Degradation and migration of facial foundations.

The surface characteristics of a facial foundation on the skin affect not only photoprotection, but also aesthetic appearance. A 400x video microscope was used to study the movement of facial foundation on the face of 12 female subjects with oily, dry, and normal skin in a controlled environment over 8 hours. This evaluation revealed gradual degradation of the cosmetic film and accumulation of facial foundation pigment particles in the follicular ostia. This cosmetic migration decreases photoprotection and may explain the perifollicular nature of some cutaneous reactions to facial foundations.