FORMULATING FOR MILDNESS
A comforting hug for sensitive skin
Isabelle Bonnet, Cécile Kalem, Aurélie Courtois – BASF Care Creations, France
In Japan, the land of the Rising Sun, beauty, wellbeing and serenity have all been intrinsically linked for millennia. Many wellness rituals are linked to nature, the volcanic character of the country and ancestral medicine practices. Bathing in volcanic waters – thermal hot springs called “onsen” – is a millennia- old ritual and the epitome of relaxation and physical and mental health. The volcanic waters of Kyushu, the southernmost island in Japan, hide a well-kept secret: the underground waters of the active volcano Mount Aso are a rare and exceptional aquatic environment that fulfil the conditions to allow the growth of the blue-green alga Aphanothece sacrum or Suizenji Nori, as it is called in Japanese. This miraculous creature is made up of a single cell consisting of half-alga, half-bacteria, and belongs to the cyanobacteria, the first primitive organisms to bring oxygen to the Earth. The scientific name “sacrum”, which means “sacred” was given to the algae because of its excellent growing environment. Suizenji Nori is the only microalga that according to existing records has been cultured as a food source for more than 300 years.1
Rich in iron and calcium, Suizenji
Nori is held in high esteem in Japan and is recognised as a national treasure. It is eaten as a delicacy, much like the truffle. But this alga is also prodigious for another reason: it is able to produce a giant polysaccharide called sacran. This molecule has a high molecular weight of over 107
g/mol.
160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
Untreated control
Innovative patch technology for mood-targeted beauty With sacran already being known for its soothing properties, BASF scientists have now discovered that it helps to stimulate the release of oxytocin, a neuropeptide that boosts emotional wellbeing. This property makes the polysaccharide even more valuable for use in skin care, since consumers are increasingly looking for products that trigger positive emotions and are beneficial for their mental state. In recent years, the wellness market has experienced a considerable boom not only in the world of beauty but also in fitness, food, tourism and food supplements. According to the US Health Management Trends Market Report, 42% of US consumers currently place great emphasis on their emotional wellbeing.2 Moving towards a more holistic concept of
beauty, a mood-targeted approach offers new opportunities for the cosmetics industry. In a survey by Mintel, 80% of French women agreed that feeling comfortable is more important to them than looking perfect.3
One conclusion is
certain: our mental state significantly influences the skin’s appearance – and vice versa. Many people suffer from sensitive skin caused by environmental influences and diet; however, it may also be triggered by their hormones or an overall imbalanced emotional state. Visible clinical signs include redness and dryness of the skin, accompanied by discomforting sensations such as tenseness, burning or tingling. All
(**) (*) +40% +25%
Statistic: Mean ± SD, n=3 One way ANOVA and Fisher test vs untreated control (*) p<0.05 (**) p<0.01
0.5% Sacred Patch Figure 1: Oxytocin release with Sacred Patch® at 0.5% and 2% compared to untreated control.
www.personalcaremagazine.com 2% ABSTRACT
There is no better sensation than feeling happy, confident and in harmony with ourselves. Consumers increasingly consider their emotional well-being as essential not only to mental health but also to physical health. Our state of mind, for instance, can significantly influence the appearance of our skin. Taking up the trend towards mood-targeted cosmetics and inspired by sacred Japanese beauty rituals, BASF has harnessed the power of the giant polysaccharide sacran, a precious Japanese algae extract, and incorporated this valuable ingredient into a molecular patch technology. Sacred Patch® helps to stimulate the release of the so called “tenderness neuropeptide” oxytocin. Furthermore, it provides an immediately perceptible uplift in the mood. At the same time, the active ingredient helps to soothe sensitive skin by contributing to the mitigation of pro-inflammatory responses. The innovative patch technology also has strong moisturisation properties that boost the exceptional water-attracting effect of sacran.
these skin conditions may, in turn, negatively impact our mood – a vicious circle that BASF scientists set out to break with their latest active ingredient, Sacred Patch® (INCI: Water (and) Glycerin (and) Pentylene Glycol (and) Algin (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Glyceryl Polyacrylate (and) Sodium Hyaluronate (and) Pullulan (and) Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharides). For this purpose, the valuable algae extract
sacran was integrated into a molecular patch technology consisting of three natural bio- polysaccharides that form a molecular mesh: pullulan, a gelling bio-polysaccharide produced by an extremophile microorganism able to adapt to harsh environments; alginate, a well-known pharmaceutical excipient naturally obtained from a brown alga; and hyaluronic acid, a highly hygroscopic molecule and first-choice ingredient in moisturising skin care products. Due to its high molecular weight, sacran is enclosed within the patch. The preservative-free Sacred Patch (now referred to as the sacran extract patch) works in three ways: it promotes emotional wellbeing, helps to soothe sensitive skin, and offers strong moisturisation properties.
April 2021 PERSONAL CARE
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Oxytocin released (% vs untreated control)
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