Technically Speaking: Skin Cleansing

By: Charles Fox

Posted: January 2, 2006, from the January 2006 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries.

Adachi et al. discuss a new role of beta-endorphin in skin.  Beta-endorphin and its opiate receptor are found in keratinocytes.  The function of this morphine-like peptide is reducing pain and controlling stress.  It also produces a pleasant feeling.

Adachi et al. discovered that beta-endorphin has these additional functions in the skin: stimulating the expression of desmosome, cytokeratin, filaggrin, involucrin and laminin in keratinocytes.  This data indicates that beta-endorphin increases the water content and barrier function in the skin, accelerates turnover and inhibits the primary aging process.

The Lion Coproration in a recent patent describes antibacterial skin cleaner compositions containing amido carboxylates and/or their salts, along with higher fatty acid salts and antibacterial agents.  For example, Formula 1 exhibited good foaming and wash-off properties and caused no skin irritation.

In a recent patent, Colgate-Palmolive Company discloses anhydrous skin cleansing and scrubbing compositions.  A substantially anhydrous composition with these ingredients and approximate weight percentages would consist of at least one water-insoluble emollient oil (20-90%), an ionic surfactant (0.5-15%), an exfoliative or polishing material (5-40%), and at least one oil gelling agent (0.5-10%).  One such composition contained sunflower oil, fumed silica, sodium cocoyl isethionate, cocoamidopropylbetaine, dimethylpolysiloxanes, sucrose, fragrance and vitamin E acetate.

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