Split-face placebo-controlled homogenized study of cream with the 2% silver fir (Abies alba) branch extract on skin.
The main purpose of publishing the results from this study is to show the effect that Belinal® extract has on the skin, especially its anti-ageing effects.
We use the same amount of Belinal® (2%) as the cream used in the study.
It is therefore safe to assume that NOAGE® products are at least that effective.
Download the full study in PDF format:
PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY IN DETAIL
The study is written in the Slovenian language. We are working hard to translate it into English as soon as possible. If you register for our newsletter, you will be notified as soon as it is available.
English version of Study Report:
ABSTRACT
Water extract of the Silver fir (Abies alba) Belinal®, is a rich source of natural polyphenols, with a content of approximately 70%, and is used in dietary supplements.
Since there was no data on the impact of this fir wood extract on the skin, the aim of the paper was to identify its effects on skin when used topically. For this purpose, ten volunteers aged between 45 and 65 used the test cream twice a day for 12 consecutive weeks.
The test cream contained 2% of the Silver fir water extract (Belinal®) and was applied to one half of the face and the gluteal part.
The placebo cream was then applied to the other half of the face, including the gluteal part. The test subjects’ faces and body skin were cared for as usual. The subjects were only required to stop using the various caring products (such as creams, lotions and serums) on the test spots. The study evaluated the condition of the skin using measurements and grading procedures, all of which were conducted before the cream was applied, and they also used the same procedures for 6 and 12 weeks after the cream was applied.
By measuring the moisture of the skin, the TEWL, the density of the dermis and the retraction of the skin, the study was able to confirm that these parameters improve by using the test cream.
The test cream also contributed to an increase in the minimal erythema dose (resistance to UV radiation).
Moreover, the rejuvenating effects were also identified when using the cream since both the volume and surface of the wrinkles decreased while the smoothness of the skin microrelief improved.
Equipment used in study:
Cortex DermaLab Combo SkinLab
Cortex Technology ApS, Smedevaenget 10, 9560 Hadsund, Denmark;
Probe for ultrasound (20 MHz, thickness and intensity of dermis) (C08101.05-178),
Elasticity probe (C05900.01-130),
TEWL measurement probe (C04002.06-945),
Humidity measurement probe (C06102.03-266),
Color/redness/pigmentation probe (CIE L*a*b*) (C09101.04-150).
VisioFace Quick (VFQ), round shaped model
Courage & Khazaka electronic GmbH, Mathias Brüggen-Str. 91, 50829 Cologne, Germany (for photoanalysis).
Dr. Hoenle Dermalight 80 MED-Tester
Dr. Hoenle, Germany (to determine the minimum erythema dose - UV rays).
Ultrasound pictures explained
Lighter colors are areas with strong reflexes and reflect solid structures: collagen and elastin
Darker colors represent areas in the skin with a low reflection. These are primarily homogeneous structures like fat, water and blood.
Points of Measurements
Belinal® Placebo
The scope of cream: the right half of the face: test side (cream with Belinal®) and the left half of the face: placebo side (placebo cream).
Placebo Belinal®
Scope of cream: the right half of the gluteal part: test side (cream with Belinal®) and the left half of the gluteal part: placebo side (placebo cream).
Important note:
The results are indicative for 2% Belinal® test cream, not necessarily for NOAGE products.
However, all our products contain 2% Belinal® and a lot more than the test cream, which was deliberately formulated to have as little impact on the skin as possible.
37% reduction in wrinkles size
-37%
Belinal®
-5%
Placebo
34% reduction in wrinkles depth
-34%
Belinal®
-0,8%
Placebo
20,5% decrease in TEWL*
*Trans epidermal water loss
-20,5%
Belinal®
2%
Placebo
26,2% increase in skin moisture
26,2%
Belinal®
7,4%
Placebo
VISIBLE CHANGES ON TEST SUBJECTS AFTER 12 WEEK STUDY.
Important notice:
These photographs have not been altered in any way. These are original photographs made using professional equipment (VisioFace Quick). Here you can see the profiles of two test subjects, no. 01 and no. 10.
Volunteer No. 01 Profile
Volunteer No.01; after 12 week.
Volunteer no. 01 is 55 years old. She is a phototype II and has marked hyper-pigmentations in the lateral periorbital part of her face. The skin's elasticity is poor and individual telangiectasia are noticeable. She is in the menopause, has had no surgery, and no stress is present. She takes no medicines. She did not smoke, but she smoked 20 years ago. She is exposed to the sun seasonally. She has an allergy to decorative cosmetics - eyeshadows and nickel. She has problems with hyper-pigmentations that have been present since the age of 14 and are due to taking the contraceptive pill. There are no detected skin diseases.
Volunteer no. 01 had periorbital wrinkles before using the test cream (Fig. a). Under her eyes, she had two more pronounced losses, which were shorter and less in-depth after the use of the test cream. The in-depth wrinkles are at the 4th level according to the L'Oréal visual scale.
After six weeks (Fig. b), surface lines and dynamic mimic wrinkles were markedly improved. After six weeks of use of the test cream, the wrinkles are at the 3rd level according to the L'Oréal visual scale.
At the last measurement period (Fig. c), both losses became less pronounced and less deep, while the length of the wrinkles became smaller. According to the L'Oréal's visual scale, they are categorized as level 2.
