Efficacy of a multitargeted, salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic cream compared to benzoyl peroxide 5% in Acne vulgaris: Results from a randomized study.

INTRODUCTION: Acne vulgaris (acne) is characterized by both inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions. Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) 5% is approved to treat acne but may cause skin irritation and/or contact allergy. OBJECTIVES: To compare the benefit in acne of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream containing salicylic acid, lipohydroxy acid, niacinamide, 2-oleamido-1,3-octadecanediol, piroctone olamine, zinc, Aqua posae filiformis, and thermal spring water (DC-Eff) to BPO 5% gel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 150 Caucasian subjects (50% female) aged between 18 and 40 years, with mild to moderate acne according to the GEA (Global Evaluation of Acne) grading system were randomized into two parallel groups (DC-Eff or BPO to be applied twice daily for 56 days). IGA (investigator global assessment), GEA, lesion count, clinical signs and symptoms, and subject assessment were evaluated at baseline, and after 28 and 56 days (D28 and D56) of treatment. RESULTS: The responder analyses of the IGA and GEA scores showed that 62.2% and 47.3%, respectively, in the DC-Eff, compared with 50.0% and 36.5%, respectively, in the BPO, had improved by at least one point at D56. Inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesion counts significantly (p < 0.0001) decreased with both products from baseline, with no between-group difference. Subjects considered that their skin was smoother and that DC-Eff was easy to apply. DC-Eff was better tolerated than BPO. CONCLUSIONS: DC-Eff applied twice daily is as beneficial as BPO in improving mild-to-moderate acne. DC-Eff was better tolerated than BPO and highly appreciated.

Applications of the new Aeva-HE™ imaging system: Its link with the visual evaluation of facial wrinkles and its potential in screening tensile products.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate, in vivo, a recently developed imaging system (Aeva-HE™), based on fringe projection methodology: (i) its correlation with expert's assessments and real age of 85 French Caucasian women and (ii) its potential, as a screening tool, in rapidly selecting prototypes of tensile cosmetic products. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, the bare faces of 85 differently aged French/Caucasian women were photographed under standard conditions and further analyzed by the Aeva-HE™ device. An expert aesthetician graded the severity of wrinkling on a fixed scale, helped by the use of a dedicated Skin Aging Atlas. A panel of 15 judges performed the same task on full-face standard photographs. The Aeva-HE™ software yielded various wrinkle's parameters (density, volume, mean depth, etc.) on different facial locations, according to age-groups. Second, seven women, balanced in age and wrinkling severity, were recruited in a separate study. These women applied at Day 1 a prototype of the tensile product and at Day 2, they applied another prototype of the tensile product. The whole faces (before and after products application) of the seven studied women were captured and analyzed by the Aeva-HE™ system. RESULTS: The density of wrinkles was significantly highly correlated with the aesthetician scores and, unsurprisingly, with age. Some parameters (volume, depths) of different wrinkles (glabellar, crow's feet, cheeks) were quantified, showing different absolute values and of statistically different progressions with age. The amplitudes of the rapid effects brought by the two prototypes of tensile products were clearly differentiated. CONCLUSION: The recently developed device Aeva-HE™ is an efficient system for rapidly establishing a faithful and precise status of facial wrinkles, in vivo and seems like a precious tool in the rapid screening of tensile products, possibly performed on a rather limited number of subjects.

In vitro and in vivo validation of a new three-dimensional fringe projection-based device (AEVA-HE) dedicated to skin surface mapping.

BACKGROUND: Aging signs are much visible on the surface of the skin that presents different changes: cheeks start to sag, more and deeper wrinkles appear, and pigmentation spots increase. Face diagnostic to recommend products includes assessing cutaneous micro-relief or the micro-depressive network on the face. Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for clinical and instrumental methods to prove the efficacy of anti-aging treatments. As a result, very accurate and sensitive three-dimensional (3D) devices are developed and validated to measure and quantify aging skin and to catch fine anti-aging products acting on wrinkles and fine lines. METHODS: AEVA-HE, a non-invasive 3D method based on fringe projection technology, is used to robustly characterize the skin micro-relief from a full-face acquisition and from multiple extracted zones of interest. In vitro and in vivo studies are conducted to assess the reproducibility of this system and its precision toward a standard fringe projection system, DermaTOP. RESULTS: The AEVA-HE successfully measured micro-relief and wrinkles and demonstrated the reproducibility of measurements.  AEVA-HE parameters were found highly correlated to DermaTOP. CONCLUSION: The present work illustrates the performance of the AEVA-HE device and its dedicated software kit as a precious tool for quantifying the major characteristics of wrinkles appearing with age and thus offers a high potential for assessing the effect of anti-wrinkling products.

