SPECIALITY INGREDIENTS
The power of the cornflower to harmonise skin Our skin reflects our well-being, not only mirroring external issues but also internal concerns. This is especially true for anyone with sensitive or problematic skin – environmental stressors as well as inner turmoil will have a direct impact on their appearance. Karen Maier of Merck South Africa explores the benefits of RonaCare Balmance as the ultimate feel-good ingredient for sensitive and stressed skin.
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round 40% of the population reports having sensitive skin, with 9% claiming to have very sensitive skin. While the actual phenomenon is not fully understood, it is clear that sensitive skin triggers unpleasant sensations in response to certain stimuli. For example, skin can become dry, flaky, itchy or inflamed in response to chemical, physical, hormonal or psychological factors.
RonaCare Balmance is a skin comfort stabiliser for sensitive and problematic skin. It can restore skin harmony by reducing the susceptibility to redness, roughness and itching while suppressing skin irritation by impacting the inflammatory process. RonaCare Balmance is a natural extract of the Centaurea cyanus flower, more commonly known as the cornflower. It is
Table 1: RonaCare Balmance in vitro and ex vivo study results
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Target
Test description
Results
Suppression of skin irritation
In vitro (acute inflammation) enzymatic and cellular investigation
Inhibition of inflammation mediators COX-2 and LOX-5
Suppression of skin irritation
Ex vivo (acute Inflammation model) TNF-α induced inflammation on human umbilical vein endothelial cells; migration measurement of isolate human monocytes
Partial blocking of the adhesion and transmigration step of monocytes to the endothelial cells
Reducing the risk of chronic skin inflammation
In vitro (chronic inflammation) induction of inflammation with the chemokines CCL17 and CCL22; measurement of protein expression
Reduction of the expression of inflammation markers CCL5, MMP-2, IL-18 and CCL26, and a reduction of chronic Th2 inflammation
General skin defence
In vitro (antioxidant potential) DPPH assay
Dose dependent inhibition of DPPH radicals
OCTOBER 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA
sourced through a complex multi-step extraction process that includes supercritical CO2 extraction. The key bio-active ingredient is N-Feruloyl-serotonin. Several studies have shown that feruloyl-serotonin possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and serotonin-like properties.
OUTSTANDING SOOTHING BENEFITS Cornflowers have long been used in traditional medicine for their healing, antiseptic and comforting effects. The name Centaurea cyanus is derived from Greek mythology where the centaur Chiron used cornflower plants to heal Achilles after he was wounded by a poisoned arrow. RonaCare Balmance is produced in a sustainable, clean and safe process using modern technology, which allows Merck to make the most out of the bounty offered by cornflowers. Due to the high-tech extraction method, the active ingredient is obtained in defined and verifiable quantities ensuring biological efficiency. Comprehensive efficacy studies, both in vivo and in vitro, have proven the outstanding
