Applied Cosmetic Science and Technology Applied Cosmetic Science and Technology

Skin care R&D has long been focused on skin surface issues, such as fine wrinkles, spots, and so on. However, people are actually mainly concerned with age-dependent changes of facial morphology, such as bulldog-like descending cheeks, loss of facial contour, and appearance of nasolabial folds. Thus, we tried to cultivate this novel field of facial aging in cosmetics. To develop effective skin care solutions for these issues, we first established a fundamental basis for research in this field by constructing definitions and evaluation systems for these morphological changes. Furthermore, to identify targets for intervention, we established a variety of novel approaches to study the internal structures and dynamics of aged skin, for example, digital reconstruction of skin in three dimensions (3D), using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. These approaches enabled us to identify novel facial aging mechanisms, such as the appearance of dermal cavitation, and to develop theoretical accounts, such as the adipo-aging theory. Then, building on those discoveries, we developed a variety of novel skin care solutions. Here, I am going to review the progress in the field of skin care to improve aged appearance, focusing on our cosmetics R&D work as well as discussing future prospects for this field.