Cosmetics

Youthful Skin

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CosmeticsCosmetics


Youthful Skin

At 20, we still smirk when we see older people buying expensive anti-wrinkle creams, hoping to defy the toll of time. By the time we’re in our mid 30s, however, our first wrinkles appear.
A retinol molecule in the cavity formed by two cyclodextrin molecules.
With age, the collagen matrix becomes slowly damaged, the cushion thinner and less elastic, and it loses its ability to support the upper layer of skin – all this leads to wrinkly skin. As the collagen matrix is degraded, the fibroblast cells within it shrivel up.
They curtail collagen synthesis and produce larger amounts of collagen-degrading enzymes. This compromises the integrity of the collagen matrix even more – creating a vicious cycle that further promotes cutaneous aging.
Skin creams containing retinol in the form of a cyclodextrin complex can be shown to reduce wrinkle depth without irritating the skin.
Retinol, the parent compound of vitamin A, can interrupt this vicious cycle. The fibroblasts absorb the retinol and convert it into retinoic acid. This active form of the vitamin stimulates collagen synthesis and inhibits the production of collagen-degrading enzymes.
Cyclodextrin expert Marlies Regiert and her assistant Michaela Kupka in the laboratory.

Light and Air Degrade Retinol

But retinol can irritate the skin and is very quickly degraded by exposure to light and air. Because of this, the manufacturers of skincare products have had to resort to precursor molecules. Though more stable and less likely to cause side effects than the vitamin itself, they also exhibit considerably lower biological activity.
That is no longer necessary, for the molecular inclusion of retinol in cyclodextrin solves the problem. Cyclodextrins are cyclic sugar molecules. As natural degradation products of starch, WACKER produces its cyclodextrins – via bioengineering techniques – from plant-based raw materials, such as corn or potatoes. They are able to enclose other substances reversibly in their interiors, enabling cyclodextrins to bind ingredients, release active agents and stabilize sensitive substances such as vitamins and coenzymes.
Cyclodextrins are colorless, free-flowing powders that are easy to process.
In the case of anti-aging preparations, two γ-cyclodextrin molecules take on a retinol molecule as their "guest," storing it in their inner cavities and protecting it from exposure to light and air. Under normal skin conditions, the guest is released in a controlled manner. The sensitive substance still reaches the skin fully active and in concentrations that do not cause skin irritation.
With these retinol-containing skin cremes, the cosmetics industry can now begin a new chapter in the battle against wrinkles.
Further Information

The Fascination of Chemistry – WACKER’s Audio Magazine

Retinol

Retinol (all-trans-Retinol), the parent compound of vitamin A, is a yellow, solid alcohol. The substance dissolves in oils and organic solvents, but is insoluble in water.

The retinol molecule consists of a cyclic structure (a β-ionone ring) and a long side chain with a terminal hydroxyl (-OH) group. The side chain contains alternating single and double bonds.

It is this side chain that is so sensitive to damage, especially from oxygen, acids, light, and heat. Light, in particular, quickly oxidizes and thereby inactivates retinol.

Cyclodextrins – Molecular Ice Cream Cones

Cyclodextrins are a type of sugar. At the molecular level, they are composed of several glucose units (dextrose units) connected to form a ring. All cyclodextrins have a lipophilic (fat-soluble) inner cavity. The cyclodextin ring has a conical shape similar to a truncated ice cream cone that has had the bottom two thirds cut off.

The size of the inner cavity is dependent upon the number of glucose units used to make the ring. Only three ring sizes (and thus, three cyclodextrins) are of commercial importance: α-cyclodextrin (six), β-cyclodextrin (seven) or γ-cyclodextrin (eight) glucose units.

WACKER FINE CHEMICALS manufactures these three cyclodextrins commercially using environmentally sustainable practices. Corn starch, a renewable resource, is the raw material from which cyclodextrins are made. A cyclodextran molecule can enclose another molecule within its inner cavity, as long as it is lipophilic and of the appropriate size and shape.

Under the right conditions, the guest molecule is released from the cavity again. This happens gradually, never suddenly, and is governed by microenvironmental conditions such as topical humidity and temperature.