3 minute read
Healthy protection against oxidation
The increased demand for natural cosmetics has resulted in more and more oils and fats being used as a base for formulations. These key ingredients are highly prone to oxidation due to their fatty acid composition. BTSA has developed a full range of antioxidants based on tocopherols which protect fats and oils by blocking free radicals, ultimately delaying the onset of the oxidative process.
The skin, in addition to being the largest organ of the human body, acts as a protective shield against external aggressions from the environment such as UV rays, atmospheric pollution or the cold. Therefore, it is of great importance to protect it daily to promote its regeneration and to ensure the skin fulfils its function.
The base of many natural cosmetic formulations and key ingredients are oils and fats. The fatty acid composition of oils and fats makes them highly prone to oxidation and, consequently, to the loss of their benefits. As a solution and to keep the nutrients of oils and fats intact so that they can exert their correct function on the skin, the cosmetics industry adds a series of antioxidants to formulations, which in some cases are of synthetic origin.
But today’s consumers are looking for cosmetic products which provide the same benefits without the use of synthetic ingredients or additives, especially those with a questionable impact on human health.
In this sense, manufacturers of personal care products must seek new antioxidant solutions which are of natural origin and which have the same or even better antioxidant effectiveness as their synthetic counterparts. BTSA, represented locally by CJP Chemicals, offers customised natural solutions that meet the needs of each manufacturer, developing tailored products and providing technical advice.
Oxidative stability improvement
Degradation and consequent rancidity of fats and oils is detectable from the beginning. Exposing fats and oils to high temperatures accelerates the oxidation of their compounds, estimating their behaviour in the long term through different tests such as the Rancimat.
BTSA carried out a study at its R&D centre in order to determine the performance of its antioxidants Tocobiol C and Tocobiol XT C when added to some of the most commonly used cosmetic ingredients. Equal doses of Tocobiol C and Tocobiol XT C (1 000ppm) were added to shea butter, avocado oil, almond oil, coconut oil and macadamia oil as part of the study.
Tocobiol antioxidants
Tocobiol C is obtained from the distillation of a single raw ingredient, whole non-GMO soybean oil. It naturally contains mixed tocopherols, plant sterols and squalene, which provide its unique antioxidant and dispersibility properties.
It is known that squalene acts mainly as a scavenger of peroxide radicals formed in the autoxidation process due to the donation of electrons from the methyl groups of squalene. It also helps in the regeneration of tocopherol.
Regarding its benefits on the skin, squalene neutralises reactive oxygen, protecting the skin from lipid peroxidation produced by exposure to ultraviolet light or other sources of light. squalene also plays an important role as a lubricant and as a constituent of adipose tissue, helping to maintain its health, moisture and smoothness.1 In cosmetics, it is generally used as a carrier for active lipophilic molecules thanks to its ability to bypass the skin barrier.
Tocobiol XT C is a synergistic blend of BTSA’s Tocobiol antioxidant and green tea extract.
The lipid-soluble tea polyphenols help to delay the oxidation of fatty acids due to the hydroxyl groups (-OH) present in the catechins, which are the antioxidants found at the highest proportion in the green tea.
The data obtained from the study reflects that BTSA’s natural antioxidants are proven effective in increasing the stability of all the ingredient samples: shea butter, avocado oil, almond oil, coconut oil, and macadamia oil. Because each ingredient has a different fatty acid profile, some differences were noted in the efficacy of the antioxidants. •
