Clinical assessment of a lip care product for evaluating performance and increasing attribute expectations in the mask wearing era

ABSTRACT

Well-defined fuller lips, associated with attractiveness/youthfulness, continue to be a desirable trait. Age-related changes to lips include roughness, lip lines and wrinkles, loss of plumpness, hydration, volume, collagen, and elastin. Invasive procedures have disadvantages risk of complications, affordability, and recovery time, it is the noninvasive treatment methods which are popular with the masses. With new ingredients, there is an ever-expanding list of lip products being introduced to improve/enhance beauty, while remaining inexpensive and most popular fashion trend amongst cosmetics. Lip cosmetics sales took a dive during the COVID era but is expected to soar with increasing demand for additional attributes of transfer proof and long wear besides typical expectations of hydration, volume, barrier repair, and antiaging. The study objective was to evaluate product efficacy and tolerance of novel ingredients in a lip care product for smoothness (visuals) plumping (calipers), hydration (corneometer), barrier function (TEWL), biomechanical properties (cutometer), transfer resistant, long wear, and tolerance in a 12-hour clinical trial study design. It involved 45 healthy volunteers (F, 18-65 y) with visual and tactile evaluations by a trained grader, various instrumental measurements, self-perception assessments and digital photographs. Our study results showed the lip care product is significantly effective at various time points for restoring hydration, plumpness, barrier function along with being transfer resistant, long lasting, and well tolerated. This methodical clinical design involving visual grading, instruments, digital photography and subjective perception is a reliable effective tool in meeting expectations for lip care products, especially in terms of performance, transfer resistance, and long wear.