Tensile properties and contours of aging facial skin. A controlled double‐blind comparative study of the effects of retinol, melibiose‐lactose and their association
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Facial aging is accompanied by modifications in the tensile properties and contours of skin. In the present study we instrumentally assessed and compared the effect of either 0.04% retinol (ROL), 1% melibiose and 4% lactose (ME-L) and their association (ROL-ME-L) to increase the firmness and smoothness of facial skin. A 1 % salicylic acid (SA) emulsion served as a cosmetic product reference. METHODS: A total of 120 women were allocated to four randomized groups of 30 subjects, each group receiving one of the test products or a combination of test products. The tensile properties of facial skin were measured using the Cutometer® on seven occasions during the 12-week treatment and during a 4-week post-treatment phase. Fine lines and wrinkles were assessed on replicas by using image analysis after optical shadowing. RESULTS: Significant differences in efficacy and lingering activity were observed between products. SA brought the weakest beneficial effects. ROL and ME-L provided better efficacy on both the tensile properties and contours of skin. They differed slightly according the nature of the biometrological variables. The combination ROL-ME-L achieved similar or even better results than the best of its components for each given physical property of skin. CONCLUSIONS: ROL, ME-L, and ROL-ME-L formulations improve physical properties of skin that are impaired by aging. Their activities are notably superior to those of a comparative SA formulation.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
A retinol formulation improved the physical properties of ageing facial skin, including tensile properties and contours, after 12 weeks of treatment.
“Pierard-Franchimont et al. showed that a retinol formulation improved the physical properties of ageing facial skin, including tensile properties and contours, after 12 weeks of treatment [43].”
From Bioactive Compounds for Skin Health: A Review (2021) · cites this paper as [43]
Cites
A review of skin ageing and its medical therapy
GILCHREST, B. A. (1996) · British Journal of Dermatology · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.1996.d01-1088.x · Cited by 444 · see citing works
Age-related changes in the elastic properties and thickness of human facial skin
Takema, Y., Yorimoto, Y., Kawai, M., & Imokawa, G. (1994) · British Journal of Dermatology · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.1994.tb04975.x · Cited by 340 · see citing works
Optical profilometry: An objective method for quantification of facial wrinkles
Grove, G. L., Grove, M. J., & Leyden, J. J. (1989) · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · doi:10.1016/s0190-9622(89)70230-9 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
The Microanatomical Basis of Facial Frown Lines
Pierard, G. (1989) · Archives of Dermatology · doi:10.1001/archderm.1989.01670200066010 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Influence of the Test Area on the Mechanical Properties of Skin
Pierard, G., Nikkels‐Tassoudji, N., & Piérard-Franchimont, C. (2009) · Dermatology · doi:10.1159/000246472 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Skin replica analysis of photodamaged skin after therapy with tretinoin emollient cream
Grove, G. L., Grove, M. J., Leyden, J. J., Lufrano, L., Schwab, B. H., Perry, B. H., & Thorne, E. G. (1991) · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · doi:10.1016/0190-9622(91)70187-7 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Age‐Related Changes in Facial Skin Contours and Rheology
Henry, F., Piérard-Franchimont, C., Cauwenbergh, G. F. M. J., & Piérard, G. E. (1997) · Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.1997.tb04512.x · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Murray, B. C., & Wickett, R. R. (1997) · Skin Research and Technology · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0846.1997.tb00170.x · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Olsen, E. A., Katz, H. I., Levine, N. S., Nigra, T. P., Pochi, P. E., Savin, R. C., Shupack, J. L., Weinstein, G. D., Lufrano, L., & Perry, B. H. (1997) · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · doi:10.1016/s0190-9622(97)80128-4 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
The Quandary of Climacteric Skin Ageing
Pierard, G. (2009) · Dermatology · doi:10.1159/000246269 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Corcuff, P., Lévêque, J. L., de L'Oreal, R., Makki, S., & Agache, P. G. (1983) · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Sensitivity of cutometer data to stratum corneum hydration level
Murray, B. C., & Wickett, R. R. (1996) · Skin Research and Technology · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0846.1996.tb00145.x · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Couturaud, V., Coutable, J., & Khaïat, A. (1995) · Skin Research and Technology · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0846.1995.tb00020.x · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Ageing and Rheological Properties of Facial Skin in Women
Pierard, G., Henry, F., Castelli, D., & Ries, G. (1998) · Gerontology · doi:10.1159/000022001 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Pierard, G., Henry, F., & Piérard-Franchimont, C. (1996) · Maturitas · doi:10.1016/0378-5122(95)00983-3 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
A computerized analysis of intrinsic forces in the skin
Viatour, M., Henry, F., & Piérard, G. E. (1995) · Clinical and Experimental Dermatology · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2230.1995.tb01331.x · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety
Mukherjee, S., Date, A., Patravale, V., Korting, H. C., Roeder, A., & Weindl, G. (2006) · Clinical Interventions in Aging · doi:10.2147/ciia.2006.1.4.327 · Cited by 580 · see citing works
Bioactive Compounds for Skin Health: A Review
Michalak, M., Pierzak, M., Kręcisz, B., & Suliga, E. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13010203 · Cited by 345 · see citing works
“showed that a retinol formulation improved the physical properties of ageing facial skin, including tensile properties and contours, after 12 weeks of treatment [43].”
