Cosmetics

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Consumers’ demand for high-quality and efficient cosmetics and personal care products continues to grow worldwide. In response, thousands of new products are launched on the market every year. To be viable, the new formulations have to comply with the highest quality standards, demonstrating proven activity, as well as international and national regulations. In addition, they have to be as natural as possible, being produced using sustainable and ecofriendly technology, having a low carbon footprint and recyclable packing, and being reasonably priced. Over the past decade, we have witnessed significant advances in the research into and development of cosmetics. Hundreds of new natural active ingredients originating from plants, microbes, algae, moss, snails, fish, and minerals have been developed and commercialized. With the advances in cellular agriculture, a lot of active substances, produced using plant cells and tissue culture technology, precision fermentation, and biotransformation have been introduced. New insights in natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) research has allowed the application of highly efficient renewable green extraction technologies for the development of active cosmetic ingredients. At the same time, the research into and development of new, safe, and ecofriendly polymers, emulsifiers, gelling agents, surfactants, and preservative continues. The advances in microbiome research provides new insights for understanding the importance of microbiota for human wellness, and thus, many cosmetic formulations now include prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic ingredients. Meanwhile, scientific interest in new delivery systems as exosomes (extracellular vesicles), liposomes and nanoparticles has rapidly increased. However, the problems with regulations concerning quality control, safety, nomenclature, activity claims, and labeling in different markets (Europe, Asia, and the USA) remains apparent.

For this Special Issue, we welcomes reviews and/or original research papers describing recent advances in the development of innovative cosmetic formulations, active ingredients and technologies for their preparation, new green extraction technologies and new delivery systems, methods for the evaluation of biological activities, mechanisms of action and cosmetic effectiveness, new polymers, gelling agents, preservatives, recyclable and ecofriendly packaging, and toxicity, safety, and regulatory issues.

Dr. Vasil Georgiev
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cosmetics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cosmeceuticals
nutricosmetics
active ingredients
preservatives
delivery systems
green extraction systems
plant cell and tissue culture products
natural polymers
exosomes
skin microbiome

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 2490 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interaction of Perfumes with Cytochrome P-450 19

by Iva Drejslarová, Tomáš Ječmen and Petr Hodek

Cosmetics 2024, 11(2), 33; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cosmetics11020033 - 23 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1799

Abstract

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes play a key role in the metabolism of foreign compounds and in the biosynthesis and catabolism of endogenous substances, including hormones. The activity of these enzymes can be affected by various xenobiotics, such as pollutants, food constituents, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic products, which can disrupt the endocrine system by interfering with steroidogenic CYPs. CYP19, also known as aromatase, is a crucial enzyme for testosterone conversion into 17β-estradiol, which is the final step in estrogen biosynthesis. Endocrine disruptors have the potential to inhibit CYP19 activity, leading to an imbalance in estrogen levels in the body. This imbalance can impair reproduction and cause osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, dementia, and some types of cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of commercially available perfumes on testosterone aromatization to 17β-estradiol. For this purpose, we used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection and HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) to examine CYP19 activity with and without perfume. The results showed that all perfumes tested (in a 300-fold dilution) had an inhibitory effect on this enzyme-catalyzed reaction, particularly the Montale^® fragrance, ‘Intense Roses Musk’, which decreased 17β-estradiol production by 88% in comparison with the control. Upon exposure to UV light, the inhibitory effect of this perfume did not decrease. But exposure to UV light significantly increased the inhibitory capacity of another perfume with a weak baseline inhibitory effect. To ascertain whether this inhibition was caused by CYP19 interactions with perfumes, we measured the catalytic activity of NADPH:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CYPOR), the CYP reaction partner, with one selected perfume, ‘Intense Roses Musk’ by Montale^®, and found no significant CYPOR inhibition. Accordingly, the decrease in testosterone conversion into 17β-estradiol caused by this perfume derives solely from CYP19. Combined, our findings highlight the importance of testing perfumes rather than single ingredients to determine their potential for adverse effects and to ensure consumer safety because their mixtures can interfere with a key enzyme of estrogen biosynthesis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Cosmetics—Recent Advances and Perspectives)

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Review

Jump to: Research

29 pages, 1254 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances in Microneedling-Assisted Cosmetic Applications

by Rania Hamed, Baraah Jehad Abu Nahia, Ahlam Zaid Alkilani, Yasmeen Al-Adhami and Rana Obaidat

Cosmetics 2024, 11(2), 51; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cosmetics11020051 - 02 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1268

Abstract

Microneedling, also known as percutaneous collagen induction, using microneedling devices and fabricated microneedle patches, has been widely employed in cosmetic applications for acne scar treatment, skin care, hair loss, melasma, skin rejuvenation, and skin cancer. The micro-channels formed by microneedling through the stratum corneum facilitate the delivery of cosmetic agents and stimulate collagen and elastin production by inducing the wound-healing cascade, keeping the skin shiny and wrinkle-free. Several cosmetic agents, such as ascorbic acid, hyaluronic acid, retinoids, niacinamide, and peptides, have been delivered by microneedling. This review aims to highlight the use of microneedling devices and fabricated microneedle patches in facilitating the delivery of cosmetic agents through the skin layers. Moreover, the differences between the microneedling devices, commonly used alone or in combinational treatments with topical formulations, are explored. Furthermore, the safety of microneedling in terms of skin irritation, pain sensation, skin or systemic infection, and chemical and biological materials used in the fabrication of microneedles is discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Cosmetics—Recent Advances and Perspectives)

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