Measuring Skin Adaptability to Climate Change with the W&HS Patented Simulator
Temperature and humidity are more than environmental variables: they can significantly influence skin health and cosmetic product performance.
The skin is continuously exposed to changes in its surroundings. Variations in temperature, humidity, ultraviolet radiation and air pollution can affect skin barrier function, hydration, microbiota and inflammatory responses. These factors may also influence skin appearance, comfort and the way cosmetic formulations interact with the skin.
High temperatures can increase sweat and sebum production, potentially contributing to clogged pores and acne. Conversely, low temperatures may reduce skin hydration and compromise the skin barrier, resulting in dryness and irritation. Humidity also plays an important role: while high humidity can help maintain skin moisture, low-humidity conditions may increase transepidermal water loss and skin susceptibility to irritation.
Understanding these responses is particularly relevant for cosmetic brands developing products intended to perform across different seasons, geographical regions and climatic conditions.
Why test skincare under different climatic conditions?
Traditional laboratory testing provides valuable insights into cosmetic product efficacy. However, products may behave differently when temperature and humidity change, and results obtained under ideal conditions may not fully reflect performance in everyday settings.
Climatic variables can influence not only skin hydration and barrier homeostasis, but also the permeation of active ingredients, the properties of formulations on the skin surface and the sensory experience of a product.
As interest in climate-adaptive skincare grows, evaluating cosmetic products under different climatic conditions can help generate a more comprehensive understanding of their performance and their ability to support skin function under varying levels of climatic stress.
Replicating these conditions in real life, however, can be time-consuming, resource-intensive and difficult to control consistently.
Introducing the W&HS – Weather & Humidity Simulator
To address these challenges, Complife has developed the W&HS (Weather & Humidity Simulator), a patented technology designed to evaluate cosmetic product performance under controlled climatic conditions.
The device enables skin exposure to different temperature and humidity settings, allowing studies to be conducted in a controlled laboratory environment without the need to reproduce each geographical climate in a separate location.
The W&HS enables:
- Temperature control from −10°C to +50°C, covering a broad range of climatic scenarios.
- Relative humidity control from 20% to 95%, allowing the simulation of both dry and humid conditions.
- Static and dynamic exposure settings, supporting the evaluation of skin responses under different testing conditions.
By combining controlled temperature and humidity parameters, the W&HS provides a flexible approach to investigating how skin responds to climatic variations and how cosmetic products perform under these conditions.
From skin hydration to barrier function: evaluating product performance
The W&HS supports the assessment of a product’s or ingredient’s ability to help maintain skin hydration, barrier function and overall homeostasis under different climatic stresses.
This approach can help investigate how skin moisturisation changes under different temperature and humidity combinations, as well as how cosmetic products support skin adaptability and resilience.
It also opens up opportunities to investigate product concepts linked to specific climatic needs, including moisturisation in cold and dry conditions, skin comfort in hot and humid climates, and the maintenance of skin barrier function across seasonal changes.
For cosmetic brands, these insights can contribute to a more comprehensive evaluation of product efficacy and support the development of skincare solutions designed for different consumer needs and climatic contexts.
Supporting the next generation of climate-adaptive skincare
As climatic conditions become an increasingly relevant consideration in skincare research, testing methodologies that account for temperature and humidity variations can provide valuable insights beyond conventional testing environments.
By bringing controlled climatic conditions into the laboratory, the W&HS helps investigate skin adaptability and cosmetic product performance in scenarios that more closely reflect real-life exposure.
At Complife Group, our clinical testing expertise supports cosmetic companies in evaluating product efficacy and generating scientific evidence to inform product development.
Are you developing skincare solutions designed for different climatic conditions?
Contact our experts to discover how Complife’s clinical testing services and the W&HS technology can support your next study.
CONTACT OUR EXPERTS
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The W&HS has been awarded the Testing & Analysis Award at COSMETIC 360 2026, recognising Complife Group’s patented technology for climate simulation in cosmetic testing.
