Relationship Between Tactile Sensation and Friction Signals in Cosmetic Foundation

A tribometer was developed to simulate friction phenomena occurring when human fingers are rubbed together in order to acquire the tactile sensation of applying cosmetic foundation. The tribometer utilizes silicone–rubber surfaces with compliance comparable to that of human fingerpads; these surfaces are lubricated by 10 types of samples simulating cosmetic foundation. To characterize the samples, seven types of feature quantities are introduced from friction signals acquired in three types of sliding tests. The relationship between feature quantities and tactile sensation was investigated using a multiple regression analysis; resulting equations show some level of agreement with the score of a sensory assessment vis-à-vis five types of tactile sensation. The results indicate that static and kinetic frictions are not always dominant factors in determining the comfort of tactile sensation in applying cosmetic foundation.