TEWL measurements provide valuable insight on barrier function by measuring humidity. By placing a cylindrical diffusion chamber against the skin, sensors can evaluate the difference in humidity from the surface of the skin to the top of the chamber. These readings tell our chemists how much moisture is being released from the skin and, consequently, whether the skin is acting as a sufficient barrier.
Skin Care Ingredient Research
Skin care benefit claims require scientific backing now more than ever in the personal space. Stepan Personal Care has built on the latest science to deliver an innovative portfolio of ingredients for decades. We continue our tradition of scientific honesty and deployed a comprehensive program of skin health measurement tools to assess ingredient performance in order to deliver high-performing, safe products that enhance your formulations.
Innovative, Performance-Measuring Technology for Skin Care Ingredient Research
The personal care industry has been making significant advancements in delivering skin wellness benefits to consumers in recent years. Store shelves are lined with moisturizers, lotions and body butters promising improved hydration and skin elasticity. With new products that have significant skin benefit claims, there is an increasing need for quantifiable support.
Consumers expect not only high-quality results from their skin care products, but also scientifically backed claims. Promises of hydration or elasticity mean little unless they are proven. As such, it is critical for formulators to have a comprehensive understanding of a new ingredient’s qualities.
To supply skin care formulators with scientifically proven ingredients, Stepan Personal Care has developed a program that uses cutting-edge technologies to measure the performance of new materials and demonstrate the potential benefits they can provide. By employing multiple, trusted measurement tools, the team can perform a thorough evaluation of potential skin benefits.
The program comprises DermaLab measurement tools and technology supplied through Cortex Technology. It features a powerful multi-parameter skin analysis system that provides the following measurements: skin conductance, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), elasticity, sebum content, pH levels, temperature and skin color.
But the most fundamental parameters the program is capable of measuring are skin moisture and barrier protection levels. These are gathered with industry-standard skin conductance and TEWL measurements. These parameters provide valuable information about potential benefits to skin health when measurements are taken before and after products, such as moisturizers, are applied.
Collecting Skin Health Measurements
Skin conductance is assessed by placing hydration pins made up of multiple small probes against the skin and measuring its capacity for conducting electricity. The delicate probes simply rest on the skin as slight pressure is applied. This provides information on hydration, as drier skin will inhibit electrical impulses from traveling through the skin.
Additional measurements, such as the skin’s pH levels, elasticity, temperature, color and sebum content, paint a greater picture of the skin’s health. These assessments are made using a collection of trusted instruments such as ultrasounds, elasticity devices and sebum measurement technologies. Determining whether the skin is too oily, discolored or rigid provides a better understanding of an ingredient’s overall effectiveness.
These combined measurements tell the story of an individual’s skin health in a way no single measurement can. With this innovative toolbox and its capabilities, the Stepan Personal Care team elevated their understanding of skin care ingredients and formulations, bringing enhanced expertise to those looking to better understand how their skin care product can benefit the consumer.
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