Patent Picks—Açai Palm Anti-aging, Sea Fennel and Tomato Healing, Ginger Antioxidant and More

By: Rachel L. Grabenhofer

Posted: November 27, 2012

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Marine botanicals to provide nutrition to aging and environmentally damaged skin
US Pat 8318178
Publication date: Nov. 27, 2012
Assignee: Mary Kay Inc.

Adverse environmental exposures that can result in more rapid epidermal turnover rates include UVA, UVB and IR radiation from the sun and cold, coupled with low relative humidity. Several proposed methods of increasing stratum corneum renewal rates have various drawbacks, such as significant irritation to the skin, skin toxicity or low pH. In addition, most of these methods involve the invocation of chronic damage to the skin.

The present invention overcomes these deficiencies by providing compositions that can be used to treat aged, mature, nutritionally-compromised or environmentally-damaged skin. A topical skin care composition comprising Codium tomentosum extract and Crithmum maritimum (sea fennel) extract is disclosed, wherein the composition is formulated as an emulsion, cream, lotion, solution, gel, ointment or anhydrous base.

Portulaca pilosa, sunflower oil and mango butter lipstick
WIPO Patent Application WO/2012/158627
Publication date: Nov. 22, 2012
Assignee: Mary Kay Inc. and L. Hart

These inventors report that previous attempts at lipsticks have either lacked substantivity; tended to dry out, clump or crack on the lip; or lacked the ability to effectively treat or prevent lip-related conditions, e.g., dried or cracked lips, lip wrinkles, etc. Attempts to solve these problems have led to formulations that were difficult to spread, had unpleasant tactile properties and exhibited limited benefits for lip-related conditions.