Effect of Race on Lower Lip Hydration.

Objective: To examine racial differences in lip hydration values- a retrospective analysis. Methods: Baseline lip hydration data collected as Corneometer® CM 825 measurements were culled from sixteen clinical studies conducted under a standard protocol. Data for the three largest subject groups were compared by ANOVA. Possible weather and age effects were also examined. Results: The groups ranked, in order of increasing lip hydration: Black < Caucasian < Hispanic. Two smaller groups not included in the ANOVA, Asian-American and Native-American, had baseline lip hydration values numerically comparable to the Hispanic group. The observed hydration trend was consistent with some literature reports of skin hydration differences due to race measured in other body areas. Limitations: This work had two primary limitations: (1) the studies were conducted by four different clinical research laboratories at different times of the year; (2) the studies relied on the self-classification of race. Conclusion: Given that there is lack of information in the literature on lip biophysical properties, the results of this analysis shed new light on and suggest that racial differences in lip hydration exist, as have been reported for other body areas.

Clinical Features and Biophysical Characteristics of Lips of South Asian Women.

Introduction: The vermillion lip has unique physical properties and environmental exposures make them prone to dryness and chapping. While lips contribute to facial beauty, perioral aging is highly individual and dependent on ethnicity. Specifically with regard to South Asian population, there is no other literature identified on the biophysical characteristics of the vermillion lip. Methods: In this work, characteristics of the vermillion skin in South Asians were examined through various clinical and biophysical characteristics of the lips such as dryness and roughness, fine lip lines, lip texture, hydration, and barrier function. Healthy South Asian females, from age 20-45 were recruited for this study and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), hydration, visual lip tolerance, and visual dryness were measured and graded by the dermatologist-investigator. Results: Lip texture and fine lines significantly increased from the 20s to the 40s. Overall lip health significantly decreased with age. TEWL and dryness increased with age while hydration decreased with age, although not significantly so. Discussion: This first-of-its kind study on South Asian females establishes that with age there is a decrease in overall lip health and an increase in signs of aging of the lips (fine lines, texture) from the 20s to 40s.

A review of the use of beeswax in skincare.

BACKGROUND: Beeswax is a naturally occurring product secreted from worker bees that has varied uses in modern day. In skincare, its function ranges from its role as an occlusive, helping to create a semi-occlusive skin barrier that minimizes transepidermal water loss; as a humectant, locking in hydration; and an emollient to soften and soothe the skin. As a natural substance, its use has been shown to help alleviate symptoms associated with common cutaneous conditions like dermatitis, psoriasis, and overgrowth of normal skin flora. AIMS: In this narrative review, we aim to describe current uses of beeswax in skincare that has been published in the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of beeswax related publications was performed by searching the PubMed database studies. RESULTS: A total of five clinical studies were included with three studies on animals and two studies in humans. DISCUSSION: Several studies show the benefits of topical beeswax in supporting the skin barrier. CONCLUSION: Beeswax can be a low-cost, natural ingredient for use in products. Further studies with topical beeswax are warranted.

Clinical Improvements in Very Dry Skin from a Natural Ingredient-Based Moisturizing Cream Compared With a Leading Colloidal Oatmeal Control.

The objective of this 6-week clinical study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of a natural ingredient-based moisturizing cream versus a colloidal oatmeal moisturizing cream in improving the hydration, barrier function, appearance, and feel of dry leg skin. Thirty-two subjects completed the study. After a 5-day washout, subjects used the natural ingredient-based moisturizing cream and oatmeal-containing cream on randomly-assigned legs twice a day for a period of three weeks. For the following two weeks subjects did not use any moisturizer on their legs. Skin moisture measurements showed a statistically significant increase in hydration for both products at all time points during the treatment phase of the study. Both products reduced transepidermal water loss measurements during the treatment phase of the study, showing their abilities to improve stratum corneum barrier function. Clinical evaluations showed that both products significantly decreased visual dryness and tactile roughness during the treatment phase. Improvements in the assessed clinical parameters persisted even after treatment cessation. In conclusion, the natural ingredient-based moisturizing cream was highly effective in providing moisturization and improving the skin barrier of subjects with very dry leg skin. It also produced significant improvements in visual dryness and tactile roughness that persisted during regression. Overall, these results show that the natural ingredient-based moisturizing cream delivers comparable benefits to that of a colloidal oatmeal-containing benchmark product and is an option for health care providers and consumers who seek relief from dry skin and prefer a product with all-natural ingredients. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(7):758-764.

