradually (in 20% increments). The images were judged by 300 Americans and Germans (aged 15–55 years) who were asked to determine the “younger looking” and “more attractive” image in a comparative pair.

It could be expected that images with wrinkles removed were judged as significantly younger and more attractive than the originals. As we look into people’s eyes when talking to them, it is also apparent that the forehead and the eye area are the most noticeable. In these areas, we are able to detect at least a 20% visual change in skin surface topography e.g. wrinkle reduction.

What Does It All Mean

• Frown lines, crows feet and the under eye area are the most important in how young we look.
• Even a small effect in terms of wrinkle reduction has an impact!
• Practice facial yoga to relax your face and buy skincare with good efficacy. Our ability to understand and quantify the discerning power of our eyes enables us to predict the efficacy of chosen skincare products.

 Reference: www.mdlinx.com/dermlinx/news-article.cfm/3176525

 

 

Visual Simulation of Skin Ageing

Greg G. Hillebrand, Principal Scientist at Procter & Gamble, explains how a new image-based method can simulate facial ageing. What makes it attractive is the fact that it can predict and visualise an individual’s unique future skin wrinkling and hyperpigmentation.

http://www.cossma.com/index.php?id=14569&lang=en