The Skin Whitening Effect of Co-Cultured Conditioned Medium: Involvement of Synergy between Stem Cells and Immune Cells

Many researchers have described that mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium and immune cells conditioned medium have a clear whitening effect when they are used as cosmetic ingredients. In this study, we confirmed the whitening efficacy of various concentrations of immune cells and stem cell conditioned media. The author tried to study a conditioned medium that has a strong whitening effect even with a composition of less than 20% (the most used concentration in cosmetics). Because of the fact that the conditioned medium contains various cytokines and growth factors secreted by stem cells or immune cells, it is known to have effects such as wound healing, antioxidant, and whitening effect. Recently, stem cells have been used not only in the development of cosmetic raw materials but also in skincare procedures, and there are reports being released of cosmetics using immune cells conditioned medium. The concentration-dependent whitening effect equivalently increased as the concentration of the mono-cultured conditioned medium was obtained through the stem cells or immune cells culture. In the case of co-culture, whitening results are like the effect of positive control such as arbutin in the medium carrying only 10% of the co-cultured conditioned medium. It is possible that enhanced whitening efficiency in co-cultured conditioned medium leads to a major innovation in the global cosmetic market.

The efficacy of a novel tomato extracts formulation on skin aging and pigmentation:A randomized,double-blind,parallel-controlled trial

Background:Oxidative stress is a significant factor in skin aging and pigmentation,which can be precipitated by various circumstances.Antioxidants and tyrosinase inhibitors,such as carotenoids,yeast extract(glutathione),sodium hyaluronate,astaxanthin,and niacin,can individually protect the skin against aging through distinct mechanisms.These mechanisms potentially enhance the skin barrier and improve signs of aging and pigmentation.However,the synergistic effects of these compounds,as found in a golden tomato extract formulation,have been scarcely explored.Objective:To evaluate the effects of an orally administered formulation on the skin aging and pigmentation.Material and Methods:In this study,a randomized,double-blind,parallel-controlled trial was conducted,utilizing the WONDERLAB?Tomato Niacinamide beverage.Out of all participants,62 volunteers completed the experiment and were included in the statistical analysis.Results:The results indicated that after eight weeks of consuming the research product,there were no significant changes in the skin indicators within the placebo group.In contrast,the treatment group receiving the sample formulation exhibited a 35.63%increase in stratum corneum hydration and a 29.39%reduction in transepidermal water loss(TEWL),suggesting enhanced skin hydration.Visual assessments revealed improvements in skin color and gloss index by 15.03%and 11.41%,respectively,in the treatment group.Furthermore,the skin gloss and individual typology angle(ITA)value increased by 18.59%and 6.36%,respectively,leading to a lighter skin tone.Significant enhancements were also observed in skin pigmentation,color uniformity,and redness.After eight weeks of intervention with the sample,blood levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and glutathione peroxidase(GPx)increased,while malondialdehyde(MDA)levels decreased.Conclusion:These findings confirm that continuous intake of the tomato extract formulation over eight weeks effectively improved the volunteers'skin whitening and hydration,and visibly brightened skin tone through an antioxidant mechanism.

Study of a Whitening and Anti-wrinkle Bio-functional Ingredient Based on Epigenetics

Via quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） test method, the efficacy of hexapeptide-2 was studied, including silencing on miR-29 and increasing miR-218 expression which targeted collagen coding mRNA （message RNA） then decreases the collagen synthesis, and the latter silences the melanin synthesis related enzyme. Then the double blind spilt-face clinical test on 35 Asian people （18 male and 17 female） was conducted to evaluate the whitening and anti-wrinkle effect. The qPCR test showed that hexapeptide-2 can decrease miR-29 expression for human fibroblast of different age （P 〈 0.05）; and the result on human melanocyte showed that it can increase miR-218 expression （P 〈 0.05）. Immunostaining results showed that it can increase the expression of collagen I and III significantly （P 〈 0.05）. The double blind split - face test showed that 1% hexapeptide-2 displays significant efficacy for skin whitening, spots lightening, skin erythema and skin dullness improvement, as well as skin wrinkles reduction as comparing with that from the placebo side （P 〈 0.05）.

Study on the Efficacy of Vitamin C Lotion on Skin: Permeable and Anti-Aging

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) plays an important role in maintaining skin health, and topical vitamin C supplementation can counteract oxidative stress induced by UVA, due to excellent reducibility. To clarify the efficacy of vitamin C on the skin in the carrier of lotion, we studied its permeability, irritation and anti-aging effect in vitro and in vivo, using Franz cell system, cell model and clinical test. The permeability test showed that vitamin C with 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% mass ratio could effectively penetrate skin. The 20% of vitamin C lotion (VCL-20%) had the highest efficiency of transdermal penetration and the diffusion percentage reached 84.707% after 24 h. Besides, the permeation quantity of VCL-20% was 1.43 times that of the control group. Irritation test showed that the cytotoxicity of vitamin C lotion was low. And no allergic reaction happened in the occlusive patch test. Compared with the control group, using vitamin C lotion for 28 days could significantly improve subjects’ skin gloss of 10.53% and improve skin color, enhance facial skin elasticity and tightness of 9.20% and reduce wrinkle area of 12.27% (p < 0.05).

Natural products in cosmetics

The global cosmetics market reached US$500 billion in 2017 and is expected to exceed US$800 billion by 2023,at around a 7%annual growth rate.The cosmetics industry is emerging as one of the fastest-growing industries of the past decade.Data shows that the Chinese cosmetics market was US$60 billion in 2021.It is expected to be the world’s number one consumer cosmetics market by 2050,with a size of approximately US$450 billion.The influence of social media and the internet has raised awareness of the risks associated with the usage of many chemicals in cosmetics and the health benefits of natural products derived from plants and other natural resources.As a result,the cosmetic industry is now paying more attention to natural products.The present review focus on the possible applications of natural products from various biological sources in skin care cosmetics,including topical care products,fragrances,moisturizers,UV protective,and anti-wrinkle products.In addition,the mechanisms of targets for evaluation of active ingredients in cosmetics and the possible benefits of these bioactive compounds in rejuvenation and health,and their potential role in cosmetics are also discussed.