General Questions:
This is only a small selection of claims and methods to use in this context:
HYDRATING, MOISTURIZING, NOURISHING, BALANCING, NORMALIZING, VITALISING: Corneometer®, Corneofix®, Visioscan®, Sebumeter®, Sebufix®, MoistureMap, Tewameter®
AGAINST OILY SKIN/HAIR/SCALP, OIL RESTORING, AGAINST DANDRUFF: Sebumeter®, DandruffMeter, Meibometer®
pH-NEUTRAL, RESTORING, REPAIRING, PROTECTIVE, SOOTHING, BARRIER ENHANCING, ANTI-ALLERGIC, ANTI-IRRITANT, ANTI-POLLUTION, ANTI-DRY EYE: Tewameter®, Skin-Colorimeter, Skin-pH-Meter, Corneometer®, Skin-Thermometer, Visioscan®, Visiometer®, Mexameter®, Corneofix®, Sebumeter®, Sebufix®, Meibometer®
CLEANING, PURIFYING, ANTI-BACTERIAL, ANTI-ACNE, ANTI-IMPERFECTIONS, PORE ACTIVITY REDUCING, PORE REFINING: Sebumeter®, Skin-pH-Meter, Visiopor®, Sebufix®,
SUNSCREEN, WHITENING, ANTI-DARK SPOTS, ANTI-AGE SPOTS, ANTI-DARK CIRCLES, ANTI-COUPEROSIS: Mexameter®, Skin-Colorimeter
COLOURING, COLOUR PROTECTION, CONCEALING, SKIN TONE CORRECTING, SELF TANNING/TANNING ENHANCING: Skin-Colorimeter®
SHINE ENHANCING/DECREASING, GLOSSYNESS, LUMINESCENCE, RADIANCE, BRIGHTNESS, MATTIFYING: Skin-Glossymeter, Skin-Colorimeter
TONING, FIRMING, AGAINST SKIN FATIGUE/SLACKNESS, ANTI-CELLULITE/STRECH MARKS: Cutometer®, Visioscan®, CutiScan
ANTI-WRINKLE, FILLER EFFECT, RESTRUCTURING, REMODELLING, REJUVENATION, ANTI-AGE, STRUCTURE IMPOVING, SMOOTHNESS: Cutometer®, Visioline®, Visiometer®, Visioscan®, CutiScan, MoistureMap, Frictiometer
SKIN RENEWAL, EXFOLIATION, AGAINST DRY/SCALY SKIN: Corneometer®, Corneofix®, Tewameter®
MICRO CIRCULATION ENHANCING, WARMING/COOLING, THERMAL PROTECTION: Skin-Thermometer, Mexameter®, Skin-Colorimeter
SPREADABILITY, ANTI-GREASINESS/STICKINESS, FRICTION REDUCING: Frictiometer, Sebumeter®
NAIL HARDENING/THICKNESS/FLEXIBILITY, STRUCTURAL STRENGTH OF THE NAIL, ANTI-NAIL BREAKING: Nail StrainStress Meter, Tewameter® Nano
ANTI-PERSPIRANT: Tewameter®
A: The C+K probes and devices are high precision measurement tools. We recommend sending the systems for a complete calibration every year. You will get a calibration certificate, which is important for your internal documentation.
Cosmetic analysis devices derive from the scientific measurement methods known for many years and used all over the world for clinical studies and efficacy testing. The differences can be listed as below:
- Cosmetic skin analysis devices have a less accurate resolution. Example: they express the sebum content e.g. in “dry”, “normal”, “oily”, whereas the scientific Sebumeter® shows the sebum content in a high precision figure to monitor even smallest changes in the sebum level. So, the results and outcomes are totally different.
- Some cosmetic skin analysis devices are available with an attractive, cosmetic software to recommend products and thus differ from the scientific software. The cosmetic consulting devices are not used for clinical studies but for promotional use.
- Scientific devices can be check calibrated by the software but cosmetic devices don’t have this ability.
Yes, we have a product map which categorize and indicates C+K products line in aesthetic and scientific field.
Corneometer:
The Corneometer® measures in arbitrary units from 0 (no water at all) – 120 (on water). The units have been very well establishes as so called “Corneometer units”.
The penetration depth of the electric scatter field is demonstrably very small, so that only the moisture on the skin surface is measured. Measurements before and after covering a measuring area with a special foil (15 µm thickness) show that on the foil only 20 % of the original value are measured, the total measurement depth is approx. 40µm. The superficial measurement is important because especially the moisture content in the Stratum corneum is interesting for cosmetic applications.
The devices for the skin type analysis derive from the scientific measurement methods known for many years and used all over the world for clinical studies and efficacy testing. However, the skin type analysis devices have a less accurate resolution. Example: they express the sebum content e.g. in “dry”, “normal”, “oily”, whereas the scientific Sebumeter® shows the sebum content in a high precision figure to monitor even smallest changes in the sebum level.
Some systems for skin type analysis are available with an attractive, cosmetic software to recommend products and thus differ from the scientific measurement programmes. The cosmetic consulting devices are not used for clinical studies but for promotional use.
The software for the scientific laboratory devices possesses check calibration facilities and supports the statistical gathering of data for the evaluation of a study.
Sebumeter:
The sebum measurement of the Sebumeter® is photometrical, i.e. it measures the sebum content quantitatively. The approach of the Sebufix®, where the oil on the skin leaves spots on the tape, is a rather qualitative measurement (optical evaluation how much sebum is produced by the different sebum glands).
The methods to measure skin oil, measure on the surface not the oil in the skin. If skin has been cleansed or dabbed before the measurement, existing oil on the surface is removed and the results are respectively lower. The time of the day also plays a role. If you want to perform real comparison measurements, it is recommended to do that at the same time of the day.
TEWAMETER:
Since the end of the 1990s, the Tewameter® has been the worldwide most used measurement principle to assess TEWL. Its “open chamber” method a number of advantages against closed chamber systems.
The experts of the EEMCO group (European group on efficacy measurement and evaluation of cosmetics and other products) confirmed this in guidelines about the important skin water measurements.
The 2018 published paper (Skin Research & Technology, 2018, 24, p. 351-358) examined all established and new methods to assess skin water content and states: …. “From skin barrier damage experiments, it became clear that the Tewameter with an open-chamber is more sensitive or disiminative and able to detect significantly smaller differences than the VapoMeter. In addition, the closed chamber device is currently not sensitive enough to measure diurnal rhythm and fluctuations of skin as a function of time. … Thus, the closed chamber instrument is inferior to the open-chamber measurement of TEWL …”.
Not so much. It is important that the short end of the probe head sits on the skin tightly. The Tewameter® TM 300 had even successfully been used under the special condition of the ISS Space Station!