Cosmetics that Protect and Enhance the Health of the Skin
Skin Care 1 < 2
Effects of Combining Vitamins C and E
The combination of antioxidants and sunscreens to provide
enhanced protection against UV rays has generated considerable
scientific interest. Two of the best-known antioxidants are
vitamins C and E. Each has been shown to be effective in
different models of photodamage. In a study utilizing swine
skin, vitamin C provided additive protection against acute UVB
damage (sunburn cell formation) when combined with a UVB-preventive
sunscreen. When a combination of vitamins E and C was used,
enhanced protection from UVB insult resulted. Vitamin C,
however, was significantly better than vitamin E in protecting
against UVA-mediated phototoxic damage in this animal model.18
RESEARCHERS: EVERYONE SHOULD APPLY
TOPICAL PHOTOPROTECTANTS
A report released by Tulane
University’s School of Medicine states that “every patient
should topically apply photoprotectants in order to prevent
photodamage to the skin.”17
This report confirms the critical importance of applying a
sunscreen with antioxidants every time you go into the sun.
A study of vitamins C and E in young, aged, and photodamaged
human skin sought to ascertain the various levels of these
antioxidants in each skin type. The findings showed that the
concentration of vitamin E was significantly lower in the
epidermis (upper layer) of photoaged skin (56% lower than in
young skin) and aged skin (61% lower than in young skin). There
was no difference in vitamin E levels in the dermis of each skin
type. In photoaged skin, vitamin C levels were 69% lower in the
epidermis and 63% lower in the dermis; in naturally aged skin,
vitamin C levels were 61% lower in the epidermis and 70% lower
in the dermis. Glutathione concentrations were also lower
compared to young skin. These results show that the antioxidant
defense systems in normal aged and photoaged human skin are
significantly diminished compared to that in young skin.19
Critics used to claim there was no evidence that topically
applied products affected skin aging. Many recently published
studies have proven the skeptics wrong. The science clearly
substantiates that free radicals play an important role in
causing skin aging, and that topically applied antioxidants
confer significant protection and can even partially reverse
some aspects of skin aging. Newly available lipsticks,
foundations, and eye preparations contain broad-spectrum
antioxidants to provide the skin with all-day protection.
Cell-Renewal Effects of Vitamin A
Vitamin A and its retinoid analogs stimulate skin cell
renewal by increasing the rate of mitotic cell division.20-22
One mechanism by which vitamin A does this is by acting as a
signaling agent to stimulate the binding of epidermal growth
factor to skin cells.21
One characteristic of sun-damaged skin is the degradation of its
supporting structure caused by reduced collagen synthesis. A
study of 72 people of various ages sought to determine whether
the topical application of natural vitamin A could improve
function in both naturally aged, sun-protected skin and
photoaged skin. In one of the study groups comprising people
aged 80 years and older, topical application of vitamin A for
seven days increased fibroblast growth and collagen synthesis,
while reducing levels of a collagen-degrading skin enzyme called
metalloproteinase. The overall findings indicate that naturally
aged, sun-protected skin and photoaged skin share important
molecular features, including connective tissue damage, elevated
metalloproteinase levels, and reduced collagen production.
Topical vitamin A treatment reduced matrix metalloproteinase
expression and stimulated collagen synthesis in naturally aged
and sun-protected skin, as it does in photoaged skin.23
Vitamin A drugs (Retin-A®)
have shown more profoundly acute effects in reversing aging
effects in both photodamaged and naturally aged skin, but some
people find them irritating to the skin.24
One of the most disfiguring skin diseases is the appearance of
cancer. In a study that sought to compare the effects of dietary
administration of a vitamin A drug (13-cis-retinoic acid) to
those of the natural form of vitamin A (retinyl palmitate),
female mice were administered a chemical carcinogen to evaluate
the incidence and severity of mouse skin tumor promotion. The
results showed that retinyl palmitate inhibited the number and
weight of tumors, whereas 13-cis-retinoic acid decreased the
weight, but not the number, of tumors promoted.25
In another study, tumors were chemically induced in a group of
Swiss mice over a 23-week period. The topical application of the
drug 13-cis-retinoic acid was compared to natural vitamin A (retinyl
palmitate). This study showed that both the vitamin A drug and
natural vitamin A inhibited the development of skin papillomas
and had a marked effect on skin cancers.26
Vitamin A may be one of the vitamins best documented to protect
against several types of human cancers. One of its mechanisms is
to induce healthy differentiation and apoptosis of aged cells.
