Sensitive skin is mysterious. It is not medically diagnosed, but rather based on an individual’s perception – and around 37% of the global population reports it affects their quality of life.1 One article2 recently described it as skin that experiences “an unpleasant sensory response to a stimulus that should not cause a sensation.” Other sources suggest it is a symptom of underlying health conditions or environmental factors.
A paper in Frontiers in Public Health1 defines sensitive skin as that characterized by hyperreactivity resulting from “interactions between individual attributes and environmental factors.” These factors are divided into five groups: demographical (age, gender, race); biological (emotion, skin type, sleep disorders, menstrual cycle); behavioral/lifestyle (diet, cosmetic use, exercise); natural environment (climate, air pollution); and built environment (population density, green space); in other words – the exposome.
Sensitive and compromised skin are a major focus of this issue. We start with a dermatologist’s interpretation of sensitive skin and nine tips to formulate for it, presented by Draelos on Page XX. Favaro, et al., on Page XX, explore the moisturization needs of tattooed skin, while on Page XX, Thong offers a case study in the multifaceted needs of photoaged skin.
In relation, our Expert Opinions piece on Page XX examines trends in sun and skin protection, while the Industry Insight on Page XX, featuring Shilpi Jain of Skinveda, considers connections between psychodermatology, ayurveda and holistic beauty.
This month also uncovers inconspicuous ingenuity in equipment, devices and methods for manufacturing cosmetics. Dillon, for example, on Page XX, describes how to achieve production success from a specialty equipment perspective. Lionetti and Deola, on Page XX, explain scale-up from a product and process view. And a second Expert Opinions article, on Page XX, uncovers current and future trends in equipment, devices, methods and manufacturing.
Also speaking to hidden innovation, our C&T Allē Award finalists are profiled starting on Page XX, bringing the latest cosmetic ingredients, blends, formulas, testing, devices and digital technologies into the spotlight. We hope this issue uncovers novel areas of innovation while remaining sensitive to your product development needs.
References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10462575/
