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J. Cosmet. Sci., 75.5, 353–361 (September/October 2024)
*Address all correspondence to L. Misery, laurent.misery@chu-brest.fr
The Use of Sensitive Skin Panels to Substantiate
Cosmetic Claims
L. MISERY
Laboratory Interactions Epitheliums-Neurons (LINK), University of Western Brittany, Brest, France
Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of Brest, Brest, France
Accepted for publication on November 12, 2024.
Synopsis
Sensitive skin is defined by the occurrence of unpleasant sensations (stinging, burning, pain, pruritus, and
tingling sensations) in response to stimuli that normally should not provoke such sensations. These unpleasant
sensations cannot be explained by lesions attributable to any skin disease. The skin can appear normal or be
accompanied by erythema. Hence, sensitive skin panels are usually based on questionnaires. Other tests can
be used, especially stinging test and capsaicin tests, but they are too restrictive.
INTRODUCTION
Sensitive skin is consensually recognized as “a syndrome defined by the occurrence of
unpleasant sensations (stinging, burning, pain, pruritus, and tingling sensations) in
response to stimuli that normally should not provoke such sensations. These unpleasant
sensations cannot be explained by lesions attributable to any skin disease. The skin can
appear normal or be accompanied by erythema. Sensitive skin can affect all body locations,
especially the face”.1 Hence, sensitive skin is a primary disorder (with many etiologies), and
there is no “secondary sensitive skin.” The occurrence of sensory symptoms in patients with
atopic dermatitis of any other skin disease is a manifestation of this skin disease itself, but
this is not sensitive skin.
The same expert group published a second position paper on the pathophysiology and
management of sensitive skin.2 A multifactorial origin was suggested after discussion
of many putative mechanisms. However, it was concluded that sensitive skin is not an
immunological disorder but rather a condition related to alterations in the skin’s nervous
system. Additionally, skin barrier abnormalities are often associated with it, though no
direct relationship has been established. Growing evidence suggests that sensitive skin is a
neuropathic disorder.3
Consequently, co-cultures of skin/epidermis/keratinocytes and sensory neurons could
be adequate models for in vitro studies of sensitive skin4 while other models are rather