Efficacy Panel
At Codex Labs, our core mission is to demonstrate that not only is quantitative data
about all aspects of the products important for making progress in skin health
research, but it is essential for customers to make fact-based decisions in
purchasing functional products at the best possible price.
Our products are designed and manufactured to deliver specific functionality.
Each Codex Labs collection has a specific purpose: Bia is focused on hydration,
moisture retention, and itch management for those with dry skin or eczema; Antüis focused on skin barrier repair and reduction or reactive oxidative stress from
pollution or UV exposure for mature skin, psoriasis or rosacea; Shaant is focused
on rebalancing oily skin and reducing acne breakouts; and Kãngfù is focused on
healing skin damaged by heat (burns), light (UV), or mechanically (cuts and scars).
When and why do you run these tests? What is your goal?
We conduct efficacy on every single product to prove its performance. This testing is carried out at a third-party clinical facility under the supervision of a
dermatologist and toxicologist. The technicians use instrumentation that is accepted by the dermatological community for evaluating specific skin parameters to produce quantitative measurements.
If the product is over the counter (OTC) and is regulated by the FDA for a specific skin disease, then additional clinical trials (with review board approval or dispensation) are performed by a dermatology research organization to evaluate the effectiveness of the product in improving the condition or relieving its symptoms.
Our goal is to clearly communicate
these quantitative results to the
consumer in an easy-to-read format. An efficacy panel is shown on the left. The year of the study and the population used is summarized. Each skin parameter (and potential sub-parameter) and its measurement method is listed. The results as measured (e.g., changes on Day 28 and Day 56 as referenced to Day 0) are presented. If no statistical change was observed, this is recorded. If a parameter is not relevant to product claims, this is noted as “not applicable”. With this approach, not only positive results are shown, but also test results where no statistically meaningful result was achieved, or where a result was only temporary. Essentially, the panel provides a transparent snapshot of product performance.
How do you run a typical efficacy or clinical study?
A baseline data set is collected on day zero of the efficacy or clinical trial, usually after a week-long washout period. The product is then applied by the subjects according to a protocol, and the measurement is repeated after at least one to two full skin turnover cycle, namely 28 to 56 days (products that are considered
“instantaneous” are still measured one hour to 3 days after application).
A statistically meaningful subject population (at least 30 subjects) is used to generate data for each skin parameter. This dataset is then analyzed by a statistician for statistical relevance, i.e., does the product produce a statistically meaningful effect on the skin parameter being evaluated to support the product claim hypothesis.
An efficacy study measures parameters on people with general healthy skin, but where a particular skin type such as dry, oily, or mature, and a specific characteristic such as enlarged pores or dark eye circles is prevalent in the population under study.
A clinical trial measures improvement of a specific skin disease on a population having that skin condition. For example, a reduction in inflammatory acne lesions or comedones would be measured on a population having female adult hormonal acne, or a skin disease score such as EASI or SCORAD would be measured on children having eczema. Additional skin parameters relating to that specific skin condition would also be studied and measured.
Do you openly share your results?
We believe that by publishing our data, we can establish a new reference point for
consumers who are looking for solutions. Customers should expect every dermo-
cosmetic brand to justify its product claims with quantitative data to be able to
objectively compare product performance and price.
Such an efficacy panel can effectively level the playing field for both global corporations and small indie innovators, as well as eliminate confusion about ingredient potency versus actual ingredient benefits in a final formulation. It allows customers to make educated decisions based on proven product performance and measurement facts for their skincare routines, and well-informed value purchasing decisions based on real data rather than marketing jargon.
Finally, while our studies do collect customer feedback, we do not solely rely on such customer experience surveys, because we believe that quantitative measurements are more objective than opinions. For full transparency we do also report the user experience survey results on our website, as consumers also need
to evaluate the sensorial aspects of products.
Efficacy Panel Parameters Explained
The table below presents a summary of each skin parameter in the efficacy panel
and its corresponding measurement method. In some cases, the measurement
method is indirect, but is widely accepted by the dermatological community as
representative of the skin parameter.
| Parameter | Customer Descriptive | Customer Definition | Measurement Instrument | Measurement Made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydration | Hydrated | skin contains a healthy amount of water | Corneometer | measure capacitance of skin (proportional to water content) |
| Skin Barrier | Soft | skin is able to retain a healthy amount of water | Tewameter | measure water loss via evaporation from the skin surface |
| Desquamation | Smooth | skin is not flaky | SquameScan | measure skin desquamation/flakiness |
| Appearance - texture | Radiant | even skin tone | VISIA CR or C-Cube imaging | image skin surface and capture information relating to skin tone homogeneity |
| Appearance - pores | Luminous | minimized pores | VISIA CR or C-Cube imaging | scan the skin surface and capture visual information relating to pore size |
| Appearance - dark circles | Eyes | minimal dark circles under eyes | VISIA CR imaging | capture an image indicating skin discoloration under the eyes |
| Appearance - puffiness | Eyes | no puffy pockets under eyes | VISIA CR or C-Cube imaging | capture an image indicating water retention in eye socket |
| Structure - firmness | Firmer | skin is elastic to the touch | Cutometer | measure viscoelastic properties of skin using controlled vacuum suction |
| Structure - collagen | Collagen | minimized wrinkles | SIAScope | measures amount of visible & infrared light absorbed & remitted by collagen |
| Structure - thickness | Supple | skin is flexible/pliable to the touch | Dermascan or DUBmeter | echogram of skin capturing epidermis-dermis junction to measure thickness |
| Structure - density | Plump | skin feels dense and not saggy | Dermascan or DUBmeter | echogram of skin capturing epidermis-dermis junction to measure density |
| Sebum | Balance | oiliness | Sebumeter | measures sebum production rate of skin |
A summary of product functionality terms is presented above. Our products are designed to be complementary in an overall skincare routine. However, a
customer can select one product based on the most appropriate functionality required. A brief definition of each parameter and the measurement instrumentation used for quantification is given below:
- “Hydrated” means the skin possesses a healthy/adequate amount of water. A
Corneometer is used to measure water content. - “Soft” refers to the ability of skin to retain a healthy/adequate amount of
water. A Tewameter is used to measure water loss via evaporation from
the skin surface. - “Smooth” refers to skin that is not flaky/excessively desquamated. A Squamescan is used to measure skin desquamation/flakiness.
- “Luminous” refers to pore size. A VISIA is used to scan the skin surface and capture visual information relating to pore size.
- “Radiant” refers to evenness of skin tone. A VISIA is used to scan the skin surface and capture visual information relating to skin tone homogeneity.
- “Eyes” refers to the presence of discolored skin around the eyes. A VISIA is used to scan the skin surface and capture visual information relating to skin
discoloration. - “Firmer” refers to skin elasticity/bounce back. A Cutometer is used to
measure the viscoelastic properties of skin. - “Plump” refers to skin density. A Dermascan is used to evaluate the density of collagen and elastin within the epidermis.
- “Balance” refers to skin that is secreting a healthy/appropriate amount of sebum. A Sebumeter is used to measure the amount of sebum secreted by
the skin. - “Supple” refers to skin that visually appears healthy, soft and radiant. Customer feedback involves the use of a questionnaire given to customers to rate the suppleness of their skin.