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Vernix Caseosa: The Ultimate Natural Cosmetic?

Figures

  • Figure 1. Vernix caseosa covers newborn infants

    Figure 1. Vernix caseosa covers newborn infants

    A newborn is often covered in a creamy white, cheesy biofilm called vernix caseosa. During the last trimester of gestation, this biofilm covers the skin of the fetus and after delivery, it dries. The boy pictured is Tristan Le Dévédec, son of Robert Rissmann, PhD, on whose thesis this review article is partly based. Reproduced with the kind permission of the father.

    Wiechers Figure 1
  • Figure 2. Lipid, free lipid extract and ceramide analyses

    Figure 2. Lipid, free lipid extract and ceramide analyses

    a) Lipid analyses of a standard solution (STD), two vernix caseosa (VC) samples and one stratum corneum (SC) sample by HPTLC; b) quantitative analysis of the free lipid extracts for all vernix caseosa compounds; c) quantitative analysis of ceramides only. Results are shown as weight percentage ± standard deviation. SQ = squalane; SE = sterol esters; WE = wax esters; DIOL = dihydroxy WE; TG = triglycerides; CHOL = cholesterol; FFA = free fatty acid; Cer = ceramides (EOS-1, NS-2, NP-3, EOH-4, AS-5, AP-6, AH-7, NH-8, EOP-9); CSO4 = CHOL sulfate; reproduced with permission from Reference 15.

    Wiechers Figure 2
  • Figure 3. Water loss profiles

    Figure 3. Water loss profiles

    Water loss profiles of vernix caseosa, w/o emulsiona and o/w emulsionb films (applied at a rate of 3 mg/cm2) for 3 hr; note that the three films have different initial water contents (82.1%, 37.4% and 70.0%, respectively); reproduced with permission from Reference 25; later re-published in Reference 26.

    Wiechers Figure 3
  • Figure 4. Water loss profiles of vernix caseosa films as a function of relative humidity

    Figure 4. Water loss profiles of vernix caseosa films as a function of relative humidity

    Water loss profiles of vernix caseosa films applied at a rate of 2.5mg/cm2 as a function of relative humidity; reproduced with permission from Reference 25.

    Wiechers Figure 4
  • Figure 5. Equilibrium water sorption-desorption curves

    Figure 5. Equilibrium water sorption-desorption curves

    Equilibrium water sorption-desorption curves of a) native vernix caseosa (n = 4) and b) vernix corneocytes (n = 6), expressed as % w/w water in the tissue (mean ± SD) versus water activity; reproduced with permission from Reference 27.

    Wiechers Figure 5
  • Figure 6. Percent barrier recovery after tape stripping versus film permeability

    Figure 6. Percent barrier recovery after tape stripping versus film permeability

    Percent barrier recovery after tape stripping versus film permeability; reproduced with permission from Reference 33; later re-published in Reference 25.

    Wiechers Figure 6
  • Figure 7. Moisture accumulation assessment

    Figure 7. Moisture accumulation assessment

    Moisture accumulation was assessed under probe occlusion of the skin surface at a) 8 min, b) 60 min, and c) 120 min after topical application of barrier creams. At 1 hr after application, control and vernix-treated sites had significantly lower water accumulation; at 2 hr, petrolatum and petrolatum- and mineral oil-based ointment had a significantly higher rate of moisture accumulation relative to the control site. All results are presented as mean capacitance reactance units per second ± SEM, *p < 0.05; reproduced with permission from Reference 23.

    Wiechers Figure 7
  • Figure 8. Water release profiles

    Figure 8. Water release profiles

    Water release profile of vernix caseosa, typical emulsions and selected w/o high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) based on 100% initial water content; reproduced with permission from Reference 26.

    Wichers Figure 8
  • Figure 9. Microgels and coating lipids

    Figure 9. Microgels and coating lipids

    a) Hyperbranched polyglycerol methacrylate microgels labeled with FITC-dextran and b) the coating lipids, labeled with Texas Red, surrounding the microgels as visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was performed with 488 nm and 543 nm excitation wavelengths for a) and b), respectively. Scale bar represents 25 μm; reproduced with permission from Reference 28.

    Wiechers Figure 9
  • Figure 10. Water release profiles of native VC and various biofilms

    Figure 10. Water release profiles of native VC and various biofilms

    Water release profiles of native VC and various biofilms obtained by monitoring the weight loss of the specimen in a desiccator over P2O5 at room temperature. Various parameters were changed in the formulations: the initial water content of the particles was either 50% or 80%. The particles were coated with lipids (dashed lines) or were kept uncoated (solid lines) prior to embedding in the synthetic biofilm lipid matrix. The particle/lipid ratio was either 2:1 or 5:1. Data is presented as mean (w/w) – S.D. (n = 3); reproduced with permission from Reference 28.

    Wiechers Figure 10

Tables

By: Johann W. Wiechers, PhD, JW Solutions; and Bernard Gabard, PhD, Iderma
Posted: August 31, 2009, from the September 2009 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries.

Many research articles have been published since the turn of this century investigating the origin, composition, function and potential benefits of vernix caseosa. Not only does this research provide an understanding of the formation of perfect young skin, some of it can be translated into benefits for the cosmetic industry. The present review summarizes the current knowledge of vernix caseosa and discusses the underlying principles by which vernix caseosa operates; this can be applied in moisturizing and barrier-enhancing products, although the proteolipid biofilm itself cannot be used directly on the human body. The most important characteristic of vernix caseosa is its controlled degree of occlusivity—neither too much nor too little.

Vernix caseosa
Vernix caseosa is the creamy white, viscous biofilm that surrounds a newborn’s body during birth (see Figure 1). The Latin words vernix caseosa mean varnish and cheese-like, respectively, and indeed, sometimes the whole body is covered in this whitish cream during delivery. The vernix caseosa is produced during the last trimester of gestation as a remnant of the original periderm. It provides a temporary skin barrier that is suitable for the aqueous environment in utero, with active transport mechanisms between the amniotic fluid and embryo by virtue of its microvilli situated at the top of its surface.

Periderm cells are replaced continuously until 21 weeks of gestation when they are completely shed and replaced by the stratum corneum (SC). The shed periderm cells are mixed with secretions from the sebaceous glands within the epithelial walls to form vernix caseosa.1 At the same time, the fetal lungs mature, which requires amniotic surfactant levels to increase. This in turn causes the vernix caseosa to detach from the fetal skin surface, contributing to the turbidity of the amniotic fluid at the end of pregnancy.2

While the exact function of vernix caseosa is still under debate, a multitude of different functions have been suggested, and in some cases identified. These can be divided into prenatal, during birth and postnatal functions. Prenatal functions include: waterproofing, since due to the low surface energy, vernix caseosa is highly unwettable;3 the facilitation of the skin formation in utero;1 and protection of the fetus from acute or sub-acute chorioamnionitis (an inflammation of the outer (chorion) and inner (amnion) fetal membranes due to a bacterial infection).4, 5 During delivery, vernix caseosa acts as a lubricant while postnatally, it exhibits antioxidant, skin cleansing,6 temperature-regulating7 and antibacterial properties.8

Other possible prenatal roles have been suggested, such as facilitating the colonization of skin with microorganisms after birth,3,9 but for the cosmetic formulator, the most interesting properties of vernix caseosa are its skin moisturizing and skin barrier-enhancing properties. While a previous column linked the presence of orthorhombic skin lipid packing with good skin hydration,10 this column steps further back to examine how young, healthy skin is created.