Clinical Methodology to Evaluate the Efficacy of a Topical Cosmetic Eye Formulation on the Appearance of Dynamic Periorbital Lines

BACKGROUND: Dynamic lines in the periorbital region are the first signs of aging. Dynamic lines show only when emoting, possibly becoming static lines present with worsening with age. OBJECTIVE: This research was aimed at developing a novel methodology with the sensitivity to effectively evaluate the improvement of dynamic lines in the periorbital region by applying a topical cosmetic eye formulation. METHOD: Female subjects aged 28-65 years with mild to moderate photoaging of all Fitzpatrick skin types were enrolled in a 12-week monadic study with evaluations at baseline and 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. A topical eye formulation was applied twice daily. Dermatologist evaluations of dynamic lines at maximum smile, static lines at neutral expression, and tactile evaluations of firmness and elasticity were obtained in addition to clinical photographs, subjective assessments, and instrumental noninvasive measurements of hydration and elasticity. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of twice-daily application, there was a statistically significant increase of 52% in cutaneous hydration, 183% improvement in viscoelasticity, 48% reduction in retraction time, and 58% in Young’s modulus, demonstrating improved elasticity in the crow’s feet area. 12-week investigator assessments revealed statistically significant improvements in the appearance of periorbital static lines (53%) and dynamic lines (33%). The tactile assessment methodology produced a 39% improvement in crow’s feet pinch and 47% improvement in pinch recoil as measures of elasticity/hydration, and a 45% improvement in touch rebound as an assessment of firmness/hydration. CONCLUSIONS: This research established the value of a novel dynamic line evaluation methodology to assess a topical cosmetic.