The peptide treatment serum containing these ingredients with known topical benefits should produce a statistically significant anti-aging result, especially with expression lines, in this single-center clinical usage study. Additionally, the supporting skincare regimen of a gentle facial cleansing lotion, eye moisturizer, a daily moisturizer SPF 50, and a night cream should also produce an overall anti-aging effect.
OBJECTIVE
This single-center study was conducted to evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of a peptide treatment serum and supporting skincare regimen in improving the appearance of aging eye and facial skin, with a focus on expression lines in the crow’s feet and forehead area.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A regimen of facial skincare products was developed that included a gentle facial cleansing lotion, a peptide treatment serum, an eye moisturizer, a daily moisturizer SPF 50, and a night cream. The gentle facial cleansing lotion, which was mild and non-foaming, was developed for all skin types. The daily moisturizer SPF 50 consisted of a lotion containing UVA and UVB sunscreens as well as anti-aging technology including peptides, antioxidants, and standardized botanical extracts. The eye moisturizer was a basic moisturizing cream with no anti-aging ingredients included. The night cream consisted of a moisturizer with various anti-aging ingredients including peptides, antioxidants, and standardized botanical extracts. The peptide treatment serum consisted of GABA and 7 different peptides that worked via different pathways to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles caused by repeated facial expressions including acetyl hexapeptide-8, acetyl octapeptide-3, DDBD, trifluoroacetyl tripeptide-2, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7.
A 14-week single-site monadic study was completed by 29 female subjects in the age range of 35-60 years. Qualified subjects exhibited mild to moderate photoaging (Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV). The demographic information is shown in Figure 1. Subjects were asked to use the product twice daily as instructed. Subjects went through a wash out period for 2 weeks following study enrollment by using the study gentle facial cleansing lotion, daily moisturizer SPF 50 (avoiding the eyes), and eye cream in the morning followed by use of the gentle cleansing lotion, eye moisturizer, and night cream in the evening. The peptide treatment serum was added at week 2 with morning and evening application from the lower eyelids up to the forehead, but not the upper eyelid. Subjects used the peptide treatment serum for a total of 12 weeks and the remainder of the skincare products for a total of 14 weeks.
Areas important for the peptide treatment serum application were the crow’s feet area, the glabellar line, and the forehead lines. The eye moisturizer was applied on top of the anti-aging peptide treatment serum around the eyes.
Assessments consisted of investigator evaluations, subject evaluations, and photographs of the face with eyes open at relaxation and with maximum smile at each time point. Subjects were seen at baseline, week 2, week 6, week 10, and week 14.
Both the investigator and the subjects assessed the study parameters listed in Figure 2 below with the face at rest. The investigator assessed the face at maximum smile at each time point for facial lines, facial wrinkles, eye lines, and eye wrinkles. The parameters were assessed using the grading scale shown in Figure 2. In addition, the overall face was assessed for the following tolerability parameters: erythema, desquamation, stinging, burning, and itching. Subjects also assessed the aesthetic characteristics of the serum and the remainder of the products on a 0-4-point scale with a grade of 0 being strongly agree with the aesthetic characteristic description and a grade of 4 being strongly disagree. High quality jpeg photographs
