In cosmetic research and development, various skin measurement methods are used to objectively evaluate product efficacy and changes in the skin.

In particular, non-invasive skin imaging using skin analyzers and skin diagnostic systems is used to repeatedly measure the skin of the same subjects under standardized conditions and quantitatively compare changes before and after product use.

This approach is meaningful because it allows skin changes that are difficult to identify through visual assessment or subjective questionnaires alone to be analyzed using images and numerical data.

1. Skin changes before and after cosmetic product use can be objectively evaluated

In cosmetic efficacy evaluations, it is common to compare the condition of the skin before product use with its condition after a specified period of use.

Depending on the research objective, a skin analyzer can be used to evaluate the following skin characteristics through image-based analysis:

• Wrinkles
• Pores
• Pigmentation
• Skin tone
• Redness
• Skin texture
• UV-related skin characteristics
• Porphyrins and other factors

For example, the skin condition before product use can be established as the baseline, and the same subjects can then be measured again after 4, 8, or 12 weeks to quantitatively compare changes in their skin condition.

Many studies have used skin imaging systems to evaluate changes in pigmentation, wrinkles, skin texture, pores, UV pigmentation, PIE, PIH, sebum, and porphyrins before and after the use of skincare products. In these studies, changes in multiple skin parameters were measured after the products had been used for a specified period, allowing researchers to analyze changes in skin condition associated with product use.

This approach goes beyond a general assessment that “the skin has improved” and can be used to objectively determine which skin characteristics changed and by how much.

2. Changes that appear immediately after product use can also be measured

The use of skin analyzers is not limited to evaluating changes resulting from long-term product use.

For some cosmetic products, changes in the skin’s appearance immediately after application are particularly important.

For these products, studies can measure changes in hydration, the skin surface, pores, and other characteristics at short intervals before and after product use.

For example, a recent study involving 20 women used a split-face study design, in which a cosmetic product was applied to one side of the face while the other side served as the control.

When the skin was measured before product use and 15 minutes after application, changes related to pore size and area, as well as skin surface roughness and smoothness, were observed on the treated side.

In this way, a skin analyzer can be used to design studies that evaluate immediate changes in the skin at intervals such as:

Before use → Immediately after use → 15 minutes → 30 minutes → 1 hour

This approach can also be used to evaluate cosmetic products for which immediate changes in appearance are important, such as facial masks, primers, and tone-up products.

3. The reproducibility of skin analyzers improves research reliability

To use a skin analyzer in cosmetic research, simply being able to photograph the skin is not sufficient.

It is important to determine whether similar results can be obtained when the same skin is measured repeatedly—in other words, to verify repeatability and reproducibility under identical conditions.

This is necessary because researchers must distinguish whether a difference observed before and after product use represents an actual change in the skin or variation caused by the measurement process.

Compared with general photography, imaging with a skin analyzer can provide higher reproducibility, thereby improving the reliability of the study.

4. Skin analyzers can also show when changes begin to appear

When evaluating product efficacy, the time at which a change appears can be just as important as the final result.

For example, a product that requires long-term use can be repeatedly measured according to the following schedule:

Baseline → 2 weeks → 4 weeks → 8 weeks

For a product whose immediate effects are important, measurements can be performed at shorter intervals:

Baseline → Immediately after use → 15 minutes → 30 minutes → 60 minutes

Data obtained through repeated measurements can be used to analyze the time course of skin changes, going beyond a simple before-and-after comparison.

Therefore, a skin analyzer can be used not only to confirm the final results after product use but also as a measurement tool for tracking when skin changes begin and how they progress over time.

Equipment that can support cosmetic research

In cosmetic research, skin analyzers and skin diagnostic systems are used not simply to display the skin’s condition but as research tools for objectively measuring changes in the skin associated with product use.

Skin imaging systems are used in actual studies to evaluate changes in various skin characteristics, including wrinkles, pores, pigmentation, skin tone, skin texture, and redness.

Recent studies have also reported the use of non-invasive imaging to evaluate changes in the skin surface and pores that appear within a short period, such as 15 minutes after product use.

By using a skin analyzer, cosmetic research teams can conduct the following types of studies:

- Evaluation of skin changes before and after product use

- Evaluation of immediate skin changes

- Tracking of changes resulting from long-term use

- Analysis of changes in individual skin characteristics

- Acquisition of objective image data for product efficacy evaluation

Ultimately, the research value of a skin analyzer lies not simply in photographing the skin but in establishing the following research process:

Standardized skin images → Quantitative data → Repeated measurements → Analysis of changes resulting from product use

In cosmetic R&D, skin analyzers are used as important non-invasive measurement tools for understanding changes in the skin more objectively and obtaining data for product research.

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