Vitamin A protects the skin by helping to facilitate cell
renewal and possibly by preventing skin cancers.
Studies show that the upper layer of the skin or epidermis can
be easily saturated with natural vitamin A by topical
application. Besides being a precursor for retinoic acid,
vitamin A also has potential as a scavenger of free radicals.
Vitamin A absorbs ultraviolet light to help protect the skin’s
most delicate areas against damaging free radical attack.27
Natural vitamin A thus functions via several pathways to guard
against normal and sun-induced skin aging.
The new anti-aging lipsticks and foundations contain a natural
form of vitamin A to nourish the skin all day long with this
cell-renewing nutrient.
The Need for All-Day Protection
There are literally hundreds of cosmetic brands in today’s
commercial marketplace. To our surprise, we could find only one
company whose cosmetics were fortified with nutrients that
published scientific studies have shown to be beneficial to the
skin.
Considering that women often apply cosmetics on a daily basis,
it makes sense that the cosmetics should include ingredients
that block damaging ultraviolet light, guard against free
radicals, stop inflammatory processes, replenish collagen,
stimulate cellular renewal, and restore the skin’s natural
antioxidants. Exciting new studies show that certain nutrients,
when topically applied, can reverse some aspects of skin aging.
With the newly available nutrient-rich cosmetics, women have a
convenient way to benefit from scientifically documented
skin-restoring agents all day long.
A large percentage of the population is infected with herpes
simplex virus 1, which causes cold sores or fever blisters on
the lips. Exposure to solar radiation is one cause of cold-sore
outbreaks. With the advent of high-SPF lipsticks that contain
agents that protect against ultraviolet light, it may be
possible to avoid sunlight-induced herpes outbreaks on the lips.
Even more exciting is that for the first time, women can use
everyday cosmetic products that contain the skin-protecting
ingredients discussed in this article. These new cosmetics
enhance a woman’s appearance while allowing her to
simultaneously nourish her skin with vitamins A, C, and E, along
with green, red, and white tea extracts. These anti-aging
cosmetics are also fortified with high-SPF sun-blocking agents
to guard the skin and lips against the deleterious effects of
ultraviolet A and B light.
For ultimate benefit, the new Ultra
Rejuvenex® should be
worn under all cosmetic preparations. Descriptions of the new
Ultra Rejuvenex®
formula appears on the following pages.
References
1. Podda M, Grundmann-Kollmann M. Low molecular weight
antioxidants and their role in skin ageing. Clin Exp Dermatol.
2001 Oct;26(7):578-82.
2. Sander CS, Chang H, Salzmann S, et al. Photoaging is
associated with protein oxidation in human skin in vivo. J
Invest Dermatol. 2002 Apr;118(4):618-25.
3. Nola I, Kotrulja L. Skin photodamage and lifetime
photoprotection. Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 2003;11(1):32-40.
4. Lu YP, Lou YR, Xie JG, et al. Topical applications of
caffeine or (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) inhibit
carcinogenesis and selectively increase apoptosis in UVB-
induced skin tumors in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Sep
17;99(19):12455-60.
5. Katiyar SK, Bergamo BM, Vyalil PK, Elmets CA. Green tea
polyphenols: DNA photo-damage and photoimmunology. J Photochem
Photobiol B. 2001 Dec 31;65(2-3):109-14.
6. Proniuk S, Liederer BM, Blanchard J. Preformulation study of
epigallocatechin gallate, a promising antioxidant for topical
skin cancer prevention. J Pharm Sci. 2002 Jan;91(1):111-6.
7. Katiyar SK, Mukhtar H. Green tea polyphenol
(-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate treatment to mouse skin prevents
UVB-induced infiltration of leukocytes, depletion of
antigen-presenting cells, and oxidative stress. Leukoc Biol.
2001 May;69(5):719-26.
8. Katiyar SK, Elmets CA. Green tea polyphenolic antioxidants
and skin photoprotection (review). Int J Oncol. 2001
Jun;18(6):1307- 13.
