Abstract:

This study used non-invasive evaluation methods measured six skin physiological parameters of the lower lip in 180 subjects, including moisture content, transepidermal water loss （TEWL）, smoothness （SESM）, scaliness of the skin （SESC）, wrinkles （SEW）, and red area of the lip skin, and compared the effects of 6 groups of lip balms （no-additive group, marine oligosaccharides group, ceramides group, glycyrrhizinic acid group, allantoin group, and mixed group; 30 each） on the skin physiological parameters of dry, flaking, and cracked lip subjects. The results showed that the lip mositure content of the subjects in the marine oligosaccharide group, glycyrrhetinic acid group, and allantoin group increased significantly by 44.40%, 42.84% and 58.08% after 7 days of lip balm (P<0.05). The TEWL in the ceramide group and the allantoin group was significantly reduced by 21.83% and 24.72%, respectively, after 7 days of lip paste use (P<0.05). The lip skin smoothness values of subjects in the glycyrrhizic acid group and the allantoin group were significantly reduced by 18.76% and 14.97%, respectively, after 28 days of lip balm application （P<0.05）. The lip skin scaling indices of subjects in the marine oligosaccharide group, the ceramides group, and the allantoin group were significantly reduced by 33.77%, 42.69%, and 38.07%, respectively, after 28 days of lip balm application （P<0.05）. The wrinkle parameters of the lip skin of the subjects in the marine oligosaccharide, glycyrrhizinic acid and allantoin groups were significantly reduced by 23.06%, 23.29% and 25.98%, respectively, after 28 days of lip balm application （P<0.05）. And the area of the red zone of the lip skin of the subjects in the allantoin group was significantly reduced by 4.27%, after 28 days of lip balm application （P<0.05）. Combining the effects of the four active ingredients on the secretion of hyaluronic acid （moisturizing effect） and inflammatory factor （IL-6） in HSF cells, it suggests that marine oligosaccharides and allantoin have a perfect impact on enhancing the water content of the skin on the lips of the subjects, and further improve the symptoms of flaking and wrinkles on the lips of the subjects. The ceramide and allantoin can repair the skin barrier well and have a good effect on the chapped and flaky lips of the subjects. After 28 days of using lip balm, the water content of lips in the mixed group increased, the skin barrier was repaired and became smoother, and the wrinkles, scale index, and red zone value were reduced, which could well relieve chronic lip inflammation and lay a foundation for developing lip products for the treatment of chronic cheilitis.

Key words: lip skin physiological parameters, marine oligosaccharides, ceramides, glycyrrhetinic acid, allantoin, lipstick