PUIG - Facial cream

Objectives

PUIG, a global company in premium beauty sector wanted validated claims to support their communication around the benefits of a facial cream through a blind randomized, controlled study involving a cohort of healthy volunteers.

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The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of using a specific face cream, compared to not using any cream and to using an alternative cream, on emotional states as measured by Starlab's EmoWave™ algorithm.

Twenty-nine volunteers completed questionnaires before and after each experimental condition (specific cream, alternative cream, and no-cream control. Emotional responses to were assessed through brain activity (EEG) measured before,  during and after facial application of each cream.

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 PUIG enlisted the services of Starlab to assist in designing the study, acquiring and analyzing EEG data throughout the research.

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Starlab's role:  We co-developed a protocol for this study, EEG data were acquired by Starlab's staff on PUIG’s premises. Data analysis delivered different biomarkers based on:

• Valence:  defined in the pleasure-displeasure continuum as being more or less positive (Barrett et al., 1999). It is calculated as result of Starlab's internal work based in the representation of emotions in a 2D space of valence and arousal (Russell et al., 1980; Frantzidis et al., 2010). 

• Arousal: refers to the general level of alertness and wakefulness of a person. It is calculated as result of Starlab's internal work based in the representation of emotions in a 2D space of valence and arousal (Russell et al., 1980; Frantzidis et al., 2010). . 

• Russell’s circumplex model of affect: Arousal refers to the general level of alertness and wakefulness of a person and Valence is defined in the pleasure-displeasure continuum (Russel, 1980).