The effectiveness of cosmetic products in alleviating a range of skin dryness conditions as determined by clinical and instrumental techniques.

Synopsis A vast array of cosmetic products are used routinely by consumers to alleviate a range of skin care problems. Consumer concern ranges from age-associated skin changes to complexion (e.g., spots and pimples) and dryness. However, a major cause for concern amongst European female consumers is skin dryness, which spans all age ranges and skin types. Utilizing instrumental procedures (Squametry and Image Analysis) the severity of skin dryness has been correlated with expert assessment and consumer perception of dryness. The sensitivity of these techniques enables one to follow the progression of dryness alleviation for a range of product forms (e.g., creams and lotions) as well as the purported mechanism of action of various ingredient systems (e.g., occlusivity, moisturization). While conventional cosmetic products are shown to be effective, these techniques can be used to aid in the assessment and formulation of more effective products. Efficacité des produit cosmétiques à l'allégement d'un spectre d'états de peau sèche selon des measures cliniques et au moyen d'instruments.

A replica technique for the evaluation of human skin by scanning electron microscopy.

A detailed reproducible procedure has been developed for the replication of human skin for scanning electron-microscopic evaluation. Utilizing a test surface, a number of negative and positive materials were evaluated for consistence and clarity of replication. Optimal replication parameters were determined and the method was successfully applied to the evaluation of human skin in vivo. Furthermore, a method was established which permitted repetitive examination of selected skin sites. Experimental results suggest that this replicating procedure can be used to monitor changes in the stratum corneum over time, and extend the range of stratum corneum magnifications.

A comparison of rapidly transported proteins in the sensory fibers of the rat and mouse sciatic nerve.

Fast axoplasmic transport through the sensory fibers of the sciatic nerve has been compared in rats and mice. The use of in vitro incubation permits high levels of specific activity to be attained when labeling with [(35)S]L-methionine. The specific activity of the transported proteins was about 10-fold greater in mice than in rats. Proteins labeled with radioactive methionine were examined after separation on polyacrylamide gels. There are no differences between mice and rats when the proteins carried by rapid transport are compared. Similarly, the proteins synthesized by the Schwann cells of these two species are not distinguishable. The dorsal root ganglia of mice, however, yield a band of radioactivity that is not seen in ganglia from rats. This band migrates with an apparent molecular weight of 31,000 daltons.