68 LIFESTYLE COSMETICS
Pumpkin seed extract to boost skin energy
Stefan Hettwer, Emina Besic Gyenge, Brigit Suter, Loya Schöffel, Sandra Peyer, Barbara Obermayer – Rahn ABSTRACT
There has been a lot of talk about energising the skin. The goal is always younger, radiant and resilient skin. However, the processes that need to take place in order to provide the energy have often been neglected. Powerful mitochondria managed by functioning autophagy are the key to a fit epidermis. Only the discovery of this indispensable connection leads to the track of how ageing skin gets new momentum. This article describes the secret of how Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin seed) extract in form of Rahn’s cosmetic active Reforcyl®-Aion can energise keratinocytes and make them ready for their final destiny.
Biochemical processes such as the production of metabolites, lipids, proteins and DNA require energy. This energy is predominantly supplied in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is produced in the mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells. Pyruvate from glycolysis is processed in the citric acid cycle to generate a proton gradient that drives ATP synthase. The resulting ATP is then used in multiple cellular processes. The processes involved in energy production
in the mitochondria are highly complex. For example, in the case of the respiratory chain, free electrons must be converted to water using oxygen and protons. Free electrons are extremely reactive so that if mitochondria are dysfunctional, you would be correct in thinking that there is a risk that reactive oxygen species (ROS) could be formed.1 This leads to a vicious cycle, as ROS readily
react with the mitochondrial DNA. Without intact DNA, mitochondria cannot function properly. In addition, ROS can directly disrupt the respiratory chain, making ATP production impossible. This means that the cells’ energy balance collapses. Dysfunctional mitochondria can form as a
result of general skin ageing, but this process is also promoted by disturbances in the metabolism of keratinocytes on their way to becoming corneocytes. Of course, extrinsic ROS and stress are factors that can contribute to the vicious cycle of dysfunctional mitochondria. Yet when and where is the energy needed in the epidermis?
PERSONAL CARE April 2023
How to maintain a self-renewing system In the epidermis, new keratinocytes are constantly reaching the surface of the skin from the basal layer. As they are pushed upwards, they prepare for their future task: they begin to differentiate. They transform from keratinocytes of the stratum spinosum into granulocytes that produce, following self-sacrifice, the components of the skin barrier: natural moisturisation factor (NMF), barrier lipids and keratin. Once this is completed, keratinocytes, now
cell sacs filled with NMF, assume their roles as corneocytes, the keratinized terminal form of these epidermal cells. These are embedded in the barrier lipids and provide an optimal skin barrier that can both repel pollutants and protect the skin from dehydration by reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL). At the end of their life cycle, the corneocytes are removed from the skin by desquamation.2 The epidermis renews itself once in about
every four weeks – in other words, the cells that are formed by division of the basal cells are shed four weeks later as scales. You might thus suppose that this system does not need any maintenance because it is designed to operate with parts that wear. Despite the fact that there is no need for replacement of materials, it is essential in such a system that the processes and procedures function properly. You could think of it as an assembly line: if the process stalls at an important point, the
entire production run comes to a standstill, or the end products pile up and are not transported away. So, it is quite feasible that the replenishment of corneocytes could be slowed down by skin ageing or even that excessive corneocytes could accumulate, as in the case of psoriasis. The key process in epidermal function is
terminal differentiation; that is, the conversion of keratinocytes to corneocytes.3
This
process consumes a lot of energy and needs to be organised in detail. The zone in the epidermis where this happens is the stratum granulosum. This is the area where the greatest transformation of cells occurs. Eventually all cellular components are
broken down, recycled and converted into new building blocks to form NMF, keratin and barrier lipids. As such, apart of the enormous amount of energy required, a reliable recycling system in the cells need to be working. It is not surprising that the highest level of mitochondrial activity and the greatest autophagy rate are observed in the stratum granulosum.4
Autophagy - the recycling centre of the cells There is only one system on Earth that is completely sustainable: the natural processes of creating life and recycling the past. The programming for this is already stored in the smallest living units, the cells. Ageing processes in particular result in accumulation of non- functioning proteins and cell organelles.
www.personalcaremagazine.com
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