Novel protection, repair skincare regimen with ‘wish list’ ingredients improves photoaging

Key takeaways:

• Compared with baseline, radiance, tactile roughness and visual roughness improved by 43%, 48% and 44%, respectively.
• Firmness, clarity/even skin tone and overall appearance also improved by 32%, 21% and 29%.

A novel, six-step skincare regimen comprised of a “wish list” of ingredients improved the signs of photoaging in men and women, according to a study.

Environmental pollutants and sun exposure often accelerate skin aging. However, the use of a novel skincare regimen, as evaluated in a study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, may slow down this process and repair damaged skin.

“In this study, a six-piece skincare regimen formulated to protect and repair environmentally aged skin was shown to improve the appearance of extrinsically aged skin in Caucasian subjects,” Patricia K. Farris, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine, told Healio. “Improvement in overall appearance was seen as early as 2 weeks while other parameters of skin aging improved significantly over the course of the 12-week study.”

The skincare regimen, called Essential Six (RATIONALE), included a set of “protection products” and “repair products.”

The protection products, applied in the morning, included a serum containing niacinamide, vitamin C and other botanical extracts; a light crème with skin-identical antioxidants; and a tinted serum SPF 50+ with zinc oxide as the active ingredient.

The repair products, applied at night, included a cleanser with ceramides, triglycerides and cholesterol; another serum with alpha and beta hydroxy acids; and a night crème containing DNA repair enzymes, retinaldehyde and retinol.

“This is a well curated skincare regimen containing a wish list of skin beneficial ingredients,” Farris said.

Evaluated by a dermatologist investigator at baseline and at weeks 2, 6 and 12 for efficacy and tolerability, 30 men and women (age range, 35-65 years) with signs of mild to moderate photoaging applied this skincare regimen daily for 12 weeks.

According to the investigator, all signs of photoaging, except deep-set wrinkles, steadily improved over time and reached their peak outcome by week 12. Compared with baseline, radiance, tactile roughness and visual roughness improved by 43%, 48% and 44%, respectively (P < .001).

Similarly, firmness, clarity/even skin tone and overall appearance also improved from baseline by 32%, 21% and 29% (P < .001), respectively, by the end of the study. The investigator also observed a 16% (P = .002) improvement in fine lines by week 12.

Participants did not report any tolerability issues and ultimately rated the skincare regimen as “excellent.”