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The Stabilization of Linoleic Acid by Complexation with Alpha-cyclodextrin

By: Marlies Regiert, Wacker-Chemie AG
Posted: March 31, 2006, from the April 2006 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries.

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8 pages available as a PDF download or printed copies mailed to you

Article Keywords:

  • lnoleic acid
  • vitamin F
  • polyunsaturated fatty acids
  • skin care
  • cyclodextrin
  • α-cyclodextrin/linoleic acid complex

Linoleic acid is essential to the skin’s barrier function. Its skin care and restorative properties make it attractive for use in cosmetics and dermatology. However, its sensitivity to oxidation and tendency to go rancid prevent its use in cosmetic preparations. Reversible complexation opens up the possibility of using linoleic acid in various cosmetic formulations and personal care products.

The Barrier Function
The Stratum corneum (SC) is the outermost skin layer that acts as a permeability barrier. It resists the ingress of foreign substances while limiting transepidermal water loss (TEWL). The SC consists of approximately 15 to 20 layers of fl attened, dead and cornifi ed cells, or corneocytes, embedded in a lipid-rich matrix. This structure continually is replaced. The replenishment ultimately is formed by the stratum basale, the lowest layer of the epidermis. New keratinocytes are formed here by mitosis. They are subject to continual cellular transformation processes and, in the course of several weeks, migrate toward the skin surface, eventually ending up as corneocytes in the cornified layer. 

The barrier function of the SC is provided to a large extent by the intercellular lipids. The lipids are arranged lamellarly in a multilayer sandwich structure called lamellar bilayers. These skin lipids are formed in the keratinocytes of the living epidermis. More precisely, the lipids are generated in the Lamellar granula. At the boundary between the Stratum granulosum and SC, the Lamellar granula fuse with the cell membrane and secrete their content into the intercellular space.

This is only an excerpt of the full article that appeared in Cosmetics & Toiletries, but you can purchase the full-text version.