Enriching Repair Night Cream

Abstract
The skin constitutes the largest organ of the human body. Years of research has yielded an array of pharmaceuticals and cosmetic products aimed at helping to treat various disorders and undesirable effects of skin aging. The cosmetic industry, especially, has been flooded with many products, ingredients and claims of which cream, lotion, or serum has the most desirable effects of achieving the proverbial fountain of youth. While many products contain ingredients which are essential to maintaining healthy skin one of the more fundamental aspects is the delivery of these ingredients through the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin, into the epidermis where these ingredients will begin to work at the cellular level working its way from the inside out for healthier, younger looking skin.

Delivery is the Key
Miaj™ Enriching Repair Night Cream uses key ingredients designed to improve overall skin health. These key ingredients have been encapsulated in a patented delivery system know as a Novasome®. In a Novasome®, typically 100% of lipid soluble materials and 70-80% of water soluble ingredients are encapsulated in non-phospholipid spherical vesicle. These nano-particle vesicles can be engineered in size to penetrate to the level of skin desired. Larger vesicles will remain on the stratum corneum while smaller vesicles can be engineered to penetrate into the epidermis where key ingredients have the ability to interact with cellular components. The multiple bilayers, which constitute each vesicle, provide a built in time release mechanism. As the vesicles penetrate into the stratum corneum, each layer is stripped away by a combination of active transport and diffusion into surrounding tissues allowing alternating aqueous and lipid soluble materials to be delivered. A comparison of the penetration of various actives contained in a traditional emulsion was measured against the Novasome® technology. The results concluded that the penetration of the Novasome® preparation surpassed that of the traditional emulsion when delivering various actives past the stratum corneum into the epidermis.

Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which was isolated in 1934.3 Hyaluronic acid, also referred to as Hyaluronin, is present throughout the body. The greatest amount of hyaluronin is present in both the dermis and the epidermis layers of the skin.4 Although hyaluronic acid is a large molecule, studies have shown that it can penetrate through the stratum corneum to the epidermis and even make it as far as the dermis of intact human skin.5 This key ingredient has been implicated as an anti-aging ingredient for its role in the hydration of tissue. The effects include softening of skin, decrease in wrinkles as well as a marked increase in skin smoothness. As we age, the water holding ability of naturally occurring hyaluronic acid decreases due to depolymerization.6 This may result in dry, rough skin with noticeable wrinkles. The hyualuronic acid in Miaj™ Enriching Repair Night Cream forms a viscoelastic film, which has a high affinity for water, over the skin resulting in excellent moisturization assisting in combating wrinkles.

Butyrospermum parkii (Shea butter)
Shea Butter is widely used in many cosmetic formulations. It has been implicated as an anti-inflammatory agent as well as exhibiting beneficial ultraviolet (UV) sun protection. UV sun protection is a particularly important function, in that it can help to decrease damage caused by UV exposure which produces free radicals.7,8 These byproducts of UV exposure have been linked to advancing the aging process of the skin and have been associated with the development of skin cancer. While the exact mechanism of the healing properties associated with shea butter remains a mystery, studies have revealed this ingredient exhibits excellent moisturization properties.9,10 One of the most widely sited shea butter clinical study revealed improved appearance of the skin making it softer and smoother in 4-6 weeks when used daily.8 When used over an extended period of time shea butter exhibited regeneration properties thus increasing skin texture, improving wrinkles associated with UV exposure and overall diminishing various signs of aging.

Tocopheryl Acetate
Tocopheryl Acetate is the form of Tocopherol (Vitamin E) used in most commercially available cosmetic products. Studies have shown that this form is easily absorbed into the skin.11 It has also shown to be beneficial in the treatment of many skin disorders or skin related injuries in which inflammatory responses have been activated.12 In the skin, tocopheryl acetate acts as an antioxidant to significantly decrease the harmful activity free radical production by 23.9%.

Aloe Vera
For centuries, aloe vera has been associated with healing properties making it a key ingredient in various holistic remedies or when used alone topically in its pure form. Data from clinical studies is now beginning to shed some light on the effects of this beneficial ingredient. Clinical studies have been conducted on aloe vera to treat various skin disorders such as psoriasis and sehborrhea dermatitis.14,15 Psoriasis, a chronic skin disorder, is marked by flaky and patchy raised areas present on the surface of skin due, primarily, to an overproduction of skin cells. Seborrhea dermatitis, another type of skin disorder, results in oily skin usually present with inflamed, scaly eruptions on various parts of the body. The result of the two studies, using topically applied aloe vera, showed significant reduction in seborrhea dermatitis and marked improvement of symptoms of psoriasis when compared to the placebo. One particular study provided a deeper look at the healing properties of this unique ingredient. Wounds treated with aloe vera exhibited an increase in synthesized GAGs, such as hyaluronic acid.16 This finding, in conjunction with elevated levels of glycohydrolases, indicated that there was an increase in cell turnover of the matrix. Aloe vera was found to have positively influenced synthesis of GAGs, and thus concluded it to beneficially modulate wound healing.

