Biophysical, Objective, Percentage-Based Laboratory Instrumental Assessments
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Clinical Grade Instruments For Your Next Consumer Study
Biophysical Instrumentation In Practice
Consumer Product Testing Scale Design And Clinical Scoring
Clinical Testing Instrumentation Supplied By The Industry Leaders
- Visioscan (Courage + Khazaka): Skin surface texture and fine lines. A video camera with UV-A LED lighting captures high-resolution images of the skin surface, and software reads the changes in contrast and structure in each image. The standard SELS method reports roughness, smoothness, scaliness and wrinkles. Used for smoothing, texture and fine line claims.
- Cutometer (Courage + Khazaka): Skin firmness and elasticity. The probe applies a controlled vacuum that draws the skin into its opening, then releases it, while an optical system inside the probe records how far the skin is pulled in and how fully it returns. Resistance to the suction shows firmness, and the return shows elasticity. Used for firming, elasticity and anti-aging claims.
- Corneometer (Courage + Khazaka): Skin surface hydration. Measures capacitance: as the stratum corneum holds more water, its electrical (dielectric) properties change and the reading rises. The measurement reaches only the top 10 to 20 µm of the stratum corneum, so deeper skin layers do not affect it and product residue has minimal influence. The most widely used instrument for hydration, dry skin and moisturization claims, and a staple of hydration testing for 30 years.
- Epi-D Moisture Meter (Delfin Technologies): Water content in the epidermis. The MoistureMeterEpiD sends a low-power 300 MHz electromagnetic wave into the skin and measures the reflected signal, the tissue dielectric constant, which rises with water content. The result is shown as percentage water content from 0 to 100%. Its effective measurement depth is 0.5 mm, below the skin surface, and a built-in pressure sensor keeps probe contact consistent. Used for deep hydration claims.
- Colorimeter (Courage + Khazaka): Skin color. The probe lights a small area of skin and measures the light reflected back, expressing color as CIE L*a*b* values: lightness, red to green, and yellow to blue. The Individual Typology Angle (ITA°) can be calculated from the same reading to classify skin tone. Used for brightening, even tone, redness reduction and tanning claims.
- Glossymeter (Courage + Khazaka): Gloss and shine on skin, lips and hair. White LED light is directed at the surface at a 60° angle. The probe measures the light reflected directly back (gloss) and the light scattered in other directions, and corrects for differences in skin color. A spring in the probe head keeps contact pressure constant. Used for shine, glow, radiance and mattifying claims, and for lip and hair products.
- Tewameter (TEWL) (Courage + Khazaka): Transepidermal water loss. An open-chamber probe: a hollow cylinder with two pairs of temperature and humidity sensors measures the density gradient of water evaporating from the skin, reported in g/m²/h. Lower water loss means a stronger skin barrier. Used for barrier repair and film-forming claims, and to support secondary moisturization claims.
- Sebumeter (Courage + Khazaka): Skin surface oil. A matte tape in a cartridge is pressed onto the skin for a set time. The tape turns transparent in proportion to the oil it absorbs, and a photometer measures the change in transparency. Used for oil control, mattifying, pore and anti-acne claims, and on the scalp and hair.
- pH Meter (Hanna Instruments, Courage + Khazaka): Skin surface pH. A flat electrode placed on the skin measures how acidic or alkaline the skin surface is. The meter is calibrated with buffer solutions that span the range being measured. Used for pH-balanced, gentle cleansing and skin balance claims.
- Vapometer (TEWL) (Delfin Technologies): Transepidermal water loss. A handheld, closed-chamber instrument that measures the rate of water evaporating from the skin, giving a direct reading of skin barrier function. Because the measuring chamber is closed, readings are less affected by air movement in the room. Used alongside the Tewameter to support barrier repair, film-forming and moisture retention claims.
- MoistureMeterD Compact (Delfin Technologies): Water content in the skin and upper subcutis. Works on the same 300 MHz principle as the Epi-D but reads deeper, with an effective measurement depth of 2.5 mm. The tissue dielectric constant is converted to percentage water content from 0 to 100%. Used where deeper tissue water matters, such as puffiness and swelling studies.
- VISIA-CR (Canfield Scientific): Standardized facial imaging. An imaging booth built for clinical research. Fixed chin and forehead supports reproduce each panelist's position from baseline to endpoint, and one fast capture sequence records up to seven lighting modes, including standard, raked, cross-polarized, parallel-polarized, blue light absorption and fluorescence, and UVA. Images can be analyzed with VAESTRO for a wide range of visual claims.
- Chroma Meter (Konica Minolta): Skin color. A handheld colorimeter that lights the skin and measures the reflected color. Results are reported as L*a*b* values (lightness, redness and yellowness), so changes in skin tone can be tracked consistently from visit to visit. Used for brightening, even tone and redness claims.
