Mintel recently forecasted that the focus on the self — the intersection of holistic beauty, rituals and scientific solutions across the emotional and physical axis — will become even more prominent.1 According to the company, 43% of U.S. consumers are paying more attention to their mental health and well-being, which is up 6% from 37% in 2020. Not surprisingly, 53% of consumers also said the pandemic made them want to take better care of their mental health.1

As the industry knows, the physical, mental and emotional facets of the self align along the skin-brain axis and can influence one another. Exactly how they achieve this has been the focus of much recent research, forging a path deeper into the psychodermatology space. Such work has been led in many cases by a nearly 100-year-old scientific technique: electroencephalography (EEG).2 This article highlights select examples of its application to advance skin care.

Product Texture, Skin Feel and Brain Changes

Emotions are clearly a complex phenomenon. To relate them to product perceptions, measurements of brain responses can help, in conjunction with subjective consumer surveys and focus groups, vital signs and plasma and salivary stress markers.

As stated, EEG is a method to measure changes in brain waves. Briefly, the EEG spectrum is divided into different frequency bands: from gamma (30–44 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz), alpha (7.5–13 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz), to delta (1–4 Hz). Each band correlates to different brain states. In an awake state, a person’s eyes are open and gamma and beta waves are dominant. When falling asleep or in a state of relaxation, alpha activity increases. Alpha waves are associated with mental coordination, calmness, integration and learning states of the brain. Theta waves occur during the transition from a conscious state toward sleepiness and deep meditation; during deep sleep, delta waves are prominent. In recent years, EEG-driven research in personal care and dermatology on the effects of skin feel on the brain have been reported and published.3 For example, in 2021, one study investigated consumer emotions during the real-time application of different emulsions on the skin, linking product texture to consumer well-being and emotional impact. Here, the researchers focused on alpha activity in the right and left hemispheres (located above the prefrontal lobe) and the ratio of beta (12–28 Hz) and alpha (8–12 Hz) band power in order to explore arousal.4 A different EEG study focused on chronic itch in burns and linked itching with brain reorganization at the cortical level, characterized by: a changed EEG pattern; decreased alpha wave activity in the occipital channels; and decreased low beta wave activity in the frontal area (under eyes-closed conditions).5

Relaxation to Enhance Skin Appearance

Clariant has showcased work on emotional beauty, internal balance and happiness, and claim substantiation by EEG. In a clinical study, women reporting a low mood and having dull facial skin (reduced skin brightness) applied a product containing 1% propanediol (and) Sanguisorba officinalis root extract twice daily. The effect of the formulation was assessed by EEG and showed an increase in relaxation; +279% in the active group, with no change in the control group.6 The company equated the mood-boosting effect of the ingredient to that of a yoga session and correlated these results to in vitro serotonin and melatonin production. When study participants indicated how they felt, 73% in the active group said they felt refueled, compared with 50% in the control group.6

In this study, the wearable EEG headset monitored specific brain regions considered important for relaxation, including the frontal pole (AF3/4) and parietal pole (P3/4). The measurement of brain waves of different frequencies — theta, alpha 1 and alpha 2 — reflected a range of mood states from calm wakefulness, meditation drowsiness, deep relaxation, passive attention, rest with eyes closed and relaxed wakefulness.7

Skin Care Scent and Brain Changes

The benefits of aromatherapy for relaxation have been understood for centuries and different studies have demonstrated the applicability of EEG measurements to assess the influence of scent on brain activity. For instance, research has shown that an increase in alpha activity highly correlates with the comfortable state people feel after inhaling lavender oil, and the relaxed state after exposure to neroli and grapefruit oil.8

Rahn AG reported an olfactory-driven, placebo-controlled EEG study evaluating stress relief and relaxation during the application of cosmetics scented with the aromatic plant Myrothamnus flabellifolia. The protocol employed a mood questionnaire, salivary biomarkers, i.e., the stress hormone cortisol and α-amylase, and mobile EEG measurements of alpha brain waves before and after stress induction. The study used an EEG headband for objective assessments and The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) questionnaire to report subjective feelings.8 The EEG showed significant increased alpha activity after exposure to the scented product, supporting the claim for stress relief with reduced subjective negative emotion and lowered cortisol levels compared with the placebo application.8