Ceramides
The term 'sphingolipid' constitutes ceramides I-VII. These polar lipids play a crucial role in the stratum corneum influencing epidermal barrier function.17 Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is an example of a barrier function regulated by the stratum corneum. This is an issue which many dermatologic and cosmetic products are designed to combat. One particular study revealed that structural lipids, such as ceramides, have a crucial role in the stratum corneum helping to prevent transepidermal water loss.18 Other studies also indicate that lipid morphology influences the barrier function of normal skin. Other functional ingredients of Miaj™ Enriching Repair Night Cream include: Ederline® (pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract combined with phytosterol and tocopherol vitamins), Sepilift™ (Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline), Dermaxyl® (Palmitoyl Oligopeptide combined with Ceramide 2, sterols and Tribenhin) and BV-OSC (Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate). Ederline® contains phytohormones, which has demonstrated anti-wrinkle properties, implicating their importance as a valuable ingredient in skin care formulations.20 Ederline® was used to treat fibroblasts, which are components of the skin responsible for the synthesis of collagen. The in vitro study showed significant increases in the synthesis of Collagen I, Collagen III and fibronectin. Collagen I is found in the dermis layer of the skin while Collagen III and fibronectin are linked to involvement in many cell processes, most importantly tissue repair.21 Sepilift™, dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, is a single amino acid derivative which acts as a hydroxyproline "lipovector". The "vector" component of this ingredient is responsible for facilitating the penetration of Hydroxyproline, which is a major component of collagen, into the skin. Four weeks of in vivo testing evealed anti-wrinkle properties as well as moisturizating properties when compared to a placebo.22 In vitro testing of Dermaxyl® confirmed activation of skin matrix cleansing as in vivo testing confirmed decreases in wrinkle depth and volume over a 2 month time period.23 BV-OSC, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, is a form of vitamin C which is oil soluble and has been stabilized. Its properties include increased collagen synthesis and protection as well as displaying properties of anti-oxidants. Results of in vitro testing of tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate showed an increase in collagen by 50%. Other tests showed better penetration when compared to magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and better delivery of pure Vitamin C as much as 50 time better than that of ascorbic acid.

Botanical Ingredients
Cucumber extract, white tea extract, evening primrose oil, hydrogenated avocado oil and cupuacu butter are believed to be beneficial in cosmetic formulation, especially if they can be delivered to the stratum corneum. The herbal extracts, cucumber and white tea, have long been associated with possessing free radical scavenger properties. Both are used in anti-aging formulations helping to provide moisturization and detoxification effects. Evening primrose oil has been studied as a possible treatment for skin disorders such as eczema. When topically applied there was a decrease in inflammatory related responses, scaling and dryness.25 Hydrogenated avocado oil and cupuacu butter are believed to help provide excellent moisturization to the skin helping to maintain elasticity.

Miaj™ Enriching Repair Night Cream
These key ingredients encapsulated in Miaj™ Enriching Repair Night Cream, along with the Novasome® delivery system, can assist skin in promoting dermal repair by providing it with the necessary components and delivering them through the stratum corneum.

Clinical Study
An independent testing laboratory performed a four week clinical study. Subjects were instructed to apply Miaj™ Enriching Repair Night Cream every night for the duration of the study. The results were reported as follows:
100% reported noticeable improvement in skin moisturization
100% reported noticeable improvement in skin softness
100% reported noticeable improvement in skin smoothness
100% reported noticeable improvement in overall skin appearance
90% reported noticeable improvement in fine line reduction
90% reported noticeable improvement in wrinkle reduction
90% reported noticeable improvement in skin texture
90% reported noticeable improvement in skin firmness/elasticity

Additional Clinical Study Testing:
Skin firmness was measured at the end of the 4 week study using Ballistometry. This method involves a Ballistometer which releases a pendulum to the surface of the skin and the resultant bouncing pattern of the pendulum is analyzed by a computer to determine skin firmness. Results showed a significant increase in skin firmness of 28%.

References

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21. Study provided by Vincience.
22. Study provided by Seppic.
23. Study provided by Sederma.
24. Study provided by Barnet.
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