International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007, 29, 63–66
Abstracts
Abstracts of papers that were published in the IFSCC MAGAZINE,
Volume 9, No 3, 2006
Formation of Lipid Emulsions and
Clear Gels by Liquid Crystal
Emulsification
T. Suzuki and H. Iwai
Kao Corporation, Global R&D, 2-1-3 Bunka,
Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131, Japan
Recently developed emulsion technologies for
the formation of fine emulsions, lipid emul-
sions and clear gels by liquid crystal emulsifi-
cation were reviewed. As a basic information
on liquid crystal emulsification, the structures
and characteristic behaviours of lyotropic
liquid crystals were summarized. Formation
of a liquid crystalline phase was often seen in
emulsions and biological systems. The signifi-
cance of liquid crystal formation during
emulsification was analysed by comparing
the states and stabilities of emulsions pre-
pared by different processes. Then uses of
liquid crystals for formation of the character-
istic emulsions and gels were also discussed.
In liquid crystal emulsification, an oil phase
is dispersed directly into the lamellar liquid-
crystalline phase composed of surfactant,
glycerol and water to prepare a gel-like oil-
in-liquid crystal emulsion. This is followed by
dilution with the remaining water to produce
an emulsion. From the phase behaviour dur-
ing emulsification and analysis of the local
motion of the liquid crystal membrane by
fluorometry, it was confirmed that the inter-
action between surfactant and a polyol mole-
cule such as glycerol promotes hydrogen
bonding and enhances the strength of the
lamellar liquid crystal membranes, which
results in the formation of oil-in-liquid crystal
emulsions. The interaction between the liquid
crystal and oil was analysed from the chan-
ges in molecular motion of the membrane at
the oil-liquid crystal interface using the spin
label technique of electron spin resonance
(ESR). The fluidity of the liquid crystal mem-
brane did not change when oil was added,
and therefore oil-in-liquid crystal emulsions
of various oils were prepared by the identical
process. This lack of dependence of the liquid
crystal membrane on oil results in the unique
Ó 2007 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie
properties of liquid crystal emulsification,
which can be used for oils of various polarity
and different molecular constituents. When a
self-organizing artificial stratum corneum
lipid containing pseudo-ceramide was used as
a principal component of the oil, a multila-
mellar emulsion of concentric lamellar struc-
ture was formed. The multilamellar emulsion
supplements the physiological function of
stratum corneum by the identical mechanism
as natural intercellular lipids. High-pressure
treatment of the lipid emulsion produced a
gel-like emulsion crystal, in which the homo-
geneous nanoemulsion droplets were
arranged in a hexagonal array.
This review paper was presented at the
Conference of the Asian Societies of Cosmetic
Scientists 2005 in Bangkok.
Prebiotic Cosmetics: An Alternative
to Antibacterial Products
D. Bockmühl, C. Jassoy, S. Nieveler, R.
Scholtyssek, A. Wadle and M. Waldmann-Laue
Henkel KGaA, 40191 Düsseldorf, Germany
The concept of prebiotics is well known from
food products, where several ingredients are
used to stimulate the beneficial gut microflo-
ra. However, prebiotic substances can in
principle be applied to balance almost any
microbial community to achieve advanta-
geous effects. Since many cosmetic products
target skin bacteria as a cause for undesirable
conditions like inflammation or body odour,
prebiotic actives can help to cope with these
problems in a very effective way. To ensure a
focused and successful mode of action we
demonstrated that it is essential to analyse
the microflora and the interactions between
different bacterial species carefully. These
analyses were made using a molecular
method, fluorescence in situ hybridization
(FISH), allowing a precise determination of a
bacterial community without the drawbacks
of classical culture methods. In a further step
it was then possible to identify new actives
that inhibit harmful or unwanted bacterial
63
Abstracts
species while protecting the beneficial flora.
Using a quick and reliable in vitro screening
method we found several plant extracts (e.g.
