76 JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE THE GRAPHISENSES METHODOLOGY: IDENTIFYING SKIN CARE OPPORTUNITIES FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE* Myriam Delvaux, Ingrid Vervier and Isabelie Van Reeth Dow Coming Europe, Brussels, Belgium * This paper is being presented by Douglas King on behalf of Dow Corning Europe. A technique called GraphiSenses helps marketers and formulators analyze skin care trends and product aesthetics, then focus on specific silicones to meet market needs. By evaluating the print advertising of leading skin care products, this method can help formulators define and classify some of the highly subjective trends and product characteristics that motivate consumers. The purpose of GraphiSenses is to apply a technical approach to sensory descriptions that are highly subjective. This technique allows skin care marketers to translate subjective trends into technical words and models that formulatots can use in the product development process. The GraphiSenses method comprises three steps: !. Analyze 2. Formulate 3. Validate Skin Care Trend Analysis More than 200 skin care print advertisements in Europe and North America served as a foundation for the basic GraphiSenses design and format. These advertisements were presented to skin care industry experts, who were asked to give flash responses, and repeated key words in their responses were recorded. Based on the key words, and to simplify consumer needs, the market was segmented based on two axes that define four sensory dimensions: ß Light, airy and transparent ß Sophisticated, technical and scientific ß Rich, creamy and nourishing ß Natural, fresh and water-like Individual products matching the profiles of each of the segments were then "mapped" graphically, and key commercial products were chosen as most representative of each quadrant. Figure ! illustrates the two axes and the resulting four quadrants. Areas outlined within each quadrant correspond to clusters of mapped products, and the shaded areas illustrate the four key commercial products. Sense - Texture light, airy and transparent Fresh .................. Tender Wave : 0 " . Delight Sophistication fresh, water-like technical and scientific Velvet Sense +Texture Radiant Peace rich, creamy and nourishing Beauty Figure !. Two axes define four sensory dimension quadrants The Next Step: Formulating Based on the characteristics of these key commercial products, Dow Coming developed four prototype skin care products using silicones and a range of currently popular cosmetic raw materials. The prototype products were designed to match consumer expectations within each of the four quadrants. Using natural plant essences, fragrances were created by MANE of France specifically to complement the prototype product positioning.

2001 ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING 77 The four prototypes include: ß Fresh Wave, a cooling and silky cream with the feel of a hydrogel. It has a fresh and natural flagrance. ß Tender Delight, a light, silky, vitamin-enriched cream with a lively, playful fragrance. ß Radiant Beauty, a firm, nourishing and protective cream with an estimated SPF of 8 to 10. It has a comforting, warm fragrance. ß Velvet Peace, an filtra-rich cream with natural ingredients and a voluptuous, sensual fragrance. Figure 1 also indicates these four prototypes in their respective quadrants. The four quadrants essentially translate consumer requirements into objectives for the formulating chemist. For example, if a marketer's objective is to produce a skin cream that is light, airy and transparent, chemists now have a well-defined starting point for applying their technical expertise in the laboratory. In addition, a prototype cream can serve as a reference point for their formulating objectives. Taking the method a step further, based on the substantiated benefits of specific silicones, it is also possible to correlate individual silicone materials with the characteristics of each subjective quadrant. Once product developers choose the marketing position for a new product, Dow Coroing scientists can identify specialty silicones whose properties deliver the appropriate aesthetics and functions associated with that particular quadrant. In short, using the GraphiSenses method, it is possible to help formulators employ the versatility of silicone materials to meet any market trend they choose. Validation Through Sensory Testing To confirm the ideal group of properties that define each quadrant, researchers also evaluated the prototype products by objective sensory profile analysis. Four basic characteristics (as defined by several related properties) were investigated by the sensory testing: ß Visual appearance of the formulation in the jar (gloss, lightness, transparency and water-like appearance) ß Feel of the cream in the jar (firmness, slipperiness, peaking and stickiness) ß Skin feel during absorption (ease of spreading, cooling effect, absorbency, thickness, rich fee and wetness) ß Skin feel after absorption (gloss, silkiness, slipperiness, film residue, rich feel and stickiness) Observations were plotted on sensory profile graphs, and it was confirmed that the profile of each cream corresponds with its respective quadrant. Figure 2 illustrates sensory results based on visual appearance of the formulation in the jar. For example, notice that Fresh Wave exhibits greater gloss, lightness, transparency and water-like characteristics than the other three creams. Similar sensory graphs were prepared based on data collected for the three other basic characteristics. Results again correlate with the subjective properties related to the various quadrants. These data demonstrate that it is possible not only to design new products that respond to trends identified by the mapping technique--but whose aesthetic properties are consistent with the measurements obtained through objective sensory profile analysis. Gloss ........... /** !i ........... ....... ., PI '-,•. ...... Lightness ..... /. . / .. : x . ß ' ..... Water like ........ ß '"- *J ........ - ............... A Fresh Wave B Tender Delight C Radiant Beauty ........ D Velvet Peace Transparency Figure 2. Sensory profile for visual appearance of the four prototype creams. The GraphiSenses technique brings together the very different expertise of scientists and marketers in a complementary and synergistic way. Most important, GraphiSenses allows formulators to screen the very extensive and versatile family of silicones to focus on specific matedhals that meet defined consumer needs. Also, because this method is based on objective measurements and a combination of subjective and emotional perceptions, product developers can use GraphiSenses beyond the formulating process. The method can also serve as a resource for the overall creative approach to a new product. Various aspects of development such as product naming, fragrance selection, package design and advertising strategy can all be linked back to properties initially defined in the four sensory dimensions.