PURITY OF THE ACTIVES: EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY

Dr. Simone Gabbanini, Quality Control

More and more often I come across websites and articles where it elevates itself the importance of the purity of plant extracts used in formulations, linking it directly to effectiveness.

Purity of plant extracts and effectiveness, what is the relationship?

Let's clarify for two simple things 2 reasons:

1. The effectiveness is related to both the purity of the extract and its % included in the formula
2. If my extract is titrated at 60%, what does the remaining 40% consist of?

The first point it implies that I can also use a 100% pure extract, but if I then use a tenth of it in the formula compared to competitors who use a 50% extract, I still have a potentially less effective finished product. So, what really influences effectiveness and the final active content in the formulation.

The aspect highlighted at second point it is much more important as it is closely related to the safety of the cosmetic product. That is to say, a low titre plant extract it will definitely contain higher % of solvents of extraction and/or undeclared components compared to one with a higher content, i.e. purer.

In modern cosmetics, where the border with the pharmaceutical sector is increasingly ambiguous (for years there has been talk of cosmeceutics precisely to underline this trend), and not only that the active ingredients contribute to the effectiveness , but the technical-functional ingredients, those which in the pharmaceutical field are defined as excipients, also play an important role at various levels.

According to studies conducted at i BeC laboratories and published in journals with a strong scientific impact [1-4] it has been proven that essential oils and certain free fatty acids and/or contained in vegetable oils , they work from enhancers , that is promoters, for the percutaneous absorption of some vitamins hydro- and fat-soluble active at dermal level.

Therefore, returning to the purity of the ingredients, it goes without saying that the use of high-level extracts, and in any case high purity raw materials, leaves less physical space in the formula for unknown and potentially harmful components (additives, plasticizers, solvents, colorants, etc.) which, like the active ingredients you want promote absorption , they can penetrate the skin. I therefore underline the importance of purity and of quality of extracts , oils and natural active ingredients used in cosmetic formulations in order to ensure effectiveness and safety of use, without being too fascinated by ambiguous slogans in meaning.

Insights

[4] L. Valgimigli, S. Gabbanini, E. Berlini, E. Lucchi, C. Beltramini and YL Bertarelli. Lemon (Citrus limon, Burm.f.) essential oil enhances the trans-epidermal release of lipid- (A, E) and water- (B6, C) soluble vitamins from topical emulsions in reconstructed human epidermis, International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 34 (2012) 347–356 .