Fully-biodegradable and skin-friendly beauty masks

SKIN CARE 1

Fully-biodegradable and skin-friendly beauty masks

n Pierfrancesco Morganti – University of Naples/Mavi Sud; Marco Palombo, Tommaso Anniboletti – CTO Hospital; Francesco Carezzi, Maria Luisa Nunziata, Gianluca Morganti – Mavi Sud, Italy A better understanding of the skin’s physiological and biological processes, and a deeper knowledge of biomaterials and bio-nanotechnology, made possible the progress in developing innovative bioengineered non-woven tissues.1–4 The majority of these new dressings, based on the use of natural, biodegradable, environmentally- and skin-friendly polymers, opened new windows for optimising the skin reparative processes, modulating the skin microbioma5 and the epidermal cellular turnover by a slowrelease of active ingredients. Thus a global skin regeneration is promoted.6–8 The natural fibres used to make these new dressings seem to be able to modulate the skin inflammatory conditions, acting also as regulators of both the epidermal lipids synthesis and extracellular matrix (ECM) organisation.9–11 Among these fibres, chitin nanofibrils (CNs), extracted from crustacean waste, industrially produced by our group by a low water and energy consumption process, seem useful to modulate the exuberant wound healing and premature skin ageing during the re-epithelialisation and regeneration processes.12,13 CNs, in fact, seem able to normalise the barrier function, regulating the cytokines cascade and the synthesis of both lamellae and collagen14–16. CNs are catabolised by chitotriosidase enzymes, present both in the environment and into the human body17 to produce glucosamine and acetyl glucosamine. These glucoside-derived molecules are the main components of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans, necessary for the glycosilation processes. Thus CNs having the same structure of ECM may be used also to produce nonwoven tissues18 characterised by their capability to facilitate cellular adhesion and skin cell proliferation. Additionally, due to their electropositive character, CNs have been complexed with the electronegative lignin, to obtain block co-polymeric nanoparticles entrapping different active ingredients useful for skin protection and November 2017

Figure 1: The electrospinning methodology.

Doctor blade

Casting the slurry onto a support*

5.Drying by IR irradiation

6. Taking off the film

Figure 2: The casting methodology.

regeneration. These specific nanoparticles, embedded into cosmetic emulsions or nonwoven tissues have shown whitening19 and photo-protection effectiveness.20 Moreover cross-linked with different nanofibres they can generate biocompatible scaffolds that exhibit

increased tensile strength, elastic modulus, water retention capacity, porosity and pliability, facilitating the biological effects of seeded cells. Thus, the cell-seeded scaffolds, obtained by the designed polymer blends and processes, can be implanted into the skin to initiate the

Figure 3: The gelation method to obtain the block-co-polymeric nanoparticles. PERSONAL CARE ASIA PACIFIC

2 SKIN CARE tissue characteristics. It may entrap and deliver the active ingredients at the level of different skin layers, while the enzyme chitotriosidase metabolises CN carrier giving rise to the production of acetyl glucosamine, glucosamine, and glucose. Acetyl glucosamine, reduced during ageing, could be used for the soMarket and study called glycosilation by the In the personal care products enzymatic process that attaches market, beauty masks are an glycans to lipids, proteins, increasing cosmetic segment with biopolymers and other molecules fast growth, with market values of (Fig 10), while glucosamine may $US 1.8 billion in China, $US1.1 Figure 4: The different penetration through the skin of the be utilised to synthesise billion in US, and 1.4 billion in EU, different-sized positive/negative nanoparticles. glycosaminoglycans, modulating respectively.21 Both women and the ECM structure.18 Finally men consider these products is increased because of the electrostatic necessary to complete skin care routine glucose could be used as key energy interaction between corneocytes and treatments, also because they represent an source for the cells to stabilise the skin excellent alternative to expensive professional lipid lamellae. In contrast, this controlled turnover, while lignin acts as antioxidant diffusion release is not allowed to the beauty centre treatments. The beauty mask network because of the many polyphenolic electronegative particles (Fig 4). Thus, market can be classified in two general units it is composed. according to the methodology used and categories of products: gel/emulsions and Therefore, it is important to underline the fibres/active ingredients selected, non-woven tissues. that these innovative non-woven tissues With this study we considered the tissue it has been possible to make different act both as carriers and active ingredients. kinds of beauty masks. masks only because, in our opinion, they Last but not least, the in-study innovative The obtained electrospun tissues are may be greatly innovated with the support beauty masks are made by fibres which, reported in Figure 5, and the film obtained of bionanotechnology. In fact, effective obtained from waste materials, may be by the casting technology in Figure 6. beauty masks made by safe and innovative completely metabolised by the skin cells From the first in vivo experimental data, non-woven tissues, have been produced and the environment. For all these reasons, it has been shown that these masks have by electrospinning and casting they are not only effective for aged and the ability to improve the barrier function technologies (Figs 1&2), and by the use of photoaged skin but also safe for sensitive in damaged skin (Fig 7) by increasing CNs and other biocompatible polymers skin, because they are free of preservatives, skin protection, hydration and firmness. and macromolecules, such as chitosan emulsifiers and other chemical ingredients. On the other hand, in vitro studies and lignin. Before being electrospun, evidenced their capability to improve CNs were bonded with lignin by the Conclusion TEWL and to increase skin hydration gelation method (Fig 3) to form block In conclusion, according to the UNEP, (Fig 8).21,22 Additionally it was shown their co-polymeric nanoparticles entrapping EOCD and EU programmes,25-27 the ascorbic sodium phosphate, melatonin anti-inflammatory activity due to the use of these beauty masks follows the and betaglucan. Depending on the modulation of interleukines-8, and their guidelines of the green economy, being methodology used, these nanoparticles protective and antibacterial activity due based on the utilisation of waste materials may be produced at different sizes and may to an increase of the defensine synthesis with a reduced consumption of water be charged negatively or positively on their (Fig 9).21–24 and energy. For all these reasons, their external surface, in order to be released at production and use could contribute different times and skin layers. to the human health, respecting also the Mode of activity When the micro/nanoparticles are environmental systems and the biodiversity The supposed mechanism of action of PC positively charged, the skin penetration the mask applied on wet skin is due to the of our planet. designed tissue regeneration. Therefore, by a controlled production, CN-based biomaterials can harbour a predictable structure and ideal degradation rates suitable for skin ageing treatments and/or wound healing.

n=10

Improvement (%)

100

50

0

Figure 5: The CN-lignin electrospun non-woven tissue. PERSONAL CARE ASIA PACIFIC

Figure 6: The CN-lignin film obtained by casting.

0

2

4

6

Weeks

12

18

24

Figure 7: Improvement of skin barrier function by CN-HA (CN linked to hyaluronic acid) nanoparticles.

November 2017

SKIN CARE 3

Average percentage change

80 60

n=30 –t=22˚C –RH=50%

n Untreated n Control n Active Bio-mask

67 48

40 20

16

18

28

Glucose

Significant P