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natural ingredients, Policosanol

Policosanol: Potential Adjunct in Anti-Acne formulations

Deepa Sinha

Policosanol is a mixture of higher aliphatic alcohols extracted from plants such as sugarcane(saccharum officinarum) or yams or from beeswax. It is produced, promoted and researched extensively in Cuba. The extract appears as off white to yellow powder

Policosanol
Policosanol

Policosanol Chemical Composition –

The highest percentage of alcohol present in policosanol is 1-octacosanol, 1-dotriacontanol, 1-tetracosanol, 1-tetratria-contanol, 1-hexacosanol, 1-heptacosanol and 1-nonacosanol.

Policosanol : Cosmeceutical application

  • Topical application controls sebum level of skin and scalp.
  • Natural anti microbial ingredient in anti acne formulations
  • Increases blood circulation of skin and liven up the blood cell
  • Effective in some skin diseases and inflammations like eczema,acne,skin allergy etc.
  • Promotes hydration and softening of skin
  • New patented solvent free extraction process has low environment impact.

Policosanol: How it is effective in controlling acne?

  • When excessive secretion of sebum by sebaceous glands , alteration in sebaceous ducts occurs leading to their blockage.
  • Further encourages proliferation and accumulation of bacterium propionibacterium acnes.
  • Human sebaceous gland can synthesize cholestrol from acetate and metabolize to steroids into potent androgens. Acne is known to be an androgenic skin disorders. There for agents that beneficially effects cholestrol metabolism may have a potential role in management of acne.
  • Policosanol is found to inhibit cholestrol biosynthesis and favorably influence sebum level in the skin.

Plicosanol: Formulation and preparation

Policosanol is recommended for oily skin as it provides all the sebum control benefit. The O/W and W/O formulations for oily skin and acne prone skin.

It is oil soluble at raised temperature, so it must be added in the oil phase of the emulsion. It contains mixture of higher fatty alcohols, so it has a high melting point and may increase viscosity of O/W preparation specially lotions.

Formula with Policosanol as an active ingredient

Phase A

  1. Decyl Oleate)-5.7%
  2. Ethylhexyl Stearate)-6.5%
  3. Glyceryl Stearate-0.5%
  4. Stearic Acid-0.5%
  5. Policosanol-0.5

Phase B

  1. Cetearyl Glucoside-1.0%
  2. Creatine-0.5%
  3. Glycerin-3.0%
  4. Water-80.1%

Phase C

  1. Carbomer-0.2%
  2. Ethylhexyl Stearate-0.8%

Phase D

  1. NaOH (10%)-0.7%
  2. Preservative, parfum-q.s.


Preparation of Policosanol lotion

  • · Heat phase A and B separately to approx. 80°C.
  • · Add phase B to phase A without stirring.
  • · Homogenize.
  • · Cool with gentle stirring to approx. 60°C and add phase C.
  • · Homogenize for a short time (20s).
  • · Cool with gentle stirring and add phase D below 40°C.


Sugar cane Plant
Sugar cane Plant

Conclusion:

Policosanol is known to support cardiovascular health and wellness.As a cosmeceutical, Policosanol is an effective natural approach in modulating sebum levels in the skin and scalp, a natural antimicrobial adjunct in anti-acne formulations, and a non-animal derived emollient – a potential substitute for wool-derived lanolin in cosmetic formulations.

Source: sabinsa

Phase A

(Decyl Oleate)

5.7%

Ethylhexyl Stearate)

6.5%

(Glyceryl Stearate

0.5%

Stearic Acid

0.5%

Policosanol

0.5%

Phase B

Cetearyl Glucoside

1.0%

Creatine

0.5%

Glycerin

3.0%

Water

80.1%

Phase C

Carbomer

0.2%

Ethylhexyl Stearate

0.8%

Phase D

NaOH (10%)

0.7%

Preservative, parfum

q.s.

Filaggrin, skin protein

Filaggrin:An Essential Protective Protein of skin

Deepa Sinha

Filaggrin: Definition Of This Protein

Filaggrins are filaments associated proteins which bind to keratin fibres in epidermal cells. It is derived from keratohyalin granules, as are other keratinaceous proteins. These are essential protein in the horny layer of the skin. It plays key role of impaired skin barrier function in the development of atopic diseases.