BackgroundKong, R., Cui, Y., Fisher, G. J., Wang, X., Chen, Y., Schneider, L. M., & Majmudar, G. (2015) · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology · doi:10.1111/jocd.12193 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
Sorg, O., Antille, C., Kaya, G., & Saurat, J. ‐. (2006) · Dermatologic Therapy · doi:10.1111/j.1529-8019.2006.00086.x · Cited by 132 · see citing works
“In a randomized, controlled trial it was reported that a retinol-containing formulation resulted in significant improvement in fine wrinkles after 12 weeks of treatment (42).”
BackgroundEEMCO Guidance to the in vivo Assessment of Tensile Functional Properties of the Skin
Pierard, G. (1999) · Skin Pharmacology and Physiology · doi:10.1159/000029897 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
The role of retinoids in the prevention and repair of aged and photoaged skin
Griffiths, C. E. M. (2001) · Clinical and Experimental Dermatology · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2230.2001.00892.x · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Reversal of Skin Aging with Topical Retinoids
Hubbard, B. A., Unger, J. G., & Rohrich, R. J. (2014) · Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery · doi:10.1097/prs.0000000000000043 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Topical Retinol in the Treatment of Cellulite
rard-Franchimont, C. P., rard, G. R. E. P., Henry, F. D. R., Vroome, V., & Cauwenbergh, G. F. M. J. (2000) · American Journal of Clinical Dermatology · doi:10.2165/00128071-200001060-00005 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Age- and body mass index-related changes in cutaneous shear wave velocity
Hermanns‐Lê, T., Jonlet, F., Scheen, A. J., & Pierard, G. (2001) · Experimental Gerontology · doi:10.1016/s0531-5565(00)00219-9 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“They have been previously addressed in the literature (Piérard et al., 1998; Piérard-Franchimont et al., 1998).”
BackgroundHow to Promote Skin Repair? In-Depth Look at Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Strategies
Torres, A., Rego, L., Martins, M., Ferreira, M. S., Cruz, M. T., Sousa, E., & Almeida, I. F. (2023) · Pharmaceuticals · doi:10.3390/ph16040573 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Topical Over-the-Counter Antiaging Agents: An Update and Systematic Review
Imhof, L., & Leuthard, D. (2020) · Dermatology · doi:10.1159/000509296 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Skin tensile properties revisited during ageing. Where now, where next?
Hermanns‐Lê, T., Uhoda, I., Smitz, S., & Pierard, G. (2004) · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology · doi:10.1111/j.1473-2130.2004.00057.x · Cited by 33 · see citing works
The role of cosmeceuticals in antiaging therapy.
Rivers, J. K. (2008) · PubMed · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Popular over‐the‐counter cosmeceutical ingredients and their clinical efficacy
Tetali, B., Fahs, F., & Mehregan, D. R. (2019) · International Journal of Dermatology · doi:10.1111/ijd.14718 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Merinville, E., Byrne, A. J., Rawlings, A. V., Muggleton, A. J., & Laloeuf, A. (2010) · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology · doi:10.1111/j.1473-2165.2010.00506.x · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Asymmetric facial skin viscoelasticity during climacteric aging
Piérard, G. E., GASPARD, U. J., Hermanns‐Lê, T., & Piérard-Franchimont, C. (2014) · Clinical Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology · doi:10.2147/ccid.s60313 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Bertin, C., Zunino, H., Lanctin, M., Stamatas, G. N., Camel, E., Robert, C., & Issachar, N. (2008) · International Journal of Cosmetic Science · doi:10.1111/j.1468-2494.2008.00441.x · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“Lactose exhibits some biological activity similar to melibiose [23, 32].”
