May 2, 2024

Skin Sensation Science Unmasked: Why Do Faces Feel “Tight” After Being Washed?

Secret Findings and Implications
Their neural stimulation model even more strengthened this connection. Forecasts from the design relating to SAI neuron firing rates in complete thickness skin were in line with feedback about “tightness” from surveys of 2,000 women in France and 720 women in China.
According to the authors, this research study offers a thorough framework to fathom the biomechanical neural activation mechanism that drives the subjective experiences of topical skin treatments.
For more on this research, see Sensational Science: Why Our Skin Feels “Tight” After Using a Facial Cleanser.
Reference: “Sensory neuron activation from topical treatments modulates the sensorial perception of human skin” by Ross Bennett-Kennett, Joseph Pace, Barbara Lynch, Yegor Domanov, Gustavo S Luengo, Anne Potter and Reinhold H Dauskardt, 26 September 2023, PNAS Nexus.DOI: 10.1093/ pnasnexus/pgad292.

Scientists from Stanford University explored the systems behind sensations like “tightness” from cleansers and “softness” from moisturizers. Their findings, which associate neural activity with user feedback from thousands of women, provide a clear framework to understand the biomechanical neural processes behind the experiences of skin treatments.
New research unwinds the science behind skin sensations from cleansers and moisturizers. By studying skin layers, neural pathways, and user feedback, researchers provide a thorough understanding of the biomechanical processes that cause these subjective experiences.
Many have actually experienced the feeling of “tightness” from certain cleansers and “softness” from moisturizers. Reinhold H. Dauskardt, the Ruth G. and William K. Bowes Professor in Stanfords Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and his group looked for to uncover the science behind these feelings. They employed in-vitro biomechanical screening, computational neural stimulation modeling, and gathered self-assessments from countless individuals to reveal the complexities.
Understanding the Neural Pathways
When a topical treatment is used, it customizes specific skin layers. Elements initiating such neural actions consist of the contracting effect of drying cleansers on the stratum corneum, the outer skin layer.

They utilized in-vitro biomechanical testing, computational neural stimulation modeling, and collected self-assessments from thousands of individuals to reveal the intricacies.
Aspects prompting such neural responses consist of the contracting impact of drying cleansers on the stratum corneum, the outermost skin layer. Their neural stimulation model further solidified this connection.