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Sensory Benefits & Testing 1 Seminars

09:30 - 10:00

From Fibre to Feeling: Interdisciplinary Hair Research for Innovation

Human hair has a complex structure and comes in a wide variety of colours and curl patterns. Thus, hair manageability goals vary significantly among individuals. This talk will discuss the single-fibre and hair-assembly interactions with cosmetics and their impact on consumers’ experience and hair-related goals.  Specific AI-driven approaches to exploring different dimensions of hair properties, such as curvature, alignment and volume, will be discussed. The talk will also illustrate the behavioural dimensions of hair manageability and social psychology-led approaches to capturing such data.  The significance of such approaches will be further demonstrated by presenting data on the personal and social significance of hair in the context of global trends such as growing hair curl diversity and increasing percentage of consumers aged over 60 globally. The relationship between hair and health will be discussed, drawing on research in hair growth management, scalp care and cultural practices surrounding identity, ageing and wellbeing. The impact of such research on responsible cosmetic innovation and communications will be considered, too.

Speaker

10:00 - 10:20

Development of a Novel Integrated Imaging System for Quantifying Product-Induced Appearance Changes on Human Substrates In Vitro

Objectives:
Conventional in vitro methods for assessing cosmetic appearance benefits typically rely on contact-based measurements, capturing single parameters and generating fragmented datasets. To better characterise the complex visual appearance of surfaces, this study aims to develop a novel imaging instrument capable of integrating multiple appearance attributes within a single, unified measurement for product evaluation.

Methods:
The system utilises imaging-based, non-contact measurement technology combined with a novel LED illumination design incorporating both cross-polarised and non-polarised lighting. A bespoke mechanical framework ensures controlled viewing geometry. Diffuse and specular reflections are separated at the pixel level through digital control, enabling simultaneous extraction of colour and gloss/shine information. Image analysis (IA) algorithms and characterisation models were developed based on calibrated reference targets. The system was evaluated using various in vitro samples, including human hair swatches and Biody skin plates, measured before and after product application.

Results:
The integrated hardware and software system successfully extracted both colour (CIE XYZ and L*a*b*) and gloss-related parameters (e.g., gloss intensity, specular reflection distribution, and coverage percentage) from surfaces in a single measurement. Results of hair swatches showed a significant increase in shine following hair oil application. For Biody skin plates (plain), colour and shine changes after skin cream application were quantitatively detected. Progressive changes in shine for the Biody skin plates (pores) were also measured across treatment stages, from baseline, skin cream, foundation to setting powder.

Conclusion:
An integrated imaging system, encompassing both hardware and software, has been developed. In vitro proof-of-principle studies demonstrate its capability to deliver unified measurements that can be used to support quality control and quantitative product performance claims related to visual appearance. Pixel-level analysis can further enable future assessment of additional attributes, such as texture and translucency, offering a more comprehensive and realistic representation of the total perceived benefits of cosmetic products.

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