Background: The use of a skin care routine is commonly promoted by the cosmetic industry, yet there is a lack of clinical evidence to support this practice over the use of a single skin care product.
Aims: In the present study, we aimed at showing the clinical benefits of using a comprehensive skin care routine vs a simple one.
Methods: Skin micro-/macro-topographic, skin color, and superficial/deep hydration were collected at baseline and after 4 weeks of use, on forty-nine women randomly allocated to two groups. The first one followed the use of an advanced routine (AR: Cleanser/Toner/Eye cream/Serum/Day & Night cream), while the other group was instructed to use a simple routine (SR: Cleanser & Day cream).
Results: Hemoglobin heterogeneity was found to be significantly reduced only in the SR group. However, the AR outperformed the SR when it comes to improving superficial hydration, deep hydration, skin roughness, mean pore area, melanin heterogeneity, and crow's feet wrinkle depth. A significant increase in skin brightness from baseline was only recorded when using the AR while both routines significantly improved the nasolabial wrinkles.
Conclusion: These findings advocate for using a relevant daily routine as it demonstrates the visible skin benefits over a short period, while driving the creation of habits for the prevention of aging signs.
Keywords: anti-aging; skin care routine; skin color; skin hydration; wrinkle reduction.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.