Consumer evaluation of before and after photographs increases perception of anti-aging benefits

Abstract

Self-assessment questionnaires have been used previously to measure consumer perception of benefit, to aid in the development of new skin care products, and to confirm that clinical measures of improvement are consumer relevant. The panel size required to obtain sensitive between treatment differences from consumers is typically much larger than for expert visual assessment, however, where standardized clinical scales are typically used. The objective of this research was to determine if the sensitivity in measuring consumer perception of anti-aging benefits could be increased, by presenting a subject’s before and after photos using relatively smaller panel sizes.Healthy female subjects (ages 35-65) completed this twelve-week multi-cell, double-blinded, split face study using moisturizing creams: AHA and retinol, AHA, and Vehicle. High resolution, calibrated color images were taken on both sides of each subject’s face at baseline and following twelve weeks of product application. Consumers evaluated their skin condition on multiple moisturization and anti-aging attributes at the end of the study without using photos. Approximately three months later, subjects returned to view their baseline and week twelve photos, and were administered a similar questionnaire using the same attributes previously evaluated.Photos positively increased the sensitivity in measuring product benefit to key anti-aging attributes (lines and wrinkles, evenness of color, and sagging/firmness). Photos provided a tool to notice gradual changes over time, and may provide motivation for continued use of an anti-aging product regime. Self-assessment questionnaires have been used previously to measure consumer perception of benefit, to aid in the development of new skin care products, and to confirm that clinical measures of improvement are consumer relevant. The panel size required to obtain sensitive between treatment differences from consumers is typically much larger than for expert visual assessment, however, where standardized clinical scales are typically used. The objective of this research was to determine if the sensitivity in measuring consumer perception of anti-aging benefits could be increased, by presenting a subject’s before and after photos using relatively smaller panel sizes. Healthy female subjects (ages 35-65) completed this twelve-week multi-cell, double-blinded, split face study using moisturizing creams: AHA and retinol, AHA, and Vehicle. High resolution, calibrated color images were taken on both sides of each subject’s face at baseline and following twelve weeks of product application. Consumers evaluated their skin condition on multiple moisturization and anti-aging attributes at the end of the study without using photos. Approximately three months later, subjects returned to view their baseline and week twelve photos, and were administered a similar questionnaire using the same attributes previously evaluated. Photos positively increased the sensitivity in measuring product benefit to key anti-aging attributes (lines and wrinkles, evenness of color, and sagging/firmness). Photos provided a tool to notice gradual changes over time, and may provide motivation for continued use of an anti-aging product regime.