Whoever claimed that beauty is only skin deep clearly hasn’t heard about Neurocosmetics. The link between the brain and the skin is one of the most significant beauty trends in beauty and cosmetics this year.

Neurocosmetics represent a category of cosmetics products designed to interact with the skin’s nervous system. This approach harnesses the intricate relationship between the skin and the brain, commonly referred to as the “skin-brain axis. »

Far beyond being a simple protective barrier, the skin is a multifunctional organ. It not only shields the body from environmental stressors and microbial threats but also regulates body temperature and serves as a sensory interface. With its own immune system and an intricate network of nerve cells, the skin communicates directly with the brain, sensing and responding to various external and internal stimuli.

As a sensory and protective organ, the skin perceives sensations such as touch, pain, heat, and cold through its dense network of nerves, including specialized receptors and fibers located within the dermis. These sensory inputs are transmitted to the brain for interpretation, creating a direct link between the external environment and our internal emotional and physiological responses.

By using specific ingredients, Neurocosmetics are meant to interact with neural receptors in the skin, influencing sensory perception and cellular behavior. The goal is to enhance long term skin health and well-being, rather than focusing on superficial improvements like reducing wrinkles or moisturizing the skin.

As consumer interest in wellness-driven skincare grows, so does the need for rigorous scientific evaluation of neurocosmetics. While these products hold immense promise for improving skin health and emotional well-being, their claims often require substantiation through robust research. Assessing their impact on neural mechanisms, skin physiology, and user perception is critical to establishing their efficacy and ensuring consumer trust.

Neuroscience unveils new properties of cosmetics

The holistic approach that deals with the whole interactions and connections of the skin to its internal and external environment helps to better understand the impact of actives ingredients such as Cannabidiol (CBD) or personal care on the cutaneous system.

Neurocosmetics can be considered as products that have cosmetics effects on the brain of Beauty consumers. Their evaluation on human combines neuroscience, psychology, and cosmetic science to study how beauty products affect the brain perceptions and how they can be used to improve wellbeing. Nowadays neurocosmetics research focuses on understanding how beauty products can affect mood, behavior, and cognitive performance between biological and neurological activities. Neurocosmetics are studied through several analytical methods from physiological, biological, and sensorial.

Before this new global approach, that begun few years ago, sensory analysis was the way to study the effect of cosmetics application qualitatively and quantitatively on the sensations and perceptions of the Beauty consumers.

Sensory analysis: a scientific approach of perceptions

Sensory analysis represents scientific methods that measure and interpret panel responses to cosmetics perceived through the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. It is generally used to evaluate the acceptability of personal cares, their quality, their tolerance, and their effectiveness. This approach enables the development of products that deliver both functional and emotional benefits, catering to the growing consumer demand for holistic beauty solutions

The sensory analysis can be conducted through naïve or expert panels. Naive panels are composed of untrained subjects who are asked to evaluate cosmetics based on their own personal preferences and experiences. The results of the panel are then used to determine the overall sensory profile of the product [3]. On the other hand, expert panels are composed of trained panelists who use their senses to evaluate the organoleptic characteristics of personal care: appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and other characteristics following the applications of the products following normal conditions of use.

Researchers point out that the challenge in detecting sensory impressions is to achieve the appropriate balance between generating the most objective data possible and achieving the highest possible level of standardization. Sensory evaluation involves measuring the sensory properties and includes the interpretation of the responses by sensory experts.

Neurosensory analysis and multidimensional parameters

Experts agree that 6 primary emotions, sometimes more, constitute the common and universal base of individuals with:  pleasure, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, and anger, (contempt, shame, guilt, curiosity).

These emotions are immediate adaptive chemical and neuronal responses to the environment. Thanks to emotions, consumers can describe an experience of cosmetics application as positive (pleasant) or negative (unpleasant). Pleasure is a nice experience that arises from an anticipated or real satisfaction of a desire or need. Pleasure can be measured through quantifying emotions, using neuroscience and psychology.

The emotional response as a subjective feeling associated with an event is spontaneous, instantaneous, rapid, universal and consists of the 3 expressive, physiological, and subjective components. The effect of the application of a cosmetic product is unconsciously and quickly evaluated by the brain.

When it comes to claims, the study of emotions makes it possible to evaluate a wide range of perceptions caused by the application of a product and the improvements in self-representation as well as the physiological effects induced.

To objectify emotions scientifically, there is not a single simple and direct method but a multitude of methods. To increase the reliability of these analyses resulting from an unconscious and implicit process, it is necessary to consider in the design of the protocols, the claim sought, the type of product studied, the typology of consumers and to integrate the combination of the 3 components of the emotion:

1. Expressive or behavioral component: what modifies physical expressions of the emotion, such as facial expressions, body language, postural expressions, and vocalizations.

o   Facial expression analysis quantifies emotions by examining the facial expressions of an individual. It involves looking at the facial features, such as the eyes, mouth, and brows, to determine the emotional state of the person.

o   Postural expressions analysis is important to study the nonverbal communication part involves in the emotion’s generation. It enables to look at the body language of an individual: the position of the body, the facial expressions, and the gestures.

o   Vocalization analysis examines the acoustic properties of a person’s voice. This includes analyzing the pitch, volume, and duration of vocalizations, as well as the intonation and rhythm of speech.

2. Physiological component: what changes body parameters. This represents the individual evolution of autonomous neuronal system and its global regulation of the peripheral functions. It is non-specifically linked to the emotions, and representative of the sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. The physiological component of emotion is studied using various instrumentation such as electroencephalography (EEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and positron emission tomography (PET), cardiac rhythm, sweat, skin pH, Hydration of the skin for example.
3. Subjective or cognitive component: what can be verbalized. It concerns the mental content of the subject: direct or indirect description of their emotions: pleasure, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, anger, contempt, shame, guilt, curiosity… The cognitive component of emotion is the mental process of interpreting and understanding the emotional experience. It involves the use of various cognitive processes such as attention, individual’s subjective experience of emotions, such as their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Emotions are central to the future of the beauty industry, with neuromarketing playing a key role in understanding how personal care products stimulate consumers. In the future, algorithms and emotional AI may predict and interpret consumer emotions during virtual applications.

One of the major challenges in beauty evaluation is comprehending the full range of emotions products evoke, requiring a holistic approach. Future cosmetic safety and efficacy studies will consider cellular interactions, skin characteristics, and environmental factors, integrating these into study protocols.

Studying emotional processes offers endless innovation opportunities, aligning with consumers’ desire for unique sensory experiences. To ensure reliable and robust outcomes, it is crucial to study emotions’ behavioral, physiological, and cognitive components with rigorous, multidimensional methodologies.