Belcorp study looks at efficacy of hot and cold moisturising formulations on skin water content

Belcorp teamed up with the University of Quindíoto to characterise the variations in the water content at different depths of the skin, after the application of two moisturising formulations of different manufacturing process.

Their findings were published in the Journal of Skin Research and Technology​ and showed that moisturising formulations applied to the skin affected the dermis water content until depth of 1500 micrometres.

Comparative research​

Since skin differs among tissue depth, the research team says that it sought to determine the depth variability of the water content after applying the moisturising formulations, and then compared the hot and cold manufacturing processes.

To do this, the scientists characterised the variations in the water content at different depths in the skin, with measurements done on the centre of the inner forearm middle line of 18 sitting healthy women, before and after 1, 3, and 5 hours of the application of the two different moisturizing formulations.

The results showed that there were significant differences between the stratum corneum mean values at all evaluated time intervals after application of both formulations when compared to baseline before application; thus proving their efficacy.

When comparing the formulations, the researchers say that hot formulation shows higher stratum corneum levels at the 3 and 5 hour mark, than cold formulation.

“Although both formulations are effective moisturizers, a distinct profile was obtained for each,”​ explains the study.

“Significant changes in the stratum corneum water content were obtained, due to both formulations until the fifth hour. When water content averages were compared, the effect of hot formulation in the superficial layers of the skin was greater and longer in time than those of the cold formulation.”​

Different compositions, similar results​

Tissue dielectric constant mean values were also recorded to skin depths of 500 and 1500 micrometres and showed an increase after the application for both formulations, particularly at the 1 and 3 hour marks as oppose to at 5 hours; with no difference between the hot and cold process.

“Significant changes were obtained in the dermis water content, to depths of 500 and 1500 micrometres, until the third hour,”​ says the research.

It adds that neither the fifth hour or 2500 micrometre depth showed significant changes in water content by any of the formulations and that similar interactions between the two formulations with the dermis were observed.