Age-induced skin color variations are of great importance and incite increasing demand for cosmetic products to improve the appearance. The evaluation by clinicians or estheticians of the efficacy of skin care products is particularly difficult and requires the help of color charts. To standardize this kind of evaluation, we have developed a new Skin Color Chart®. In contrast to other color charts, this new one represents true skin color without metamerism and covers almost all skin colors encountered around the world. This new instrument has been validated for both Asian and Caucasian skin complexion and sun spot color. The new device used to record skin color, the Chromasphere®, developed by L'Oréal, is briefly presented. All skin color measurements and the validation of each selected Color were performed under identical conditions, and then, absorption spectra of both skin and chart were compared using severe criteria. The first use and the validation of this Skin Color Chart® were performed by dermatologists (two in China and one in France) in groups of about 40 women on sunspots and complexion color. Regarding repeatability (intraobserver agreement), the new Skin Color Chart® showed very good statistical validation on complexion and sunspot color. The agreement between dermatologists, the reproducibility criterion, although not as good remained high. An example of the evaluation of the efficacy of a whitening product is given in order to illustrate the ‘sensitivity’ of this new device to evaluate very weak color variations. The new Skin Color Chart® appears to be very useful and easy to use even by clinicians without training in color evaluation.

1. N°FP2011-01460
J. De Rigal, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
M.-L. Abella, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
F. Giron, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
M.-A. Lefebvre, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
F. Ghiglione, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
F. Christiaens, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
F. Flament, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
R. Bazin, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
B. Piot, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
L. Caisey, L’Oréal Research & Innovation, Chevilly-Larue, France
DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A
SKIN COLOR CHART®

2. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
Age-induced skin color variations are of
great importance and prompt increasing
demand for cosmetic products to improve
the appearance.
The evaluation by clinicians or estheticians
of skincare products efficacy in this
respect is particularly difficult and requires
the help of color charts.

3. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
To standardize such
evaluation, we have developed a
new
Skin Color Chart®.

4. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
Image acquisition: Chromasphere
A diffuse illumination system
Where volunteers can enter his/her head
Equipped with color-calibrated cameras
Spectra acquisition: Spectrascan PR 650
Protocol
• Volunteers: 1000+ Asian, Caucasian and
half-caste, and African descent women.
• Anatomical zone: forehead.

5. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
Representation of the two dimensional colorimetric
space of Skin Color Chart
Dark blue dots represent true measured skin colors and red dots represent chart computed color.
L*=3
h* = 4

6. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
The 2D-scoring system
Identifies the color of each chart.
A number indicates the clarity level (1–12) from dark to fair.
A letter refers to the hue (A–F) from ‘red’ to ‘yellow’: the red/yellow
balance.
This 2D-scoring system refers each chart color to colorimetric
values.
Colorimetric distances are small but easily detectable by a normal
human eye, not trained in color evaluation.

7. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
Validation
Comparison of
skin spectra
and color
charts spectra
Repeatability
(clinicians)
Reproducibility
(clinicians)
Sensitivity
(clinician)

8. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
Agreement between target skin color and corresponding color chart
Acceptability of chart color for chart C3 (e. g.).
Two chart colors are compared with the target
spectrum.
Although they have the same L* a* b*
values, one was accepted and the other was
not.
In addition:
•Even under moderate light level,
•Or under three different illuminants,
The color of each chart remained
identical: no perceptible difference.
Optical validation:
OK

9. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
Very good intra-observer agreement for
skin complexion and sunspots
30
Caucasian
women
3 times
1 clinician
Same 44
women
Clinician #2
2 months
later
44 Asian
women
2 clinical
centers
2 clinicians

10. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
Protocol:
44 Asian women
3 clinicians
Results:
Skin: 0.3 – 0.84
Sunspot color:
0.2 – 0.56
Conclusion:
Good to
moderate
reproducibility
Not as important
as repeatability

11. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
Protocol:
* 40 Caucasian women
(45-65 y.o.)
* Sunspots on hands
* Clinical evaluation
Results:
Red/yellow balance
unchanged
Clarity of sunspots
increased
Conclusion:
Very weak color variations
(lower than between
consecutive color charts)
are detected
Main parameters evaluated:
•Red/yellow balance
•Clarity (lightness/darkness)
just larger
than the
sensitivity of
a normal non-
trained
human eye

12. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®

13. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SKIN COLOR CHART ®
The Skin Color Chart®
appears to be very
useful and easy to use
by clinicians even
without training in color
evaluation.