Filaggrin: How it is formed.

The keratinocytes in stratum granulosum are characterized by keratohyalin granules containing abundant quantities of profilaggrin and loricrin proteins. The precursor of filaggrin is profilaggrin,which contains many filaggrin chains joined by tyrosine rich linker regions,it is highly phosphorylated on the serine residue. Each repeating unit of profilaggrin is processed to filaggrin, all phosphates are removed and the linker regions cleaved. After the keratin is aggregated by filaggrin, the arginine of filaggrin is converted to the uncharged citrulline, thereby dissociating it from the keratin. Then it is digested by proteolytic enzyme to the natural moisturizing factor.

Filaggrin: Important functions

Filaggrin is key protein that facilitates the terminal differentiation of the epidermis and formation of the skin barrier. It’s a protective barrier that keeps moisture in and infectious organisms out.

Filaggrin helps aggregate or stack the keratin fibres and is ultimately degraded in the upper layers to form amino acids, pyrrolidone, carboxylic acid and lactic acid in the startum corneum. These products are thought to function as natural moisturizing factor.

Filaggrin:Diseases Due To Deficiency Or Mutation

Individuals with truncation mutation in the gene coding for filaggrin are strongly predisposed to a severe form of dry skin ichthyosis vulgaris. About 1 in 500 people carry two defective copies of the gene. These people make no filaggrin and so suffer from this severe persistent disease, ichthyosis vulgaris.

It has beens shown that almost 50% of all severe cases of eczema may have atleast one mutated filaggrin gene.

The barrier defect seen in filaggrin null carriers also appears to lead to increased asthama susceptibility and exacerbations because the defective barrier may well allow continual presentation of antigens and allergens to the immune system via the skin . This lead to asthma in some cases. Asthma result may be surprising since filaggrin is not present in the respiratory tract but appears to be of importance in the skin only . A weakened skin barrier function might enable allergens to penetrate more easily and thereby promote the development of allergies. So lack of filaggrin plays a decisive role in the origins of allergies.

Variation in filaggrin gene which raise to develop atopic dermatitis more than threefold. In addition these genetic variations predispose to hay fever in those with atopic dermatitis.

About 10% of the population carry a single defective copy and have dry and flaky skin. Impairment of skin barrier function leads to epidermal water loss and leading to dry skin condition. Even cases of allergies such as reaction to nickel which is often found in costume jewelery.

Steps To Be Taken Along This Pathway:

Although most genetic studies have focused on immunological mechanisms, a primary epithelial barrier defect has been anticipated . while gene targeted therapy may not be available anytime soon. The next thing to do is to examine the metabolic pathway of this important protein in addition, to clarify which molecular mechanisms play a role at the genetic level but also concerning the protein itself then final aim ofcourse is to find out a therapy patient with atopic diseases.

And the last thing to say is if lack of filaggrin is such an important factor in allergic diseases, it would be almost conceivable to increase the production of this protein.

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natural ingredients

To What Extent Your Cosmetic is Natural?

Deepa Sinha

If one accepts the meaning of natural as having a source in nature rather than being synthesized in a factory, then the animal, mineral & vegetable fats, oils & waxes, gums, sugar, mineral such as talc, kaolin, bentonite, hectorite, fuller’s earth, sulphur & mica, pearl essence, starches, rubber latex, placenta related extracts perhaps even alcohol derived by natural fermentation of carbohydrates & concentrates are all naturals.

The other synonym used for natural is organic, from a chemist point of view consider a substance organic if it is a carbon compound. Then all the oils, fats & waxes, emulsifiers, gums, polyols & their ether & esters, fragrance, soluble colorants etc. are organic. Then even most of the creams, lotions & oils are organic.

Most of the women believes that, natural or to some extent even organic is real, meaningful term when it comes to beauty products. But that’s not true – not yet anyway.

A natural product should be free from ” parabens, synthetic preservative, sulphates, animal products or any thing with suspected potential human health risk”.

Natural product should contain minimum of 95% natural ingredients.

In any case, natural certification shouldn’t be confused with safety testing (plenty of natural ingredient aren’t safe)