Consumer habits and practices for cosmetics and personal care products in Singapore: An online survey.

Understanding trends in habits and practices of cosmetics and personal care products is essential for the assessment of product exposure and simultaneously, the establishment of safe use levels for incorporated ingredients. To date, most exposure data is limited to European and USA populations, with data on Asian-specific habits and practices lacking. This data gap needs to be filled as evidence has shown that there is a large variation in product use behaviors between consumers, across and within populations. Moreover, there is a need to seek a more efficient approach of data collection. Conventional methods of collecting habits and practices data require extensive effort and are generally cost and time intensive. In this publication, we demonstrate the feasibility of employing a rapid and cost-effective online survey approach to gather habits and practices for Southeast Asia, specifically Singapore. We describe the methodology and display the type of habits and practices data that can be gathered through this approach. Although certain limitations exist, this approach can be used to effectively collect preliminary product use data across regions and different product categories.

Updating exposure assessment for skin sensitization quantitative risk assessment for fragrance materials.

In 2008, a proposal for assessing the risk of induction of skin sensitization to fragrance materials Quantitative Risk Assessment 1 (QRA1) was published. This was implemented for setting maximum limits for fragrance materials in consumer products. However, there was no formal validation or empirical verification after implementation. Additionally, concerns remained that QRA1 did not incorporate aggregate exposure from multiple product use and included assumptions, e.g. safety assessment factors (SAFs), that had not been critically reviewed. Accordingly, a review was undertaken, including detailed re-evaluation of each SAF together with development of an approach for estimating aggregate exposure of the skin to a potential fragrance allergen. This revision of QRA1, termed QRA2, provides an improved method for establishing safe levels for sensitizing fragrance materials in multiple products to limit the risk of induction of contact allergy. The use of alternative non-animal methods is not within the scope of this paper. Ultimately, only longitudinal clinical studies can verify the utility of QRA2 as a tool for the prevention of contact allergy to fragrance materials.

Characterization of facial skin of various Asian populations through visual and non-invasive instrumental evaluations: influence of age and skincare habits.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the impact of age and skincare habits on facial skin of different Asian ethnicities by comparing skin properties and skincare habits among various Asian populations of varying age groups. METHODS: We evaluated approximately 100 female subjects each from a total of eight Asian cities in China, India, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines grouped according to age ranging from 14 to 75 years during a summer season. Facial skin was characterized using dermatological examinations of the cheek and instrumental evaluations of the forehead and cheek. Information regarding personal skincare habits was collected using a questionnaire. RESULTS: In 834 female subjects, characteristics related to skin surface moisture, elasticity, and sebum level decreased with age. Differences in skincare habits corresponded with variations in skin parameters. Subjects with the least severe photodamage reported a generally early onset of their skincare habits. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate common trends as well as inherent differences in skin characteristics among Asian populations, reflecting the impact of age and the diversity of skincare habits of Asian women. These results may be beneficial when developing new skincare products that are well suited to these Asian populations.

A randomized and placebo-controlled study to compare the skin-lightening efficacy and safety of lignin peroxidase cream vs. 2% hydroquinone cream.

BACKGROUND: Historically, the most effective treatments for skin lightening have contained hydroquinone. However, there is a need for an effective alternative. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the skin-lightening efficacy and safety of lignin peroxidase (LIP) creams using a regimen of both day and night products compared with twice-daily application of 2% hydroquinone cream and placebo in Asian women. PATIENTS/METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, split-face, single-center study of 51 patients. Patients were randomized to receive day and night LIP cream on one randomly selected side of their face and either 2% hydroquinone cream or placebo on the other. RESULTS: A statistically significant change from baseline in the melanin index was observed in LIP-treated skin, with a mean reduction of 7.6% (P < 0.001) on Day 31. Conversely, hydroquinone and placebo did not provide a statistically significant lightening effect when instrumentally measured. Dermatologist scoring demonstrated a significant improvement in overall fairness as early as 8 days after treatment initiation in the LIP-treated group, which was not observed in the other groups. Overall, patients preferred the LIP creams. CONCLUSIONS: The application of day/night LIP cream provided a significantly more rapid and observable skin-lightening effect than hydroquinone 2% cream or placebo.