Skin colour typology and suntanning pathways
- 1 August 1991
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in International Journal of Cosmetic Science
- Vol. 13 (4), 191-208
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2494.1991.tb00561.x
Abstract
Synopsis The evaluation of sun-product efficacy, with laboratory solar simulators or in actual sun, implicates clinical and subjective assessment of the various skin responses in terms of wavelengths constitutive of solar light. These photobiological responses vary according to skin types and particularly to basic skin melanic content, i.e. with skin colour. Now, the instrumental measurement of live skin colour has become easier to perform, fast and reliable. Based on the standard CIE-L*a*b* colour system and correlated with the human eye, this technique was used to define the skin colour domain of the caucasian population, to propose a skin colour classification, and then to objectively follow, over a three week period, the dynamics and kinetics of tanning induced by UVB, UVA and UVB +/- A multi-exposures on the three skin categories. The specific directions in the three-dimensional L*a*b* colour space of the tanning components, i.e. erythema, immediate pigmentation and constitutional melanization, as well as the resulting tanning pathways, were analysed and defined in the three-dimensional colour space, using a vectorial method. The UVB, UVA and UVB +/- A tannings were differentiated by their intensity, their hue and especially their lasting capacity: UVA tanning clearly appeared more lasting than UVB. In addition, the UVA*UVB interaction on tanning intensity was not found to be significant. With the skin colour classification and the tanning models, this comprehensive study supplies a basic tool for the colorimetric interpretation of the skin phenomena involved, provided that this interpretation is always considered in the three dimensions of the colour space. It also suggests some useful practical applications for sun product formulation and evaluation.Keywords
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- Skin color reflectance measurements for objective quantification of erythema in human beingsJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1989
- A Comparison of the Melanocyte Response to Narrow Band UVA and UVB Exposure In VivoJournal of Investigative Dermatology, 1987
- The Relationship of Skin Color, UVB-Induced Erythema, and MelanogenesisJournal of Investigative Dermatology, 1985
- New Experimental Approach to Measure the Skin-Reflected Light. Application to Cutaneous Erythema and BlanchingDermatology, 1985
- Quantitative studies on cutaneous erythema induced by ultraviolet radiationBritish Journal of Dermatology, 1984
- A portable instrument for quantifying erythema induced by ultraviolet radiationBritish Journal of Dermatology, 1984
- Photobiology of melanin pigmentation: Dose/response of skin to sunlight and its contentsJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1983
- Comparison Between Visual Grading and Reflectance Measurements of Erythema Produced by Sunlight11From the Division of Dermatology, University of Oregon Medical School, Portland, Oregon.Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 1958