title: Tensile properties and contours of aging facial skin. A controlled double-blind comparative study of the effects of retinol, melibiose-lactose and their association.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Facial aging is accompanied by modifications in the tensile properties and contours of skin. In the present study we instrumentally assessed and compared the effect of either 0.04% retinol (ROL), 1% melibiose and 4% lactose (ME-L) and their association (ROL-ME-L) to increase the firmness and smoothness of facial skin. A 1 % salicylic acid (SA) emulsion served as a cosmetic product reference.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 120 women were allocated to four randomized groups of 30 subjects, each group receiving one of the test products or a combination of test products. The tensile properties of facial skin were measured using the Cutometer® on seven occasions during the 12-week treatment and during a 4-week post-treatment phase. Fine lines and wrinkles were assessed on replicas by using image analysis after optical shadowing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences in efficacy and lingering activity were observed between products. SA brought the weakest beneficial effects. ROL and ME-L provided better efficacy on both the tensile properties and contours of skin. They differed slightly according the nature of the biometrological variables. The combination ROL-ME-L achieved similar or even better results than the best of its components for each given physical property of skin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ROL, ME-L, and ROL-ME-L formulations improve physical properties of skin that are impaired by aging. Their activities are notably superior to those of a comparative SA formulation.
authors.affiliation: Belgian SSTC Research Center 5596, University Medical Center, Liege, BelgiumDepartment of Technology Research and Development, RoC, Issy-les-Moulineaux, FranceConsumer Products Worldwide, Johnson and Johnson, Skillman, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piérard-Franchimont
authors.affiliation: Belgian SSTC Research Center 5596, University Medical Center, Liege, BelgiumDepartment of Technology Research and Development, RoC, Issy-les-Moulineaux, FranceConsumer Products Worldwide, Johnson and Johnson, Skillman, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.affiliation: Belgian SSTC Research Center 5596, University Medical Center, Liege, BelgiumDepartment of Technology Research and Development, RoC, Issy-les-Moulineaux, FranceConsumer Products Worldwide, Johnson and Johnson, Skillman, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: I V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Cromphaut
authors.affiliation: Belgian SSTC Research Center 5596, University Medical Center, Liege, BelgiumDepartment of Technology Research and Development, RoC, Issy-les-Moulineaux, FranceConsumer Products Worldwide, Johnson and Johnson, Skillman, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bertin
authors.affiliation: Belgian SSTC Research Center 5596, University Medical Center, Liege, BelgiumDepartment of Technology Research and Development, RoC, Issy-les-Moulineaux, FranceConsumer Products Worldwide, Johnson and Johnson, Skillman, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ries
authors.affiliation: Belgian SSTC Research Center 5596, University Medical Center, Liege, BelgiumDepartment of Technology Research and Development, RoC, Issy-les-Moulineaux, FranceConsumer Products Worldwide, Johnson and Johnson, Skillman, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cauwenbergh
authors.affiliation: Belgian SSTC Research Center 5596, University Medical Center, Liege, BelgiumDepartment of Technology Research and Development, RoC, Issy-les-Moulineaux, FranceConsumer Products Worldwide, Johnson and Johnson, Skillman, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Piérard
keywords: facial skin; lactose; melibiose; retinol; skin tensile properties