Efficacy and Safety of a Topical Botanical Extract Formulation for Skin Barrier Repair

November 4, 2026 updated by: L'Oreal

A Single-Center, Double-Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Prospective Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of a Botanical Extract in Skincare Formulations for Skin Barrier Repair on Healthy Volunteers

This is a single-center, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, prospective clinical study designed to evaluate the skin barrier repair efficacy and local tolerance of topical cosmetic formulations containing a botanical extract. Skin barrier challenge is induced via standardized tape stripping on the volar forearm of healthy subjects. The study will evaluate and compare the repair kinetics of two concentrations of the active formulation, a vehicle, and an untreated control zone over a 14-day application period.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Healthy female subjects will undergo a standardized skin barrier challenge (tape-stripping) on designated zones of their volar forearms at baseline. Formulations containing different concentrations of a botanical extract (Active Formulation A and Active Formulation B), a vehicle control, and an untreated control will be assigned to the randomized zones. Products will be applied topically twice daily for 14 days. Skin barrier repair efficacy will be assessed using clinical gradings and instrumental measurements, including Trans-Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) and skin hydration. Local tolerance will be evaluated via clinical grading. Non-invasive skin surface biomaterial collection may be performed at designated time points for skin proteomics and lipidomics analysis.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
35

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
      • Shanghai, China
        • L'OREAL

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

35 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Chinese women aged 35 to 60 years in good general health.
  2. Self-reported dry skin type.
  3. a hydration index < 35 and a trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) ≥ 6g.m-2.h-1 on both anterior sides of the forearms at screening.
  4. Willingness to avoid excessive sun exposure and comply with all study procedures including tape stripping and biosampling.
  5. Bilateral forearms clear of scars, wounds, or significant pigment spots.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Current pregnancy, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant.
  2. Current smokers or history of smoking within the last 6 months (including e-cigarettes/nicotine products).
  3. History of facial cosmetic procedures (fillers, lasers, implants, Botox, etc.).
  4. Active systemic or localized skin diseases (acne, eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis).
  5. Allergies to cosmetics, personal care products, or their ingredients.
  6. Excessive UV exposure or frequent sauna/water sports usage.
  7. Use of antihistamines, antibiotics, corticosteroids, or NSAIDs within the relevant washout periods.
  8. Participation in any other clinical trial within the past 30 days.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Active Formulation A

Zones applying 0.24% active formulation
Other: Cosmetic Topical Product A

Topical skincare formulation containing Botanical Extract (Concentration A). Applied twice daily for 14 days.
Experimental: Active Formulation B

Zones applying 0.05% active formulation
Other: Cosmetic Topical Product B

Topical skincare formulation containing Botanical Extract (Concentration B). Applied twice daily for 14 days.
Placebo Comparator: Vehicle Control

Zones applying the formulation base without active extract
Other: Vehicle

Topical formulation base (identical to investigational products but without the active botanical extract). Applied twice daily for 14 days.
No Intervention: Untreated Zone

Control Zone on the forearm with no product application: Tape stripped zone left untreated to monitor natural physiological repairing kinetics

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Clinical Scoring (Erythema, Dryness, Desquamation, Roughness, Edema, PIH)
Time Frame: Baseline, Tafter (immediately after tape stripping), T3h (3 hours after 1st product application), Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14

Dermatological grading of erythema, dryness, roughness, edema, desquamation and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation using standard clinical scales
Baseline, Tafter (immediately after tape stripping), T3h (3 hours after 1st product application), Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14
Hydration
Time Frame: Baseline, Tafter (right after tape stripping), Timm (immediately after 1st product application), T1h(1 hour after 1st product application), T3h(3 hours after 1st product application), Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14

Hydration index measured using Corneometer
Baseline, Tafter (right after tape stripping), Timm (immediately after 1st product application), T1h(1 hour after 1st product application), T3h(3 hours after 1st product application), Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14
TEWL
Time Frame: Baseline, post-stripping (Tafter), immediately post-first application (Timm), 1 hour post-first application (T1h), 3 hours post-first application (T3h), Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14.

Trans-epidermal water loss using Vapometer
Baseline, post-stripping (Tafter), immediately post-first application (Timm), 1 hour post-first application (T1h), 3 hours post-first application (T3h), Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Skin Structural Changes
Time Frame: Baseline, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14

Non-invasive evaluation of epidermis and dermis thickness/density using high-frequency ultrasound
Baseline, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14
Epidermal Proteomic and Lipidomic Profile
Time Frame: Baseline, Day 7

Characterization of stratum corneum biomarkers obtained via non-invasive tape-stripping samplings.
Baseline, Day 7

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
L'Oreal

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 13, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 3, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 25, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 9, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • ACR_EV_25-11289

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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