BEAUTY INNOVATIONS
A healthy, even glow for
ethnic skin
Ethnic skin has its own concerns that often vary greatly from those of other skin types. Lipotec Active Ingredients, a Lubrizol Life Science company, developed Ebonitone biotech ingredient to meet the needs of ethnic skin. This biotechnology extract has been tested in vivo on South African volunteers. In this article, Alicia Gimenez, Elena Cañadas, Eulalia Gonzalez and Raquel Delgado share the impressive results.
M
OST EXPERTS AGREE that
common consequence of inflammation,
due to hyperpigmentation. Thanks to its comprehensive
hyperpigmentation is a common
such as that which occurs with acne, known
mechanism of action, based on the regulation of multiple
problem among consumers
as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
stages of the pigmentation process, Ebonitone biotech
with ethnic skin. Their melanin-rich skin
Finally, everyday life factors can alter skin
ingredient can even the skin tone with high efficacy, even in
is more susceptible to discoloration or the
pigmentation, including aggressors such
dark skin phototypes.
appearance of dark spots, resulting in an
as shaving and chafing, and even irritation
uneven colour or tone. Many of the products
from wearing a mask, now more commonly
these consumers see advertised or find
known as ‘maskne’.
on the shelves might not work for them, because their dark spots are much more
GENE EXPRESSION RELATED TO ALL PIGMENTATION STEPS The modulation of gene expression in human epidermal
EXTRACT TARGETING HYPERPIGMENTATION
melanocytes was determined using microarray analysis
Hyperpigmentation is the result of
Ebonitone biotech ingredient is an extract
ingredient. The ingredient modulated gene coding for
different overlapping causes, particularly
obtained by biotechnology from a marine
components of melanogenic signalling pathways (ENDRB and
sun exposure. Skin darkening is also a
microorganism to target uneven skin tone
FZD), melanosomal proteins (Pmel17 and melan-A), melanin-
pigmented and harder to improve.
after treatment with a concentrate of the Ebonitone biotech
synthesising enzymes (TYR, TRP-1 and TRP-2) and proteins involved in melanosome transfer (DKK1). The gene expression results suggest that, in all the key steps of the pigmentation process, the active would favour a reduction of the production and distribution of melanin in the skin.
MELANIN PRODUCTION Figure 1: Melanin levels. HDQ: hydroquinone; HR: 4-Hexylresorcinol; ARB: arbutin; BR: 4-Butylresorcinol; MAP: magnesium ascorbyl phosphate; KA: kojic acid; GA: glycyrrhizic acid ammonium salt. Statistical significance vs control: ****p<0.0001
Melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin in the skin, were incubated with benchmark brighteners or with Ebonitone biotech ingredient concentrate. All the compounds at a concentration of 1µg/mℓ. Melanin was extracted from the cells and quantified. The results (displayed in Figure 1) show that with Ebonitone biotech ingredient, the cells contained 49.6% less melanin, which is an inhibition of melanogenesis comparable to that of standard agents, some of which are cytotoxic.
Figure 2: The active ingredient neutralised Wnt-1 induced hyperpigmentation
MELANOGENESIS RELATED TO DARK-SPOT FORMATION The ability of the active ingredient to prevent melanogenesis and hyperpigmentation was assessed in an epidermal model treated with Wnt-1, an activator of melanocytes involved in the development of age spots. A reconstructed human pigmented epidermis was incubated with Wnt-1 to induce hyperpigmentation and with
Figure 3: Results for the L* and the ITAº parameters. Statistical significance vs initial time: ***p<0.001; ****p<0.0001. Statistical significance vs placebo for L*: **p<0.01 (28 and 56 days); for ITAº: **p<0.01 (28 days); ***p<0.001 (56 days)
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QUARTER 1 2021 // P&C AFRICA
Ebonitone biotech ingredient concentrate. Thereafter, melanin was detected and quantified using a Fontana-Masson stain and an optical microscope (see Figure 2). The active ingredient decreased pigmentation related to age spots by 52.1%.
