Directing Water with Make-up
Cosmetic foundations not only improve the tone of the skin, but now they can also direct moisture to the skin's surface, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Two unique P&G Beauty foundations draw on the science of water movement to help improve skin moisturization and health. The solid-emulsion compact foundation also allows the skin to retain moisture over time by blocking its escape into the atmosphere. The second foundation is a moisture balancing liquid make-up that actually pulls moisture from the air and directs it to the skin.
Moisture-Directing Compact Foundation: Gel Network Technology
Scientists have developed a solid-emulsion compact foundation that employs a gel network technology specially designed to keep the make-up solid at room temperature, while allowing it to transform into a liquid during application. Further, a specific amount of water in the system allows the incorporation of vita-niacin, an advanced vitamin package consisting of niacinamide, vitamin E and pro vitamin B5. While in the solid phase, the gel network stably binds the vitamins inside water droplets. This can be seen in the first microscopy image below taken prior to application at 8000x magnification, where the gel network contains water droplets in blue and a conditioning agent in pink. The second microscopy image taken at the same magnification shows the solid to liquid transformation that releases the actives from the system. The warmer temperature of the skin during application breaks the gel network, causing the water droplets to sheer away, thus directing the vita-niacin actives to the skin surface.
Studies show that application of this make-up at a consumer-relevant dose helps direct moisture to the skin's surface and allows the skin to retain moisture by reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Subjects acclimatized in a controlled environment area for at least 30 minutes before measurements. TEWL rate measurements were made before and after product application and again after one hour. As noted in the graph below, subjects using the foundation product experienced a significant change in TEWL from baseline, demonstrating skin moisture retention.
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Liquid Foundation: Moisture Movement Technology
Scientists have utilized moisture movement technology to create an all day hydrating liquid foundation that actively improves the condition of the skin by pulling moisture from the atmosphere. A high level of humectants, such as glycerin, in the formula increases the water content of the skin by ionically bonding water molecules. Through water attraction and retention, the product hydrates for up to 11 hours by speeding the rate of skin's natural moisture replenishment.
The directing of water from the atmosphere to the skin's surface was assessed through Dermal Phase Meter (DPM) measurements. This technique measures relative hydration of the skin via capacitance based on a dielectric constant found in skin. This constant varies with the level of skin moisture. Readings were taken 4, 8 and 11 hours after product application.
The results showed that the all day hydrating liquid foundation significantly improved skin hydration at all times measured - even 11 hours after application. (Table 1)
Table 1
Hydration Values (base = 25 panelists) *
|
Treatment |
11 Hours after application |
|
All Day Hydrating Liquid Foundation |
114.7 s |
|
Untreated Control |
102.98 |
* Statistical analysis was conducted to ensure that differences detected were not related to differences in baseline reading or forearm location.