Effect of facial application of essence containing royal jelly extract on stratum corneum moisture content: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the moisturizing function and other effects of royal jelly extract on the skin. The effects of applying an essence containing royal jelly extract on the skin of healthy Japanese males and females were examined. METHODS: Thirty-five healthy Japanese men and women who were aware of their skin dryness applied an essence containing royal jelly extract or placebo for 4 weeks using the split-face method in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel comparative study. The stratum corneum water content, transepidermal water evaporation, pigmentation, pores, and redness were evaluated. RESULTS: The stratum corneum water content significantly increased by the application of essence containing royal jelly extract to the cheeks for 4 weeks compared with placebo. CONCLUSION: The application of an essence containing royal jelly extract significantly improved the moisture content of the stratum corneum of the cheeks, confirming the improvement in the moisturizing function of the royal jelly extract. Furthermore, no adverse events were observed at the application site during the application period, and the test products and royal jelly extract contained in the test product were considered highly safe.

Underlying mechanism of diurnal change in thermal sensation response at high relative humidity.

Diurnal changes in physiological and behavioral responses to constant relative humidity (RH) were investigated in summer to validate a hypothesis that thermal sensation responses (TSR) vary with the diurnal cycle while maintained at stable RH's of 60, 70, or 80%. Seven lightly clothed male subjects were exposed to one of three RH while air temperature (Ta) was held at 28 °C from 9:00-18:30. Mean skin temperature (T‾sk) and tympanic temperature (Tty) were monitored at 2-min intervals throughout the experimental period. Cutaneous warm and cool sensation thresholds and stratum corneum water content (SCWC) on the anterior forearm, posterior forearm, and anterior thigh, finger blood flow rate (SkBF) were measured by a thermal stimulator controlled by a Peltier element (Intercross-230; Intercross, Co., Tokyo, Japan), a water content of stratum corneum monitor (Corneometer CM825 & MPA 5; Integral Co., Tokyo, Japan), and a laser flowmeter (ALF21; Advance Co., Tokyo, Japan), accordingly at the end of three periods: 9:30-10:30, 13:30-14:30, and 17:30-18:30. The TSR and the thermal comfort response were also recorded using subjective scales of thermal sensation and comfort thresholds at the end of three periods. The Tty and mean skin temperature (T‾sk) remained unchanged during the day under all RH conditions. Temperature difference between warm and cold sensation thresholds and SkBF decreased slightly towards the evening under all RH conditions whereas SCWC increased from the morning to the evening at 60% and 80% RH. Behaviorally, the subjects responded more than "slightly warm" at 70%, and 80% RH, and then the TSR changed significantly (p < 0.05) to less than "slightly warm" in the evening, although T̅sk remained unchanged at 34.0 °C. The results from the previous study in winter was reconfirmed, and the data verify the hypothesis that TSR changes diurnally even though subjects are exposed to a constant and high RH's and stable Ta. It was confirmed in summertime as previously shown in wintertime that the combined reduction in SkBF to increases SCWC when exposed to high RH explains the altered TSR although Ta are unchanged.

Association between itching and the serum zinc levels in patients with varicose veins.

BACKGROUND: Varicose veins commonly occur in the lower extremities and can cause pain and discomfort in the affected area. Many patients with varicose veins suffer from itching, but its cause has not been sufficiently explained. In recent years, the role of zinc in maintaining the integrity of skin has been reported, and zinc supplementation has been suggested to be effective in relieving itching. The objective of this study is to elucidate the relationship between itching and serum zinc concentration in patients with varicose veins. METHODS: We measured the stratum corneum water content, TEWL and zinc levels in each participant. The study subjects were 11 patients with varicose veins who were experiencing itching (2 males and 9 females, mean age: 65.9 ± 9.4 years old) and 13 patients without itching (6 males and 7 females, mean age: 59.3 ± 9.5 years old). The control group was comprised of 9 healthy individuals without varicose veins (mean age: 41.7 ± 7.0 years old). RESULTS: The level of stratum corneum water content was significantly lower in the patients experiencing itching compared to those without the symptom, and it was significantly lower in both patient groups than in the control group. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was significantly higher in the patients experiencing itching than those without the symptom, and it was significantly higher in both patient groups than in the control group. In addition, zinc level was significantly lower in the patients with itching compared to those without itching or the control group. For all study participants, relationships between the stratum corneum water content and TEWL against serum zinc were examined. There was a positive correlation between the stratum corneum water content and serum zinc, and a negative correlation was found between TEWL and serum zinc. CONCLUSION: Our novel findings suggested that the development of varicose veins leads to decrease in serum zinc, causing dry skin which could contribute to itching.

Pilot study on benefits of applying a hot towel for 10 s to the skin of elderly nursing home residents during bed baths: Towards safe and comfortable bed baths.

This study examined the effects of applying a hot towel to the skin of elderly people for 10 s (AHT10s) during a bed bath. We hypothesized from our previous studies that AHT10s would increase the stratum corneum water content and improve the skin barrier function of the elderly and invited residents (n = 21) of long-term care facilities to participate in this crossover study. Each participant received a bed bath with AHT10s and also a bed bath without hot towel application. The stratum corneum water content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were measured during bed bathing sessions and the experience was subjectively evaluated by participants. The TEWL increased significantly when bed bath did not involve AHT10s, but there was no such significant increase when AHT10s was performed. AHT10s also raised the skin surface temperature and provided warmth and comfort to all participants. These results suggest that, in the target population, AHT10s will lead to TEWL advantages and provide warmth and comfort.

Relationship between biochemical factors and skin symptoms in chronic venous disease.

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a common venous disease of the lower extremities and patients often develop symptoms of itching and skin roughness. An easy to use and objective skin examination was recently developed that allows measurement of the level of stratum corneum content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which can indicate the status of the barrier function of the stratum corneum. Previous studies demonstrated that histamine production from mast cells, and tryptase and matrix metalloprotease-9 levels were associated with skin inflammation. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between dry skin and inflammatory mediators that mediate the skin symptoms of CVD subjects. The study enrolled 27 subjects with CVD and a control group consisting of 9 volunteers. The itching onset frequency was higher in women (70.4%) compared with men (50.0%). To analyze the mechanisms involved in itching we measured blood inflammatory mediators pre- and post-sclerotherapy. There was a significant decrease in Substance P, histamine, IgE, and tryptase levels post-sclerotherapy compared with those at pre-sclerotherapy. These levels were associated with the severity of itching. In addition, compared with the control subjects, there was a significant increase in the stratum corneum water content and a decrease in the TEWL in the 27 patients with CVD. This was associated with a decrease in the itching symptoms. Our findings indicate that sclerotherapy decreased levels of inflammatory mediators, increased stratum corneum water content and decreased TEWL, which coincided with reduced itching in CVD patients, indicating they might be therapeutic targets.