44 SUN CARE
protective molecules into the skin cells. ET-1 and a-MSH are not only improving the performance of the melanocyte, but they also protect the melanocyte against reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell death, and mutation. The melanocyte has long dendrites that
reach throughout the epidermis. The eumelanin is delivered from the melanocyte to the keratinocyte through these dendrites. The mechanism can be compared to a tattoo syringe (Figure 1A). The pigment positions itself at the sun-
exposed side of the cell in order to protect the DNA (Figure 1B). The more pigmentation, the lower the chance that the skin is damaged by UV radiation. Our pigmented layer of skin cells is like sunscreen. However, this sunscreen is not on the skin,
like mineral and chemical sunscreens do, but is inside the skin. There is no need for reapplying every two hours and the melanin is perfectly distributed all over the skin. Melanin works all the time even after swimming. The second defence mechanism deals with the malicious ROS that are generated from UV radiation. ROS, also known as free radicals, are highly reactive chemicals. When there is too much ROS present it leads to oxidative stress and consequently cellular damage, which includes lipid peroxidation, fragmented DNA, and cell death. In addition, ROS leads to the degradation of
collagen, causing premature ageing. Fortunately, the skin does not give up. The immune cells deliver powerful antioxidants, such as glutathione, to protect the keratinocytes against ROS. The immune cells also produce growth factors to support the correct growth of collagen. The final major defence strategy is to repair
cell damage. Cells are very resilient and have developed clever mechanisms to repair critical DNA damage. However, when the cell decides that the
damage is beyond repair, it sacrifices itself. This process of programmed cell death is called apoptosis. The keratinocytes also get help from the immune cells to repair their DNA.
Giving nature a helping hand Unfortunately, the skin’s own defence suffers from a paradox between the protection from pigmentation and the immune system. On one hand, sun exposure is needed to fully activate
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A B
Figure 1: Melanosome delivery. A: The melanocyte delivers a melanosome to a nearby keratinocyte. B The melanosome positions itself at the sun-exposed side of the cell to protect the DNA from UV-induced damage
the keratinocyte-melanocyte UV protection, while the immune system is too damaged to work efficiently. On the other hand, during limited sun
exposure, the immune system is fully operational, while no protective eumelanin is produced. Limited UV light occurs during winter and when a high SPF cream is used. Due to this paradox, the skin’s own protection is restricted and can never reach its full potential. To compensate for this gap, we apply
sunscreens. This significantly lowers the dose of UV that penetrates the skin. Unfortunately, this also lowers the production of highly protective eumelanin. So, there is a need for improvement. The
use of sunscreens leads to a less intense tan, which causes people to expose themselves more to UV light. A novel approach to solve the paradox and to combine tanning with optimal protection is to boost the skin’s own defence strategy on top of using sunscreens. A glucose-mannose biopolymer (GMB)
combined with a water-soluble glucan, and low molecular weight sodium hyaluronate makes our skin’s defence independent from the amount of UV exposure. GMB guarantees that our defence is working all the time. GMB is a molecule that supports the
communication between all the protective cells of the skin. This article highlights that UV protection can be significantly improved by
Placebo Cream ■ GMB Cream ■
maximalizing the skin’s own defence system under all circumstances. GMB maintains this improved defence under
all circumstances, with or without UV exposure, by acting directly on the keratinocytes and the immune cells. Without UV, GMB ensures that the keratinocytes are still producing α-MSH. Moreover, GMB improves the α-MSH and
ET-1 production during sun exposure. Because GMB results in more signals for pigmentation, communication with the melanocyte is improved. As a result of this, the melanocyte is performing optimally, even under reduced UV light. In addition, GMB improves the activity of the
immune cells even under intensive UV exposure. GMB solves in this way the paradox between tanning and skin protection.
An active ingredient that offers total UV skin protection GMB unlocks some impressive activities in the skin, such as tanning, anti-ageing, DNA repair, and purifying of the skin.
Tanning
The most prominent activity that GMB offers is improved tanning. GMB improves tanning on four levels: faster tanning, more intense tanning, prolonged short-term tanning, and prolonged long-term tanning. All these effects can be derived from the fact that GMB supports the keratinocyte’s production of ET-1 and a-MSH.
Placebo Cream ■ GMB Cream ■
Accelerated tanning
More intense tanning
Figure 2: Results of a study among 22 volunteers to assess the speed of tanning and the intensity of tanning. People were either treated with a cream containing 0.06% GMB or a placebo. The Y-axis shows how many people experienced an accelerated tan or a more intense tan. The plot shows that GMB accelerates the tan and gives a more intense tan
PERSONAL CARE October 2023 0 2 4 6 8 Tan prolonging period (days)
Figure 3: The number of days that your skin is still tanned with 0.06% GMB and placebo after you stop applying GMB. With GMB your tan is still maintained ten days after you stop treatment
www.personalcaremagazine.com 10 12
(%)
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