A Natural Cream-to-Powder Formulation Developed for the Prevention of Diaper Dermatitis in Diaper-Wearing Infants and Children: Barrier Property and In-Use Tolerance Studies.

INTRODUCTION: Diaper dermatitis is a common condition that develops in the diaper area due to factors such as elevated moisture, increased skin surface pH, and exposure to irritants from urine and feces. These factors suggest interventions to prevent or treat diaper dermatitis such as exposing the skin to air, frequent diaper changes, and thorough cleansing of the diaper area. Barrier creams and powders also have a role in preventing and treating diaper dermatitis. We developed a cream-to-powder product with a formula based on corn starch and other natural ingredients for use in the diaper area. METHODS: Dye exclusion study: The barrier properties of the cream-to-powder product were assessed using a dye exclusion protocol. Skin color at treated and untreated forearm sites was measured at baseline and after exposure to crystal violet stain. The cream-to-powder product's ability to inhibit the water-soluble dye from reaching the skin was judged by comparing color changes at the treated and untreated sites. Tolerance-in-use study: The safety of the cream-to-powder product was assessed in a four-week tolerance-in-use study conducted in a group of 52 diaper-wearing infants and toddlers. Subjects' parents/guardians applied the cream-to-powder product at each diaper change. A pediatrician judged safety endpoints of erythema, dryness, and edema in the diaper area at baseline and at study end. Parents/guardians also completed a questionnaire at study end. These studies have complied with Good Clinical Practices (GCP/ICH). OUTCOMES: The cream-to-powder product prevented about 70% of the test dye from reaching the skin surface, demonstrating its ability to supplement the skin barrier. The tolerance-in-use study showed no statistically significant changes in any of the safety endpoints; there were no adverse events. Parents/guardians responses to the cream-to-powder product were overwhelmingly positive. Taken together, these results support that the cream-to-powder formulation is safe and effective for helping to prevent diaper dermatitis. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(5):566-570.

Effect of hydration on the permeation of ketoconazole through human nail plate in vitro.

The impact of hydration on the permeation of the antifungal drug, ketoconazole, through excised human nails in vitro was evaluated in diffusion cell studies. Nails treated with [(3)H]ketoconazole solvent-deposited onto the dorsal surface were maintained in incubators at 32 degrees C and exposed sequentially to relative humidities (dorsal side) of 15, 40, 80 and 100% over a period of 40 days. The ventral side was bathed in a pH 7.4 phosphate buffer. Ascending and descending humidity regimens were tested. Increasing the ambient RH from 15 to 100% enhanced permeation of radiolabel associated with [(3)H]ketoconazole by a factor of three. Diffusivities estimated from these data and the associated nail water contents (estimated in a separate study) can be described by a free volume theory. Therefore, formulations or treatments, which increase nail hydration, have potential to improve topical therapy for onychomycosis, if a favorable balance between drug delivery and growth conditions for the dermatophytes can be achieved.

Water diffusivity in human nail plate.

The diffusivity of water in human nail at 32 degrees C was determined for cadaveric, human finger nails having water contents ranging from 0.536 g H(2)O/g dry nail to 0.035 g H(2)O/g dry nail by measuring the desorption of tritiated water from nails suspended in water or in the vapor phase above salt solutions yielding a range of relative humidities (RH). Diffusivity increased with increasing RH from (7.7 +/- 1.3) x 10(-10) cm(2) s(-1) at 15% RH to (3.2 +/- 1.1) x 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1) in the liquid phase study at 100% RH, a more than 400-fold increase. The diffusivity values, which may be understood in terms of the equilibrium water content of the nail and a free volume theory for diffusion in hydrophilic polymers, were consistent with water diffusivities measured in other keratinized tissues including wool, horn and the corneocyte phase of stratum corneum. Analysis of the tritium desorption data was complicated by a tritium exchange process between (3)H(2)O and nail keratin, the kinetics of which are presented in part. The combination of the concentration-dependent water diffusivity with the natural water activity gradient in nail in vivo leads to the prediction of a nonlinear steady-state water concentration profile in human nail in vivo which, in turn, has implications for ungual drug delivery.