- Laser Doppler Perfusion Monitor (PeriFlux System 5000): Skin blood flow (microcirculation). A fiber-optic probe on the skin measures the total local blood flow in the smallest vessels, including capillaries, arterioles and venules. Laser light scattered by moving red blood cells shifts in frequency, and the system converts that shift into perfusion units (PU). Higher values mean more blood flow. Its multi-channel design can follow several sites at once and includes a heating unit for warming tests. Used to show blood flow changes after product application or treatment.
- Dermo (Varenne Technologies): Collagen and water in the dermis. Infrared light at several wavelengths is sent into the skin, and sensors take 500,000 readings a second to calculate how the dermis scatters and absorbs that light. More collagen means more reflectance, and more water means less. Collagen readings range from 10 to 99, and dermal water concentration from 40% to 85%. Used for collagen, plumping and deep hydration claims.
- Antera 3D (Miravex): Skin surface topography and color. A 3D imaging camera that photographs the skin under light from several directions and reconstructs the surface in three dimensions. Multi-spectral analysis also maps melanin and hemoglobin in the epidermis and dermis. Used for wrinkle, fine line, texture, pore, scar, pigmentation and redness claims.
- Laser Doppler Blood Flow Meter (ADInstruments): Skin blood flow and perfusion. A non-invasive probe on the skin directs low-power laser light into the tissue. Light scattered back by moving red blood cells shifts in frequency (the Doppler effect), giving a continuous, relative measure of blood flow in the skin's smallest blood vessels. Used to document how a product changes skin microcirculation after application.
- AGE Scanner (DiagnOptics Technologies): Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the skin. AGEs bound to collagen are fluorescent. The scanner shines a small amount of UV light into the skin, and its sensors measure the fluorescence that comes back, giving a measure of AGE concentration. Results are reported as a myAGEnow score in the companion app. Used for anti-glycation and skin aging claims.
- DermaScan C Ultrasound (Cortex Technology): Dermal thickness. A compact, high-resolution ultrasound scanner. Its 20 MHz probe images the skin in cross-section with 60 x 150 µm resolution and up to 13 mm penetration. Scans are analyzed for dermal thickness. Used for skin thickening, firming and anti-aging claims.
Expert Grading Versus Instrumentation
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Clinical photography
Before & After Photography: Custom Teaneck NJ Studio
Clinically Validated, High Resolution Before and After Images and Analysis Over Time. Validated Claim Support uses high-resolution clinical photography to document how a product performs over a treatment timeline or product usage cycle.
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Redness reduction: 44% less redness from baseline to week 2. The lower circle shows the average skin color in the treated area. Drag to compare.
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FAQ
Instrumental Evaluations: frequently asked questions
What are instrumental evaluations in a clinical study?
Instrumental evaluations use calibrated biophysical instruments to measure a specific skin condition, such as hydration, oil, barrier function, color or elasticity, before and after product use. Validated Claim Support runs them in its FDA registered and inspected clinical laboratory with temperature and humidity controls, which gives a direct percentage-based improvement in the skin's measurable condition.
Why are instrumental claims considered strong claim support?
Instrumental claims deal in direct percentage-based improvements or decreases, so they are generally considered among the most robust clinical data available for skincare, haircare and medical device claim support. They are also well suited to comparing several products side by side for hydration, moisturization, barrier protection, or shine and gloss.
Which instruments does Validated Claim Support use?
Validated Claim Support keeps its instruments onsite, with calibration records available on request. They include the Corneometer, Tewameter, Cutometer, Sebumeter, Visioscan, Glossymeter and colorimeters from Courage and Khazaka, Delfin moisture meters and Vapometer, a Nova dermal phase meter, a Minolta Chromameter, Antera 3D imaging, the Dermo collagen and water meter, an AGE Scanner, laser Doppler blood flow monitoring, and DermaScan C ultrasound.
Which instrument is used for hydration claims?
The Corneometer, which measures skin hydration through its dielectric properties, is the most commonly used instrument for hydration claims in the industry and has been a staple of hydration support for 30 years. Validated Claim Support can add the Delfin Epi-D moisture meter for deeper epidermal hydration and the Tewameter or Vapometer for transepidermal water loss.
How are instrumental results reported?
Final data includes the mean percentage improvement across study participants and the total number of subjects who improved for a given condition. Scales depend on the instrument and may be linear, in arbitrary units, or logarithmic, as with pH. A maximum improvement can also be reported to support a claim such as "Up to an 85% improvement in hydration in as little as one use."
Can one instrument measure several parameters at once?
No. Each instrument is designed to measure one specific endpoint, such as oil and sebum, hydration, barrier protection or skin color and tone. To report a hard percentage-based number for several parameters, each instrument has to be built into the study design, which adds cost for each endpoint.
Should I choose instrumentation or expert grading?
Expert grading covers a wide range of parameters at a reasonable cost but does not produce the same percentage improvement numbers as instrumentation or photography. Instrumentation gives direct percentage-based results, such as improved hydration by up to 125% in as little as one use, but each parameter needs its own instrument. Validated Claim Support often combines both.