In a life lasting 100 years, wrinkles, which can be said to be the annual rings of life, will inevitably increase as a central skin concern. For this review, in describing how cosmetics (quasi-drugs) can contribute to the problem of wrinkles, we describe powder formulations that make wrinkles inconspicuous, and discuss the effectiveness of active ingredients to improve wrinkles and their impact at the cellular level. Foundation, which is based on powder formulation technology, has traditionally functioned well for the shape correction of shallow skin roughness, such as with pores. However, until this study, it could not be said that effective solutions existed for the shape correction for deep skin roughness, such as with wrinkles. By means of a Monte-Carlo-based optical simulation, we have elucidated why it is not possible to make wrinkles inconspicuous with normal FD application. Furthermore, we were able to realize a novel formulation with a shape correcting function that can make wrinkles inconspicuous. In 2016, for the first time in the quasi-drug category, an “improvement of wrinkles” appeal was approved due to its effectiveness, according to the guidelines. Until then, the appeal for wrinkles in Japan was far behind in comparison with the global cosmetics industry, but this was eventually harmonized with international standards. To prove the effectiveness, we conducted a retinol efficacy test. The retinol-containing formulation and a placebo formulation (retinol-extracted) were continuously applied on half the face and around the eyes, centered on the corner of the left and right eyes, for 9 weeks. In the evaluation of both visual judgements and instrumental analysis (replica analysis), based on the exacting guidelines of the Japanese Cosmetic Science Society for evaluating anti-wrinkle products, in a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind study, the side receiving the retinol formulation experienced significantly reduced wrinkles compared to the placebo formulation side. Therefore, according to the guidelines, retinol was found to be effective in improving wrinkles. After many years of rigorous examination, retinol was approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2017 as an active ingredient that “improves wrinkles” in the quasi-drug category. From the experiments using normal human epidermal keratinocytes, retinol enhanced the gene expression of hyaluronic acid synthase, HAS3, and significantly produced hyaluronan. It is thought that such an action to promote the production of hyaluronic acid significantly improves the skin water content and improves wrinkles by providing flexibility to the skin.

Cosmetic products used for skin wiping have been gaining popularity. Although there are some reports on the effect of the formulations for skin wiping and the addition of wiping with cotton pads immersed with skin lotion to the usual skincare, the effects of an act of wiping the face with cotton remain to be elucidated. In this study, we compared skin wiping with cotton and skin patting with cotton and found that skin wiping has special features. In a 2-week practical use test, skin wiping resulted in a larger decrease in melanin index in participants who had a larger index at baseline. Moreover, the amount of stratum corneum protein adherent to the cotton was significantly higher after wiping than after patting, whereas the thickness of the stratum corneum did not change. These results suggested that skin wiping removes and enhances the production of stratum corneum cells at the same time. When skin wiping was applied to an artificially tanned part of the skin, which was made by the application of dihydroxyacetone as a sunless tanning agent, it was confirmed that wiping enhances the turnover of the stratum corneum, resulting in an improvement in skin color. Taken together, skin wiping with cotton pads enhances the turnover of the stratum corneum, thus resulting in a decrease of the stratum corneum, which contains pigment compounds and eventually produces a bright skin color.

Each year, customers seek new lipstick products that meet their unique preferences and match rapidly changing fashion trends. They also seek products that are long lasting and do not smear, an effect that can destroy the color and texture of the lipstick and ruin its impression. Reapplying a smeared lipstick is also time-consuming and inconvenient. One common approach to developing a long-lasting, non-smearing lipstick product is using volatile oils and film-forming agents to create a thin film on the lip surface. Another approach is to use a polyethylene glycol or glycerin-modified silicone oil to create a lipstick comprising of a moisture gel that matches the natural moisture in the lips. However, both approaches are limited in terms of the colors and textures they can offer, making it difficult to balance functionality with customer preferences. In this research, we addressed the challenge of creating a long-lasting, non-smearing lipstick through the development of a novel lipstick overcoat that can be applied over any traditional lipstick product, greatly improving its long-lasting effect while having no impact on its color or texture. Our results revealed that a smooth, highly transparent lipstick coating with strong secondary adhesion-less effects could be developed using fluorine-modified silica as the gel film powder, a fluorine-modified silicone cross-polymer as the material for improving the usability, and a fluorine-modified silicone oil as the oil-repellent solvent. Usability tests showed that our developed overcoat could be easily applied over existing lipstick products giving them greatly improved long-lasting properties, with no change in the lipstick color (⊿E*≤1.3) or texture after application, while at the same time greatly reducing the chances of smearing. An interpersonal impression evaluation confirmed that our lipstick technology allowed users to continue enjoying the impressions created by their favorite lipsticks.

The previous studies on the aging of skin have mainly targeted the facial skin of the serious looks of so-called static faces. However, our faces present facial expressions. When these expressions are made, the skin is in a “dynamic” state where it changes its shape and position, so it is possible that there are characteristics of aging that do not appear in a face that has a serious expression on it. By visually detecting these characteristics, we think that it is possible to get a variety of impressions about aging. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to clarify the types of characteristics of the changes in the skin that can be ascertained from appearance that are expressed when the face changes to a facial expression from a passive look. It is also to subsequently clarify the changes in these characteristics that accompany aging. To do this, an investigation was done using the image analysis method and visual assessment tests on the footage taken. This resulted in the extraction of 4 types of characteristic changes to the skin that occur when the face changes from a passive look to making a facial expression, and these were extracted using visual assessments. Additionally, upon analysis of two types of these characteristics, “area of overly bright (overexposed) skin” and “fine linear structures area around the pore” using the footage taken, it was shown that aging was accompanied by a tendency towards an increase in the average value between facial expressions and in the amount (standard deviation) of fluctuation between facial expressions.

N-acyl glutamic acid-based surfactant contains an acyl as a lipophilic group and amino acids as a hydrophilic group, and takes on the characteristic of an anion, varying in solubility to water and texture widely depending on pH and the type of counterion. The amino acid-based surfactants as typified by N-acyl glutamic acid-based surfactant are preferred for the reason that they provide a feeling of relief and safety because of their natural origin, and a feeling of moisture; they have applications in hair care products supplied by beauty parlors and barbershop. Focusing on tje higher foaming capability of N-acyl aspartic acid-based surfactant compared to N-acyl glutamic acid-based surfactant, evaluations (such as safety and coacervate formation) of the characteristics of its synthetic substances including sodium lauroyl aspartate and TEA-lauroyl/myristoyl aspartate were conducted, and we herein report on the foaming properties and viscosity for a combination of ampholytic surfactant and/ or non-ionic surfactant.