No Improvement in Hand Skin Quality by Coenzyme Q10 Topical Formulation among Young and Old Healthy Female Volunteers

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 0.085% coenzyme Q10 topical formulation (Q10-TF) in the improvement of hand skin quality among young and old healthy Chinese female volunteers. Methods: 102 healthy female undergraduates and 70 healthy female elderly were recruited in this double-blind, randomized and placebocontrolled trial. In Day 0, 14 & 28, subjects were assessed with transpidermal water loss (TEWL) measurement, and questionnaire with self-rated scores in hand skin’s appearance, intactness, moisture, sensation, scaliness and wrinkles. After exclusion of subjects with hypersensitivity and non-compliance to interventions assigned, 71 female undergraduates and 68 female elderly were available for data analysis. Results and Discussion: Compared with placebo, Q10-TF offered no additional advantages in skin barrier function in terms of TEWL measurements, and all subjective evaluations of hand skin quality via questionnaire survey, over a period of 28 days. Vehicle-effect was pronounced among both younger and older subjects, particularly in self-rated scores in intactness, moisture, and wrinkles. Conclusion: A topical formulation containing coenzyme Q10 at the level of 0.085% was found to be ineffective in enhancing skin barrier function, in terms of TEWL values, and ineffective in improving subjective feelings in appearance, intactness, moisture, sensation, scaliness and wrinkles, compared with its control vehicle.