BEIJING, CHINA (October 17, 2016) – Pinetree Care Group and Nestlé Skin Health’s SHIELD network (Skin Health Investigation, Education, Longevity Development)  today announced a new collaboration to evaluate an in-home skin care regimen for older adults in China. The initial pilot study will look at the effectiveness of the Cetaphil RestoraDerm® skin care regimen in reducing extreme skin dryness and itching among older adults. 

Extreme dryness and itching – xerosis and pruritus – are two of the most common skin conditions among older adults. In addition to causing discomfort, they can signal that the skin’s ability to protect the body from harmful elements has been compromised. Left untreated, the two conditions can leave older adults vulnerable to infection, pain, emotional distress, and further skin damage, all of which can result in hospitalization. The study organizers believe that the Cetaphil RestoraDerm® skin care regimen will be an accessible and easy to use skin care solution for older adults and their caregivers, whether in the home setting or in a care facility. The study will leverage Pinetree’s existing network of home care customers to identify and enroll sixty adults age 60 and older who live in Beijing to participate in the study. 

“We are committed to advancing skin health and positively impacting people’s lives. Protecting and maintaining the health of our skin is important throughout our lives, and this imperative becomes particularly apparent as we live longer” explained Dr. Johannes J. Baensch, Chief Scientific Officer of Nestlé Skin Health. “Through this exciting collaboration with China’s first and largest home care provider, SHIELD is able to carry out important research that can benefit China’s rapidly growing older population” continued Didier Leclercq, Managing Director of the Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD.

“We are thrilled to partner with Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD, a global leader in innovation for skin health, on this exciting study,” said Ninie Wang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pinetree Care Group. “We anticipate that the results of the study will represent a significant contribution towards improving health and quality of life for older adults throughout China, whether they are caring for themselves at home, are cared for at home by a family or professional caregiver or live in a care facility.”

With 222 million adults over age 60, China is faced with the challenge of helping older adults stay healthy for longer and providing care for the growing number of adults who need it. Improving the health of their skin through a proven care regimen can be an important contribution to these efforts. Upon completion of the initial pilot, Pinetree Care Group and Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD will expand the study to additional cities, and to include special population groups such as Alzheimer’s Disease patients. Following the completion of the full study, Pinetree Care Group and Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD will present the results at several major international conferences, including the 2017 World Congress of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

About Pinetree Care Group

Pinetree is China’s largest provider of restorative home healthcare services aimed at improving people’s quality of life through enabling physical, mental and social function health of the aging population. With its multi-platform telecare services, in-home care visits and continuous transition care with top medical institutions, Pinetree has created a new model of care centered around each individual and supported by a network of various stakeholders.

About Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD

Nestlé Skin Health’s mission is to enhance quality of life by delivering science-based solutions for the health of skin, hair and nails. Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD (Skin Health Investigation, Education and Longevity Development) is a global network for innovation and education that gathers today’s most creative and visionary thinkers from diverse disciplines to generate, develop and incubate ideas to advance skin health and wellbeing. Ideas generated from SHIELD may result in new technologies, treatments, publications, white papers, educational approaches, or public policy briefing documents.