Prediction of treatment effect perception in cosmetics using machine learning.

Perception of treatment effect (TE) in cosmetics is multifaceted and influenced by multiple parameters that need to be considered simultaneously when evaluating TE. Here we provide a global approach to predicting TE perception using Random Forest (RF) classifier. Data from three randomized double-blind clinical studies with a total of 50 subjects were used. Different products were applied to each facial cheek of subjects at each visit, and post-application photographs were taken. Nine primary endpoints relating to skin pores were assessed by a specific image analysis algorithm. Twenty judges evaluated the relative pore visibility in all possible pairs of cheek photographs. RF was used to construct a prediction model for TE perception based on the primary endpoints and judge's evaluation. Intra-study product ranking was done using the Bradley-Terry model on mean judges' predicted preference. RF demonstrated overall good accuracy in predicting TE perception. Applying RF technique not only addresses issues of multiplicity, nonlinearity and interactions between multiple criteria but also focuses decision-making on one discrete parameter thereby simplifying interpretability and allowing for more consumer-centered claim substantiation in clinical trials.Abbreviations: RF: Random Forest classifier; FDA: The US Food and Drug Agency; ID: Identifier; MCID: Minimal clinical important difference; Param: Parameter; PGIC: Patients' Global Impression of Change; TE: Treatment effect; TRT: Treatment.

Functional and structural age-related changes in the scalp skin of Caucasian women.

BACKGROUND: Ageing of the skin, being chronological or sun induced is highly documented. Scalp, as a specific skin site, has, however, received little attention. This work attempted to describe functional and structural alterations that occur in scalp skin with ageing. METHODS: Two different age groups (N = 15 each; 30 ± 3 and 62 ± 2 y.o. respectively) of Caucasian women participated in the study. Some functional parameters (TEWL, Sebum level, Hydration, T°) were recorded on the vertex part of the scalp, after having cut the hair flat on the scalp surface. Imaging of some structural criteria was carried out using high-frequency ultrasound technique and optical coherence tomography on the same scalp site and on the mid-forehead, as a close control skin site. RESULTS: As compared with the younger group, the scalp of older women significantly showed a decreased TEWL and a slightly lower T°. The thickness of total skin (epidermis + dermis) increased with age on both scalp and on forehead. The thickness of scalp epidermis decreased with age while not significantly altered on forehead. Pseudoattenuation of ultrasound images increased in the older age group. Other criteria, such as sebum level, stratum corneum hydration, stratum corneum thickness, were not found altered with age. CONCLUSION: With ageing, some few functional and structural changes are observed in the scalp of Caucasian women. Similarities or differences with those previously reported in other skin sites are discussed.

Assessment of elastic parameters of human skin using dynamic elastography.

Sonoelastography and transient elastography are two ultrasound-based techniques that facilitate noninvasive characterization of the viscoelastic properties of soft tissues by investigating their response to shear mechanical excitation. Young's modulus is the principle assessment parameter. Because it defines local tissue stiffness, it is of major interest for the medical imaging and cosmetic industries as it could replace subjective palpation by yielding local, quantitative information. In this paper, we describe a new high-resolution device capable of measuring local Young's modulus in very thin layers (1-5 mm) and devoted to the in vivo evaluation of the elastic properties of human skin. It uses an ultrasonic probe (50 MHz) for tracking the displacements induced by a 300 Hz shear wave generated by a ring surrounding the transducer. The displacements are measured using a conventional cross-correlation technique between successive ultrasonic back-scattered echoes. First, this noninvasive technique has been experimentally proven to be accurate for investigating elasticity in different skin-mimicking phantoms. Second, data were acquired in vivo on human forearms. As expected, Young's modulus was found to be higher in the dermis than in the hypodermis and other soft tissues.