SKIN PROTECTION 139
An antipollution shield from sustainable sericin
n Valentina Mastria - Res Pharma Innovative Ingredients, Italy
The silk industry is one of the oldest and most fascinating industrial realities, where tradition, history and innovation fuse perfectly. Silk has recently found new applications in the field of bio-materials as it has a unique polymeric structure which makes it one of the most resistant materials in nature.
Sericin, which composes only a small part of silk and is a production by-product, is a highly interesting protein for the cosmetic industry. It has known high affinity for the skin and hair on which it creates a protective film from atmospheric particulate matter. Processing of silk to produce the thread
(filature) involves washing and degumming phases in which the thread is washed and soaked in soapy water in order to soften and remove the sericin. The degumming water, rich in sericin at different molecular weights, is then properly purified, concentrated and dried. This standardised, rigid procedure produces a high quality ‘waste’ sericin powder. The ‘zero-waste’ philosophy at the basis
of this process, has given an added value to a raw material that otherwise would have remained waste. A real example of sustainable recovery. The sustainable process includes a ‘Km-0’ approach for raw materials which are supplied by selected textile industries within a range of 200 km.
Cosmetic activity Environmental pollutants are mainly composed of inorganic carbon particles and fibres conglomerated together by organic molecules of various kinds which are often very harmful to the body and the skin. These particles have a diameter varying between 1 and 500 μm; their toxicity increases with decreasing diameter, reaching the maximum dangerousness and transdermal penetration at 1 - 5 μm. It has been widely demonstrated that the penetration of atmospheric particulate matter through the skin stimulates lipid peroxidation3,4
accelerates oxidative stress5
and causes cellular damage which are amplified by UVB rays.6
All of these factors
put together lead to premature skin ageing that manifest as skin spots, loss of luminosity
April 2020 T3 T3 Figure 1: Photographs at different times (T0, T2 and T3) for both areas, treated and untreated. PERSONAL CARE EUROPE Abstract
Particulate matter in the atmosphere has been proven to be one of the main causes of skin ageing.1
Studies have shown that PM0.3 - 2.5 particles condition the inflammatory
response of both skin receptors and the epidermal structure. The most recent scientific evidence suggests that the mechanisms by which environmental pollution causes damage to the skin are: free radical formation, alteration of the skin microflora, activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and of the inflammatory cascade. PM2.5 can cause alterations in the epidermis by increasing cholesterol synthesis with a transient accumulation of epidermal cholesterol content and decrease of squalene.2 Data show that a pure, regenerated sericin, obtained by a circular economy process, has an anti-pollution effect, creates a protective film on the skin and hair and promotes the removal of atmospheric particulate matter. The regenerated sericin helps prevent the accumulation of particulate matter on the epidermis and improves skin appearance, making it brighter and smoother. Applied on the hair, it has shown to exert a film- forming action and promotes an ‘instant repair’ effect. Sericin regeneration is an example of a truly circular process in which materials that have concluded their life cycle, in this case in the silk processing industry, can be recovered and give form to new, exceptional grade material.
Treated Untreated
T0
T0
T2
T2
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196