Starlab ExperienceLab Services also has demonstrated, using EEG and electrocardiogram (ECG), how people feel when using a specific skin care product. The company uses multisensory data fusion, a medical-grade sensor system, vital signs and facial expressions to assess emotional state, and can combine biophysical and neurophysiological parameters to visualize results.9 Studies have been carried out for the impact of cosmetics and fragrance, stress management, communication and marketing, and more.

Future Direction: Personalized Proof of Efficacy

Fei Xu, of Asia Cosme Lab, predicted during an in-cosmetics Global 2023 presentation10 that innovation in proof of efficacy will become increasingly important in the future. Per Xu, efficacy has always been a key factor in skin care purchase decisions for consumers in Asia. For example, the target consumer in China is young, expectant of powerful experiences and “addicted to emotional insights.”

Xu also highlighted the real-time brain waves and personalization approach of the mind-linked bathbot introduced by AmorePacific in 2021.11 The bot analyzes human emotions via the assessment of brain waves (using a headset with eight sensors) and creates a bath bomb reflecting the results in real-time. The EEG results are used to find the optimal fragrance and color of the bath bomb, then a robot creates it in a less than one minute. Xu predicted that skin science will next see a rise in the prominence of the “Omoiyari Method,” translated as “kindness to the skin.” Championed by Kosé, it reflects the skin and brain connection by linking personal satisfaction (measuring salivary oxytocin) and skin translucency.10

Personalization requires an understanding of the consumer’s internal stories, and a growing number of people are pursuing their own unique interpretations of beauty based on diverse values and seeking new approaches to beauty that go beyond conventional skin care.11 Recognizing this, Shiseido has expanded into sensory science, psychology and mental wellbeing in recent years, and is actively pursuing holistic research of the inside and outside of the body.

In collaboration with Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine and Center of Innovation, the company established a research program in beauty and wellness science in April 2022.12 Shiseido reported its goal is to help people realize their own beauty and make their lives “full of smiles and hope” through the power of beauty. The company noted advances in science and technology have allowed the industry to observe and analyze the internal and mental states of the body – and their relationship to skin is progressively becoming clearer. Beautiful skin is a factor affecting not only appearance, but also behavior, a sense of happiness and fulfilment, and quality of life, per Shiseido.11

Conclusion

The scientific standards required to demonstrate the effectiveness of products on consumers’ mental states are high. While other brain wave frequencies have been measured, alpha EEG power is assumed to reflect a decrease in metabolic activity, and increased alpha activity at the right prefrontal electrodes is associated with positive emotions.4

Importantly, research must be relevant to and reflect consumers’ lives. Inducing stress using pictures from stressful life situations differs from stress responses in real life. Also, product application tests carried out in a calm, concentration-enhancing environment is not likely to reflect the daily routines of consumers.

Advancing these and other research techniques to elucidate the holistic relationship between skin, body and mind for the well-being of consumers is the future direction for beauty.

References

  1. Mintel. (2023, Mar 29). Managing stress and mental wellbeing US 2022. Presented at in-cosmetics Global, Barcelona. Available at https://store.mintel.com/us/health-and-wellbeing/us-managing-stress-and-mental-wellbeing-market-report-2022/
  2. Britton, J.W., Frey, L.C., et al. (2016). Appendix 6. A brief history of EEG. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK390348
  3. Steventon, K. (2020, Apr 3). Evoking emotion: Internal and external factors in sensitive skin. Available at https://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/research/literature-data/article/21835728
  4. Gabriel D., et al. (2021). Emotional effects induced by the application of a cosmetic product: A real-time electrophysiological evaluation. Available at https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114766
  5. Miraval, F.K., et al. (2017, May). A preliminary study on qEEG in burn patients with chronic pruritus. Available at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28971055/
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