Consumer acceptability of products, such as foods and personal care
products, often depends largely on sensory properties perceived before, during, and after
usage.
Descriptive Analysis
is a technique that was developed to quantify perceptual properties of
products so that their sensory profiles can be directly compared.
These descriptive perceptual and measurement techniques can be conducted with various populations including formulators and technical experts (profile methods) or by the intended end user/consumer (QDA method).
Descriptive analysis, although historically applied to food
products, has been used to evaluate a wide variety of consumer goods including personal care products such as
lotions, creams, and cosmetics, since the 1970’s. This application to skin care was
first published in 1974 by Naomi Oshinsky Schwartz of General Foods
Corporation in the Journal of Texture Studies
1;
“Adaptation of the Sensory Texture Profile Method to Skin Care
Products” was based on the Texture Profile method developed by the
General Foods Research Center in the 1960’s
2.
The profile based skinfeel descriptive methodology was further advanced in the early
nineties with two research papers published by Civille and Dus on
skinfeel methodology for cosmetic toiletries and paper/fabric
3,4.
In parallel, a consumer behavioral approach was published by Stone & Sidel in 1986, on Sensory Evaluation for Skincare Products Sensory Evaluation for Skincare Products using their Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) approach. This was followed by an article by Bleibaum and Robichaud in 2007 on Using Consumers Sensory Experience to Achieve Strategic Market Segmentation.
These two unique approaches to descriptive analysis techniques are presented in the updated ASTM International entitled “Standard Guide for Two Descriptive Analysis Methods for Skin Creams and Lotions” (ASTM E 1490– 11). This guide outlines each step of a descriptive analysis procedure, technical expert versus consumer,
including methods for panelist selection and training, as well examples of language (expert and consumer),
references, and evaluation methods. The ASTM
document includes procedures for before application, during application, and after application. These methods can be applied to a wide variety of
personal care products and their ingredients using variations on the ASTM
E 1490 – 11 methodologies.
Descriptive analysis of skincare products is fundamentally the same as a
descriptive analysis of a food product in terms of selection of
panelists, term generation, concept formation, and product evaluation.
Obviously, however, different criteria must be applied to select
suitable panelists for skincare as
panelists must demonstrate sensory and tactile acuity and apply to other criteria in terms of skin allergies, skin condition, and skin type.
References
ASTM International, ASTM Standard E1490-11: Standard Guide for Two Descriptive Analysis Methods for Skin Creams and Lotions. ASTM International: West Conshohocken, PA, 2011.
Almedia, I.F., Gaio, A.R., and Bahia, M. F. (2008). Hedonic and Descriptive Skinfeel Analysis of Two Oleogels: Comparison with Other Topical Formulations. J. Sens Stud (2008) 23, 92-113.
Aust, L.B., et al., (1987). The Descriptive Analysis of Skin Care Products by a Trained Panel of Judges. J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem. 38, 443-449.
Bleibaum, R.N., and Robichaud, E.J. (2007). Using Consumer's Sensory Experience to Achieve Strategic Market Segmentation. Cosmet Toiletries, 122:11, 75-80.
Civille, G.V., and Dus, C.A. (1990). Development of Terminology to Describe the Handfeel Properties of Paper and Fabrics. J. Sens Stud., 5: 19-32.
Civille, G.V., and Dus, C.A. (1991). Evaluating Tactile Properties of Skincare Products: A descriptive analysis technique. Cosmet Toiletries, 106: 5, 83-88.
Lee, I. et al. (2005). Terminology Development and Panel Training for Sensory Evaluation of Skin Care Products. J. Sens Stud. 20, 421-433.
Meilgaard, M.C., Civille, G.V., and Carr, B.T. (2007). Sensory Evaluation Techniques, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Parente, M.E., Gambaro, A., and Ares, G. (2008). Sensory Characterization of Emollients. J. Sens Stud., 23, 149-161.
Peters, R.M., Hackeman, E., and Goldreich, D. (2009). Diminutive Digits Discern Delicate Details: Fingertip Size and the Sex Differences in Tactile Spatial Acuity. J. Neuroscience, 29(50), 15756-15761.
Schwartz, N.O. (1974). Adaptation of the Sensory Texture Profile Method to Skin Care Products. J. Text Stud, 6 (1), 33-42.
Stone, H. and Sidel, J. (1986). Sensory Evaluation for Skin Care Products. Cosmet Toiletries, 1, 45-50.
Stone, H.; Bleibaum. R.N., and Thomas, H., Sensory Evaluation Practices. 4th ed.; Elsevier, Academic Press: London, 2012.