Belinal®
Volunteer No.01; right side of the face, treated with Belinal®
Fig. a) begining of study, Fig. b).after 6 weeks, Fig. c) after 12 weeks
Placebo
Volunteer no. 01; left side of the face, treated with placebo
Fig. d) beginning of study, Fig. e).after 6 weeks, Fig. f) after 12 weeks
Volunteer No. 01 had expressed periorbital wrinkles (Fig. d), which, according to their depth, were at level 3 following the L'Oréal visual scale.
After six weeks (Fig. e) there was a worsening of the wrinkle condition, which is a result of the volunteer’s exposure to the sun during the time of the measurements. After six weeks of placebo use, the wrinkles are categorized at L'Oréal's 3rd level.
After 12 weeks of use of placebo cream (Fig. f), there is no apparent improvement since the length of the wrinkles remained the same.
Volunteer No. 01 ultrasound pictures
Belinal®
Volunteer no. 01; right side of the face, treated with Belinal®
Placebo
Volunteer no. 01; left side of the face, treated with placebo
VOLUNTEER No.10 PROFILE
Volunteer No.10; after 12 weeks.
Volunteer No.10 is 49 years old. She is a phototype II. She has pronounced rosacea in the central part of the face with telangiectasia. A lack of skin elasticity with extremely poor skin smoothness and pronounced microrelief is noticeable. Wrinkles in the lateral periorbital part of the eye (Crow's feet) are quite visible. She is healthy and at the beginning of the menopause. There are no allergies, no stress present and has normal blood pressure. She has been a smoker for 35 years. She smokes 10, sometimes more cigarettes a day. She is exposed to the sun seasonally. She does not take nutritional supplements, nor takes any medications.
Volunteer No.10 had three pronounced wrinkles on the lateral periorbital part of the eye (Crow's feet), which are at level 3 in the L'Oréal visual scale before using the test cream (Fig. a). Noticeable skin smoothness and pronounced microrelief is noticeable.
After six weeks (Fig. b), the wrinkle condition had already improved, and the wrinkles have become less pronounced and less profound. Also, the skin also became more uniform. After six weeks of use of the test cream, the wrinkles are at the 3rd level according to the L'Oréal visual scale.
At the last measurement term (Fig. c), the wrinkle condition was significantly improved, as they had become less pronounced, shorter and less deep, and in some areas almost no longer visible. After twelve weeks, the wrinkles were at the 1st level according to L'Oréal visual scale.
Belinal®
Volunteer No10; right side of the face, treated with Belinal.
Fig. a) beginning of study, Fig. b) after 6 weeks, Fig. c) after 12 weeks.
Placebo
Volunteer No.10; left side of the face, treated with placebo.
Fig. d) beginning of study, Fig. e) after 6 weeks, Fig. f) after 12 weeks.
Before she used a placebo cream, Volunteer No.10 had (Fig. d) three distinct wrinkles on the lateral periorbital part of the eye (Crow's feet), which are at level 4 on the L'Oréal visual scale.
After six weeks (Fig. e) there was no improvement in the condition of the wrinkles, which is also evident from the photograph, so they remained at the 4th level according to the L'Oréal visual scale.
At the last measurement term (Fig. f), the condition of one of the wrinkles became worse, as it had become more profound and deeper. After twelve weeks, they still remained at the 4th level of the L'Oréal's visual scale.
VOLUNTEER No.10 ULTRASOUND PICTURES
Belinal®
Volunteer No.10; right side of the face, treated with Belinal®
Placebo
Volunteer No.10; left side of the face, treated with placebo
HYPERPIGMENTATION
Only two volunteers had expressive hyper-pigmentations, and this part of the study is descriptive because of the small sample size.
Volunteer No.01 had marked hyper-pigmentations in the lateral periorbital part of the face, which occurred when taking the contraceptive pill.
Volunteer No.03 had marked age-related hyperpigmentations (solar lentigo) in the lateral periorbital facial region.
Volunteer No.03 hyperpigmentation changes
Condition of hyperpigmentation in a Volunteer No.03:
(a) before use of the test cream; and (b) after 12 weeks of use of the test cream.
After twelve weeks of treatment, we can see that age-related hyperpigmentation in Volunteer No.03 had:
lightened by: -15%,
changed the color by: -64%,
significantly more on the test side than on the placebo side.
Volunteer No.01 hyperpigmentation changes
Hyperpigmentation state in Volunteer No.01:
Picture (a) shows the status before the start of use; and (b) after 12 weeks of use of the test cream; image (c) before the start; and (d) after 12 weeks of use of the placebo. The ends of the dashes indicate the points of comparison.
After twelve weeks of treatment, we can see that age-related hyperpigmentation in Volunteer No.03 had:
lightened by: -32%,
changed the color by: -36%,
significantly more on the test side than on the placebo side.
CONCLUSION
The study followed the condition of the skin with the measurements and evaluations performed before applying the cream and after six and twelve weeks of cream use.
Through measurements of the skin moisture, TEWL, dermis density and skin retraction, the study confirmed that these parameters were significantly improved when using the test cream, as the results were statistically significant.
After 12 weeks, the skin moisture had improved by 26%, the TEWL was significantly reduced (20%) and the dermis density improved by 17% as a result of improving the state of structural proteins such as collagen and elastin.
After using the test cream, the skin retraction improved. This was because the rate at which the skin returned to its original condition after vacuum traction application had improved by as much as 43%.
The test cream influenced the increase in the minimum erythema dose, which increased by 8.6%, a statistically significant result compared to the placebo. The topical application of the test cream can, therefore, contribute to the UV protection of the skin.