BackgroundSong, C., Lee, C. Y., Lee, H. P., Hossain, M. A., Zhang, Z., Kim, S.-Y., Song, M., Kim, J., & Cho, J. Y. (2022) · Plants · doi:10.3390/plants11182368 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“Additionally, clinical trial has shown that retinol reduces the formation of fine wrinkles [24].”
BackgroundHawkins, S. S., Adamus, J. E., Chiang, C. ‐., Covell, E., O'Leary, J., & Lee, J. (2017) · International Journal of Cosmetic Science · doi:10.1111/ics.12412 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Kang, S., Lee, H., Jun, S., Park, S.-G., & Kang, N. (2022) · Pharmaceutics · doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14112412 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“To the best our knowledge, a limited number of studies have been performed on the long-term (>6 months) [53], with most studies on the therapeutic efficacy of retinol for photoaging (or anti-wrinkle properties) being performed over a 3- to 12-week period [7,54,55].”
BackgroundBartlett, B. L., Moody, M. N., & Tyring, S. K. (2008) · PubMed · Cited by 6 · see citing works
The role of local retinoids in eliminating signs of skin aging
Albanova, V. I. (2021) · Vestnik dermatologii i venerologii · doi:10.25208/vdv1220 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Sołdacka, D., Podgórska, M., & Barańska‐Rybak, W. (2023) · Dermatologic Therapy · doi:10.1155/2023/5588525 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Vitamin A: It's role in cosmeceuticals for antiaging
Farris, P. K. (2023) · Dermatological Reviews · doi:10.1002/der2.218 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“50 All three test products caused significant improvement in skin elasticity as measured by cutometer and fine lines and wrinkles by image analysis of skin replicas.”
BackgroundRetinoids — A unique ingredient for skin rejuvenation employing novel drug delivery systems
Pradhan, S. J., Kuchekar, A. B., Gawade, A. R., & Kore, S. (2024) · Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science · doi:10.7324/japs.2024.168608 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Skin Biomechanics Experiments: Measurement and Influence of Different Factors
Xu, F., & Lu, T. (2011) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-13202-5_6 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Tensile Properties of Rat Skin in Dorsal and Ventral Regions
Yang, S., Song, X., Qiu, J., Wang, P., & Zhao, H. (2023) · SAE technical papers on CD-ROM/SAE technical paper series · doi:10.4271/2023-01-0008 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Domínguez-Delgado, C. L., Guadarrama-López, M. M., Cruz‐Narváez, Y., Puente-Lee, R. I., Ojeda-Piedra, S. A., & Zambrano‐Zaragoza, M. L. (2026) · Pharmaceutics · doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics18020249 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Topical Retinoids for the Treatment of Photoaged Skin
Pedersen, E. A., Voorhees, J. J., & Sachs, D. L. (2019) · Royal Society of Chemistry eBooks · doi:10.1039/9781788015981-00341 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Salgado, C. J. (2014) · Anaplastology · doi:10.4172/2161-1173.1000127
“RA has been extensively studied and consistently demonstrates significant improvements in fine facial wrinkles [40-42], mottled hyper pigmentation, and skin roughness [43-48] after 12 weeks of use, with further improvement after continued use [49-51].”
BackgroundPierard, G., Henry, F., & Quatresooz, P. (2009) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-540-89656-2_27
Bradley, E., Bell, M., & Draelos, Z. K. (2019) · Royal Society of Chemistry eBooks · doi:10.1039/9781788015981-00315
Pierard, G., Piérard, S. L., & Hermanns‐Lê, T. (2016) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-47398-6_27
Pierard, G., Piérard, S. L., & Hermanns‐Lê, T. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27814-3_27-2
Diniz, J. A., Tavano, O. L., & Ostolin, T. L. V. D. P. (2022) · Research Society and Development · doi:10.33448/rsd-v11i11.33879
Yang, S., Song, X., Zhao, H., Qiu, J., Wang, N., & Yu, T. (2024) · SAE technical papers on CD-ROM/SAE technical paper series · doi:10.4271/2024-01-2512
- Authors
- Piérard‐Franchimont, C., Castelli, D., Cromphaut, I. V., Bertin, C., Ries, G., Cauwenbergh, G., & Piérard, G. E.
- Affiliations
- Johnson & Johnson (United States) (US)
- Venue
- Skin Research and Technology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1998-11
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 237-243
- ISSN
- 0909-752X (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0846
- OpenAlex
- W2004260437
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 1.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Skin Research and Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Skin Protection and Aging
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Facial Rejuvenation and Surgery Techniques
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Dermatologic Treatments and Research
- Keywords
- facial skin aging, skin firmness, skin smoothness, retinol, melibiose, lactose, salicylic acid, wrinkles, cosmetic formulation
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review