Technically Speaking: Tooth Bleaching and Other Topics

By: Charles Fox, Independent Consultant

Posted: April 30, 2007, from the May 2007 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries.

Skin and Skin Care
Sulfacetamide formulations: Stiefel discloses sulfacetamide formulations and a treatment method for skin dermatoses.1 A topical composition is described for mammalian skin that consists of sulfacetamide, or a derivative thereof, and at least one sunscreen wherein enough sunscreen is present to produce an SPF of 1.6–20.6.

Modulation of polyols, oils on skin: Nam et al. have published on how skin care ingredient concentrations can modulate the effects of polyols and oils on skin moisturization and surface roughness.2 Polyols and oils are essential ingredients in skin care formulations; however, it remains unclear how their concentrations affect efficacy and sensory properties on human skin.

The authors of this study examined various concentrations of ingredients from cosmetic companies using noninvasive methods. The polyols consisted of glycerin and butylene glycol (BG) in a ratio of 1:1, and the oils consisted of equal parts of hydrogenated polydecene, cetyl ethylhexanoate and pentaerythritol tetraethylhexanoate. All compounds were tested in o/w emulsions in concentrations ranging from 0 to approximately 27% for polyols, and from 0 to approximately 35% for oils.

After application of the compounds to forearm skin, researchers investigated their effects on water content and stratum corneum roughness. The water content in skin was determined by skin capacitance measurements; the skin surface roughness by visual scoring of skin surface biopsies in scanning electron micrographs.

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