9. Chung JH, Han JH, Hwang EJ, et al. Dual mechanisms of green
tea extract (EGCG)- induced cell survival in human epidermal
keratinocytes. FASEB J. 2003 Oct;17(13):1913-5.
10. Vayalil PK, Elmets CA, Katiyar SK. Treatment of green tea
polyphenols in hydrophilic cream prevents UVB-induced oxidation
of lipids and proteins, depletion of antioxidant enzymes and
phosphorylation of MAPK proteins in SKH-1 hairless mouse skin.
Carcinogenesis. 2003 May;24(5):927-36.
11. Afaq F, Ahmad N, Mukhtar H. Suppression of UVB-induced
phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and nuclear
factor kappa B by green tea polyphenol in SKH-1 hairless mice.
Oncogene. 2003 Dec 18;22(58):9254-64.
12. Available at: http://www.hsrmagazine.com/ hotnews/31h3016734.html.
Accessed July 28, 2004.
13. Fitzpatrick RE, Rostan EF. Double-blind, half-face study
comparing topical vitamin C and vehicle for rejuvenation of
photodamage. Dermatol Surg. 2002 Mar;28(3):231-6.
14. Dreher F, Maibach H. Protective effects of topical
antioxidants in humans. Curr Probl Dermatol. 2001;29:157-64.
15. Yin L, Morita A, Tsuji T. Alterations of extracellular
matrix induced by tobacco smoke extract. Arch Dermatol Res. 2000
Apr;292(4):188-94.
16. Traikovich SS. Use of topical ascorbic acid and its effects
on photodamaged skin topography. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.
1999 Oct;125(10):1091-8.
17. Flynn TC, Coleman WP. Topical revitalization of body skin. J
Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2000 Jul;14(4):280-4.
18. Darr D, Dunston S, Faust H, Pinnell S. Effectiveness of
antioxidants (vitamin C and E) with and without sunscreens as
topical photoprotectants. Acta Derm Venereol. 1996
Jul;76(4):264-8.
19. Rhie G, Shin MH, Seo JY, et al. Aging-and photoaging-dependent
changes of enzymic and nonenzymic antioxidants in the epidermis
and dermis of human skin in vivo. J Invest Dermatol. 2001
Nov;117(5):1212-7.
20. Ridge BD, Batt MD, Palmer HE, Jarrett A. The dansyl chloride
technique for stratum corneum renewal as an indicator of changes
in epidermal mitotic activity following topical treatment. Br J
Dermatol. 1988 Feb;118(2):167-74.
21. Chapellier B, Mark M, Messaddeq N, et al. Physiological and
retinoid-induced proliferations of epidermis basal keratinocytes
are differently controlled. EMBO J. 2002 Jul 1;21(13):3402-13.
22. Koussoulakos S, Sharma KK, Anton HJ. Effect of vitamin A on
wound epidermis during forelimb regeneration in adult newts. Int
J Dev Biol. 1990 Dec;34(4):433-9.
23. Varani J, Warner RL, Gharaee-Kermani M, et al. Vitamin A
antagonizes decreased cell growth and elevated
collagen-degrading matrix metalloproteinases and stimulates
collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin. J Invest
Dermatol. 2000 Mar;114(3):480-6.
24. Varani J, Fisher GJ, Kang S, Voorhees JJ. Molecular
mechanisms of intrinsic skin aging and retinoid-induced repair
and reversal. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 1998
Aug;3(1):57-60.
25. Gensler HL, Watson RR, Moriguchi S, Bowden GT. Effects of
dietary retinyl palmitate or 13-cis-retinoic acid on the
promotion of tumors in mouse skin. Cancer Res. 1987 Feb
15;47(4):967-70.
26. Abdel-Galil AM, Wrba H, El-Mofty MM. Prevention of
3-methylcholanthrene-induced skin tumors in mice by simultaneous
application of 13-cis-retinoic acid and retinyl palmitate
(vitamin A palmitate). Exp Pathol. 1984;25(2):97-102.
27. Sorg O, Tran C, Saurat JH. Cutaneous vitamins A and E in the
context of ultravioletor chemically-induced oxidative stress.
Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 2001 Nov- Dec;14(6):363-72.
Skin Care 1 < 2
Reprinted with the exclusive permission of Life
Extension Foundation
