Efficacy of a moisturizing cream and facial mask for alleviating skin problems associated with medical mask use: A half-face, randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged use of medical masks has increased skin-related issues. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of a facial cream and facial mask in mitigating medical mask related skin symptoms. METHODS: Healthy women were randomly assigned to apply a facial cream (n = 32) or a facial mask plus a facial cream (n = 32) on half-faces after wearing medical masks for 4 h (Tb). Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), dryness score, and redness area were assessed at Tb and 10 min after using the cream (T1) in the facial cream group, and at Tb, 1 h after using the facial mask (T2), and 10 min after using the cream (T3) in the combined use group. RESULTS: In the facial cream group, the treated half-face showed significantly better improvements from Tb to T1 in TEWL (-2.95 ± 0.38 vs. -0.68 ± 0.35 g/h·cm2, p < 0.001) and skin dryness score (-1.00 ± 0.12 vs. 0.00 ± 0.00, p < 0.001). In the combined use group, the treated half-face showed significantly better improvements from Tb to T2 and T3 in TEWL (T2, -3.46 ± 0.33 vs. -0.09 ± 0.13 g/h·cm2; T3, -4.67 ± 0.31 vs. -0.28 ± 0.22 g/h·cm2) and skin dryness score (T2, -0.63 ± 0.13 vs. 0.03 ± 0.03; T3, -0.94 ± 0.17 vs. 0.19 ± 0.07) (all p < 0.001) then the untreated half-face. The combined use group had significantly lower TEWL at T3 than T2 (p < 0.05). The reduction in redness area was similar between the treated and untreated half-faces in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The test facial cream and mask significantly improved skin barrier function and alleviated dryness symptoms associated with medical mask use, with the combined use offering superior benefits.

Seasonally-induced alterations of some facial signs in Caucasian women and their changes induced by a daily application of a photo-protective product / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objectives These were two‐fold: (i) to assess the possible changes in some facial signs induced in a 6‐month period by the periodical shift from winter to summer in Caucasian women and (ii) to appraise the preventive effects of a strong photo‐protective product. Methods The facial signs of two cohorts of French women (N= 40 and 42), of comparable ages were graded between winter to summer. One group was left unprotected whereas the other daily applied a strong photo‐protective product for 6 months. Facial signs (structural and pigmentation‐related) were graded in blind by a panel of 12 experts from photographs taken under standard conditions. A global and focused analysis of the skin colour or dark spots, when present, was carried out through spectro‐radiometry under diffuse and standardized visible light, using the L*, a*, b* referential system. Results The unprotected group showed significant changes in summer as compared to winter on 10 facial signs (two‐third of the studied signs) that presented an increased severity, of variable respective amplitude. Five signs among the 10 were particularly and significantly affected by the seasonal transition, of an amplitude above the precision of the grading scale. Three of these five signs concerned structural elements (wrinkles), the two others being related to vascular disorders (redness). These season‐induced alterations appear efficiently reduced in the photo‐protected group. The colour of the facial skin then appears more homogeneous, less red, less dull, all criteria being quantified by the L*, a*, b* referential system. The comparison with a previous work carried out on Chinese women, through a similar protocol, shows that the photo‐protective product brings, in Caucasian women, a more important effect upon structural and vascular features than upon pigmentation disorders, inversely to the results previously observed in Chinese women. Conclusion The alterations in some facial signs occurring in a 6‐month period between winter and summer are confirmed in Caucasian women, mostly related to structural (wrinkles) and vascular elements. Such changes appear alleviated or prevented by daily applications of a strong sun photo‐protective product.