LVMH’s latest skin care conference in Asia focused on skin ageing, looking for ideas to enhance already well preserved Asian skin.
Age spots are the first signs of ageing among Asian women, while Caucasian Europeans and Americans suffer much earlier from wrinkles. This was one of the main findings presented during a symposium on the latest research on skin ageing, according to Eric Perrier, president of French luxury group Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) Recherche, which organised a forum in Shanghai, China on 12 May.
Dermatology experts from France and China presented their research on changes in human skin, the causes of skin ageing, consumer data on Chinese and Indian women’s skin care and their attitudes toward skin ageing.
“Those studies are needed not only to understand the present consumer perceptions of personal care products as they age, but also their future needs and expectations,” Perrier said at the symposium. “We will be better able to determine the demand of our future customers for cosmetics if we can understand how populations will evolve in each of the countries where we are established.”
In general, research on Asian women is behind that of research on women in Europe and the US. “The basic research in China is 40 years behind Europe, but is catching up very quickly,” said attendee Christos Zoubouli, a professor in the department of immunology and dermatology at Germany’s Dessau Medical Center, who’s long been working on China related research projects. In particular, he said, it’s easier and faster to do a research study in China than elsewhere. Much of the research presented at the forum confirmed studies performed elsewhere decades ago, but the research set a baseline for further work in Asia.
In many ways, the ageing process of Chinese women’s skin is similar to that of European women. Davinder Parsad, associate professor at India-based Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, said similar findings in photo-ageing have been noted among Caucasian and Chinese women.
Emmanuelle Noblesse, research and development project manager at the LVMH Recherche cutaneous biology and objectivation department, conducted research on the influence of sun exposure on fibrillin, an elastic fibre found in skin.
“A decrease in the expression of fibrillin is characteristic of photoageing, and the study of fibrillin expression confirmed the results obtained on Caucasian skin,” she said. “As a result of this study of Chinese skin ageing, we have identified new markers that can be used as targets for active ingredients in future cosmetic products, particularly in anti-ageing products.”
Indian women’s skin also suffers increased sun damage as it ages. Catherine Heusele, Bio-Science Innovation manager with LVMH Recherche, reported on her research, which focused on 300 Indian women between 17 and 70 years old living in the Mumbai area. The report shows a close correlation between facial photo-ageing and age among Indian women.
Xuemin Wang, research office director and vp of Shanghai-based Dermatitis STD Hospital, said there were other factors associated with skin ageing among Chinese women, factors which parallel other nationalities. “Sun exposure and smoking were the most important risk factors for skin ageing among Chinese women,” he said, citing his team’s report of linear increases in forehead wrinkling from the age of ten and actinic keratosis from age 40. “The other risk factors for skin ageing are the pressures of life and work, caffeine consumption and [inadequate] skin care.”
Tianxiang Ouyang, director of plastic surgery at the Shanghai-based Xinhua Hospital, a subsidiary of Shanghai Jiaotong University, reflected this in his evaluation of skin photoageing among 200 Chinese women between 20 and 70 years old. His study showed that urban women have less skin depigmentation and wrinkling compared with those in rural areas. Only 4% were smokers, while only 1% indicated alcohol consumption.
In other ways, Asian skin is different to European skin. Chinese women show fewer wrinkles as they age while Indian women’s skin remains firmer, longer.
“Chinese women look ten years younger than Europeans,” Ouyang said. “One of reasons is that they smoke less and consume less caffeine. Also, sun exposure, genetic factors and nutrition have an influence on skin age.”
The data gained from these studies can help cosmetics companies better serve the Asian market and gain insights into the ageing process that can help women elsewhere stay looking younger for longer.
Some researchers have already begun looking at specific formulations to help protect Chinese skin. “Grape seed extract is a natural antioxidant for photoprotection, which can be widely used in cosmetics such as sun cream,” said Wei Lu, director of China-based General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, who is undertaking research on the protective effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) against ultraviolet damage to human skin. He told SPC Asia that while GSPE cannot prevent UV damage, it can intensify the protective effects of cosmetic products.
“All of this knowledge shows how important it is to understand the specific features of the women and their skin in any particular country,” said Frédéric Bonté, director of scientific communication for LVMH Recherche. “This is also true for the psychological impact of make-up, which differs according to culture and lifestyle.”