Abstract: The invention relates to a method of measuring the elasticity and firmness of skin. The invention also relates to methods of measuring improvements in a person's skin health by measuring firmness and elasticity before, during and after a cosmetic treatment. The invention further relates to methods of measuring the improvement in a person's skin firmness and elasticity that a cosmetic agent may cause when applied on the skin.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a person's skin imperfections uses a digital color image-taking device to take at least one digital image of an area of skin including at least one imperfection to be characterized. An apparatus for characterizing the imperfections of the skin and a method for measuring the effectiveness of a treatment for skin imperfections use an active cosmetic, dermatological or pharmaceutical agent and further measure the effectiveness of a staining method aiming to attenuate or mask skin imperfections.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cosmetic composition, which comprises a combination of at least two osmolytes chosen from the group comprising taurine or a derivative thereof, inositol, betaine and trehalose. This composition is intended for restoring, maintaining or reinforcing the moisturization of the skin and/or for protecting it against different types of stress and/or for preventing or retarding the appearance of the signs of aging of the skin, or for attenuating the effects thereof, or alternatively for promoting cell or tissue longevity.

Abstract: A method involving filters of an extracted plane from a digital image of an area of skin to obtain a first ripple image and a second roughness image, from which appropriate computation devices are used to calculate different types of gray levels to characterize a pigment spot, notably with regard to the uniformity or disparity of the spot. A method measures the effectiveness of a cutaneous pigment spot treatment by an active pigmenting or depigmenting agent.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for characterizing the imperfections of the skin. The apparatus comprises: a) a digital camera allowing the taking of at least one digital image of at least one determined skin zone, the said image being defined by a multiplicity of pixels, that is transmitted to a digital image processing device; b) means of splitting the digital image into three color planes: red, green, blue, termed R, G, B, with the aid of the said image processing device; c) means of extracting a single of these planes; d) means of calculating at least one of the following parameters on the basis of this plane: the mean grey level of the image; the surface area of the imperfections of the skin of the said image, some of which are related to aging, such as wrinkles, lines, spots, dark circles, pigmentary imperfections, slackening or loosening zones; the variance of the grey levels over the set of pixels of the image as parameter representative of the homogeneity of the skin.

Abstract: A method involving filters of an extracted plane from a digital image of an area of skin to obtain a first ripple image and a second roughness image, from which appropriate computation devices are used to calculate different types of gray levels to characterize a pigment spot, notably with regard to the uniformity or disparity of the spot. A method measures the effectiveness of a cutaneous pigment spot treatment by an active pigmenting or depigmenting agent.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a person's skin imperfections uses a digital color image-taking device to take at least one digital image of an area of skin including at least one imperfection to be characterized. An apparatus for characterizing the imperfections of the skin and a method for measuring the effectiveness of a treatment for skin imperfections use an active cosmetic, dermatological or pharmaceutical agent and further measure the effectiveness of a staining method aiming to attenuate or mask skin imperfections.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cosmetic composition, which comprises a combination of at least two osmolytes chosen from the group comprising taurine or a derivative thereof, inositol, betaine and trehalose. This composition is intended for restoring, maintaining or reinforcing the moisturization of the skin and/or for protecting it against different types of stress and/or for preventing or retarding the appearance of the signs of aging of the skin, or for attenuating the effects thereof, or alternatively for promoting cell or tissue longevity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for characterizing the imperfections of the skin. The apparatus comprises: a) a digital camera allowing the taking of at least one digital image of at least one determined skin zone, the said image being defined by a multiplicity of pixels, that is transmitted to a digital image processing device; b) means of splitting the digital image into three colour planes: red, green, blue, termed R, G, B, with the aid of the said image processing device; c) means of extracting a single of these planes; d) means of calculating at least one of the following parameters on the basis of this plane: the mean grey level of the image; the surface area of the imperfections of the skin of the said image, some of which are related to aging, such as wrinkles, lines, spots, dark circles, pigmentary imperfections, slackening or loosening zones; the variance of the grey levels over the set of pixels of the image as parameter representative of the homogeneity of the skin.