80 SKIN CARE CHEEKS (% of variation of Sebum Level after 30 Days) Average value* -32% CHEEKS (% of variation of Number of Comedones after 30 Days) Average value* -26%
-100%
-75%
-50%
-25% Figure 2: Decrease of sebum level and number of comedones.
dynasty (Li, 1596), and it is still indicated in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as a medicine for the treatment of abdominal colic, vomiting, abdomen and lower back pain. Different formulations are used, including crude drug, powders and essential oils.3 Being known for its many benefits as a food source, star anise is now being investigated also as a natural ingredient for cosmetics, with many properties for skin health. In its extracts and essential oils, it is possible to identify the presence of several beneficial substances for skin, such as anethole, triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, and polyphenols, with high antioxidant, anti- inflammatory and antimicrobial activities.4, 5, 6 Moreover, Illicium verum fruit is the industrial source of shikimic acid, that is the primary ingredient in the anti-flu drug Oseltamivir phosphate and actually used as precursor for the synthesis of many chemical substances for pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetic industries.7
The
interesting variety of active components which Illicium verum is rich in and the evidence of its different activities have therefore made it a perfect starting ingredient to counteract the clinical manifestations of a widespread pathology such as acne.
Material and methods Star Anise Extract efficacy has been tested on the four principal symptoms associated to the Acne vulgaris, i.e: the proliferation of P. acnes, the release of inflammatory mediators, the amount of sebum and the number of comedones.
Clinical test results The clinical test was performed on 20
PERSONAL CARE EUROPE
healthy male and female subjects, aged 18 to 65 years-old, with greasy skin. The application was twice a day (morning and evening) on cheeks, while the forehead was used as a control zone. The study showed a significant decrease in the amount of sebum and number of comedones after 30 days of treatment.
The amount of sebum was measured
through the use of a Sebumeter and the comedones were highlighted by using the Dino-Lite digital microscope with UV light source, a digital micro-camera that provides high resolution images (Fig 1). At a concentration of 2%, both the sebum level on skin and the number of comedones significantly decrease, by an average value of, respectively, 32% and 26% (Fig 2).
In vitrotest results
Other fundamental activities involved in the reduction of the above-mentioned clinical manifestations tested in the in vivo study, were instead investigated and tested in vitro.
Indeed, the antimicrobial effectiveness
of the product was evaluated by determining the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) equal to 2%, while the anti- inflammatory activity was observed due to a decrease in the release of an inflammation mediator: IL 1-alpha (up to - 79%).
Anti-microbial activity Different bacterial species are normally found in the pilosebaceous unit and are constantly released onto the skin surface during sebum secretion. Among these, the Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium
Propionibacterium acnes plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acne by acting both directly and indirectly. Indeed, in hyperseborrhea conditions (excessive sebum production) P. acnes proliferates exaggeratedly, leading to the obstruction of the pilosebaceous duct which in an advanced phase can even end up exploding, releasing its entire content into the surrounding tissue. P. acnes is also able to produce substances that stimulate the immune system, thus activating the inflammatory response, like many enzymes such as proteinases, lipases, hyaluronidases and chemotactic factors, worsening skin condition.8
An antibacterial action is therefore fundamental and is evaluated through the determination of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) or the lowest concentration able to inhibit the microbial growth by at least 90%. As mentioned above, the tested ingredient shows a MIC of 2%.
Anti-inflammatory activity The inflammatory response appears from the first stages of the acne disease and its worsening leads to increasingly evident skin lesions. Initial clinical manifestations, such as comedones, may evolve into much more serious and troublesome injuries, i.e.: papules, pustules and nodules. In order to prevent the development of these clinical manifestations, an anti-inflammatory activity is required.
The inflammatory phenomenon begins
and spreads through the production of chemical factors also called inflammation mediators, which are produced locally and
April 2019
-0% * p value<0.05
-100%
-75%
-50%
-25%
-0% * p value<0.05
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