Technique for analyzing the transfer of colored cosmetics onto face masks

Background With the rapid spread of COVID-19, the makeup trend in the cosmetics market is changing as mask-wearing has become a common practice. This study was conducted to establish an objective and reliable method for analyzing the transfer of colored cosmetics onto face masks. Methods A total of 24 women participated in this test. The participants were requested to wear Korean Filter 94 masks after having applied colored cosmetics on their faces and lips. VISIA-CR was used to photograph the face, and a camera was used to photograph the mask, which had smeared the cosmetics. Each image was analyzed using the Image-pro(R) 10 image analysis software. Results Immediately after applying the cosmetics, the intensity of the face decreased and the redness of the lips increased when compared with the results 30 minutes after washing the face. After wearing a mask, the intensity increased and the redness decreased when compared with immediately after applying the cosmetics. The area before and after the colored cosmetics smeared onto the mask was increased. Conclusion It is expected that this study could be used as a reference for further experiments on analysis of methods for preventing mask stains.