Ginseng or Black currant) which inhibit the
inflammation-causing bacterium Propionibac-
terium acnes, but do not affect beneficial spe-
cies like coagulase-negative staphylococci. In
addition, it could also be demonstrated that a
prebiotic product line for treatment of
inflamed (or acne prone) skin showed the
predicted effects on the microflora composi-
tion in a first in vivo trial, i.e. decrease of
Propionibacterium acnes at a constant level of
total bacteria. After 3 weeks, the microflora
of 91% of the volunteers had been rebalanced
in this way. Furthermore, these formulations
have been shown to exhibit excellent skin
compatibility compared to an antibacterial
product. Thus, prebiotic substances have the
potential to provide a gentle and sustainable
alternative to undirected antibacterial ingre-
dients which can cause irritation, and fre-
quently only show short time effects.
Paper presented at the IFSCC Conference
2005, Florence, Italy.
Objective Evaluation of the Placebo
Effect in Cosmetic Treatments.
A Randomized Controlled Study
F. Distante, V. Pagani1, A. Bonfigli1, L. Rigano
1
and J. Fluhr2
1
ISPE – Institute of Skin and Product
Evaluation, Via Bruschetti, 1, 20125 Milan,
Italy, 2Department of Dermatology, University
of Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
A product’s packaging and claimed efficacy
may stimulate pleasant emotions during the
use of cosmetics, thus enhancing their per-
ceived benefits. The aim of this study was to
evaluate if smart packaging and strongly
claimed efficacy attributes can influence the
objectively measured efficacy, allowing a true
placebo effect to be associated with a given
cosmetic treatment. A marketed anti-aging
gluconolactone-based formulation was selec-
ted for the study and packaged both in a
fancy sophisticated jar and in an unbranded
plain container. Thirty-six female volunteers
(age range: 30–55 years) with facial photo-
ageing were selected for the study and ran-
domly assigned to the fancy or plain
packaged product. Pre-agreed messages
aimed at extolling the product’s cosmetic
effects accompanied delivery of the fancy-
64
packaged product to panellists. The given
product was applied to the face twice a day
for 8 weeks. Instrumental measurements of
the skin colour (a* and L* parameter), skin
capacitance, skin tensile properties (R0, R2,
R6), skin thickness and skin microrelief
parameters (Ra and Rz) were taken at base-
line and after 4 and 8 weeks of use. Clinical
and subjective evaluations were also carried
out at each control visit. Moreover, the
amount of cream consumed during usage
was calculated by weighing the given jars at
each visit. Statistical analysis of the data
obtained showed a significant improvement
in all instrumental parameters for both
groups (‘fancy’ and ‘plain’ packaging),
although no significant differences were
detected between the two groups at any time.
The improvement was higher in the ‘plain’
group for most instrumental parameters
except for micro-relief parameters where the
outcome was better in the ‘fancy’ group. Pro-
motion of facial muscle relaxation deriving
from the application of the fancy-packaged
cream could be a possible explanation for this
finding. Also the product’s efficacy and sen-
sory properties were perceived with a higher
positive impact in the fancy group. The better
performance of the plain packaging group
could be related to daily application of the
‘proper’ amount of cream. In fact, this group
consumed a larger amount of cream than the
‘fancy’ group. These results show that a true
placebo effect cannot be induced by pack-
aging characteristics, although they can
slightly influence the degree of the expected
skin benefits in different ways. Moreover,
proper daily dosage of the product appears to
be a key factor in improving the biophysical
skin properties related to anti-ageing and
restoring effects.
Paper presented at the IFSCC Conference
2005, Florence, Italy.
Hydroxy Dimethoxybenzyl Malonate:
A Novel Anti-(Photo)ageing Concept
T. Rudolph, P. Bühle, J. Beck, F. Pflücker,
K.-A. Reiffen and H. Buchholz
Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293
Darmstadt, Germany
Ideally, anti-(photo)ageing concepts should
provide maximum efficacy, perfect stability
and cosmetic (formulation) elegance. The
need for high efficacy paired with excellent
Ó 2007 International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 29, 63–66