I decided to make a mini blog about cosmetic active ingredients
more aimed at cosmetic supplements ( cosmetics containing ingredients that you can find in your nearest supplement shop)
If they're legal for oral use,
they are likely legal for topical use as long as you're careful with your claimsm or lack of.
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Folic acid and creatine improve the firmness of human skin in vivo
Frank Fischer PhD Volker Achterberg PhD Annette März PhD Stefan Puschmann BE Christian‐Dennis Rahn PhD Vivien Lutz MSc Andrea Krüger Laboratory Technician Helge Schwengler Laboratory Technician Sören Jaspers Graduate Engineer of Medical Technology Urte Koop Graduate Engineer of Medical Technology Thomas Blatt PhD Horst Wenck PhD Stefan Gallinat PhD First published: 21 February 2011https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-2165.2010.00543.x
Volker Achterberg, Beiersdorf AG, Research & Development, Department of Skin Biology & Skin Structure, Bf. 510, Unnastrasse 48, 20245 Hamburg, Germany. E‐mail: volker.achterberg@beiersdorf.comRead the full textAbout
SummaryBackground The decrease in firmness is a hallmark of skin aging. Accelerated by chronic sun exposure, fundamental changes occur within the dermal extracellular matrix over the years, mainly impairing the collagenous network.
Aims Based on the qualitative and quantitative assessment of skin firmness, in vitro and in vivo studies were carried out to elucidate the effects of topical folic acid and creatine to counteract this age‐dependent reduction in the amount of collagen.
Patients/Methods Topical application of a commercially available formulation containing folic acid and creatine was performed to study effects on skin firmness in vivo using cutometric analysis. Imaging and quantification of collagen density were carried out using multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM). To investigate the effects of these compounds on collagen gene expression, procollagen synthesis, and collagen fibril organization, complementary in vitro studies on cultured fibroblast‐populated collagen gels were carried out.
Results The underlying structural changes in the collagen network of young and aged sun‐exposed facial skin in vivo were visualized by MPLSM. Topical application of a folic acid‐ and creatine‐containing formulation significantly improved firmness of mature skin in vivo. Treatment of fibroblast‐populated dermal equivalents with folic acid and creatine increased collagen gene expression and procollagen levels and improved collagen fiber density, suggesting that the in vivo effects are based on the overall improvement of the collagen metabolism.
Conclusions Employing MPLSM, dermal changes occurring in photo‐aged human skin were visualized in an unprecedented manner and correlated to a loss of firmness. Treatment of aged skin with a topical formulation containing folic acid and creatine counteracted this age‐dependent decline by exerting sustained effects on collagen metabolism. Our results support previous findings on the efficacy of these actives.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1473-2165.2010.00543.x
http://www.academia.edu/26443494/Folic_acid_and_creatine_improve_the_firmness_of_human_skin_in_vivo
... The test formulation used in all studies was the commercially available Nivea Visage DNAge (Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany) containing folic acid and creatine...
... 7 days washoff, then visits at baseline, 2 and 5 weeks...
Dermal penetration of creatine from a face-care formulation containing creatine, guarana and glycerol is linked to effective antiwrinkle and antisagging efficacy in male subjects.
Author information
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The dermal extracellular matrix provides stability and structure to the skin. With increasing age, however, its major component collagen is subject to degeneration, resulting in a gradual decline in skin elasticity and progression of wrinkle formation. Previous studies suggest that the reduction in cellular energy contributes to the diminished synthesis of cutaneous collagen during aging.
AIMS:
To investigate the potential of topically applied creatine to improve the clinical signs of skin aging by stimulating dermal collagen synthesis in vitro and in vivo.
PATIENTS/METHODS:
Penetration experiments were performed with a pig skin ex vivo model. Effects of creatine on dermal collagen gene expression and procollagen synthesis were studied in vitro using cultured fibroblast-populated collagen gels. In a single-center, controlled study, 43 male Caucasians applied a face-care formulation containing creatine, guarana extract, and glycerol to determine its influence on facial topometric features.
RESULTS:
Cultured human dermal fibroblasts supplemented with creatine displayed a stimulation of collagen synthesis relative to untreated control cells both on the gene expression and at the protein level. In skin penetration experiments, topically applied creatine rapidly reached the dermis. In addition, topical in vivo application of a creatine-containing formulation for 6 weeks significantly reduced the sagging cheek intensity in the jowl area as compared to baseline. This result was confirmed by clinical live scoring, which also demonstrated a significant reduction in crow's feet wrinkles and wrinkles under the eyes.
CONCLUSIONS:
In summary, creatine represents a beneficial active ingredient for topical use in the prevention and treatment of human skin aging.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22151935
no full text
A novel treatment option for photoaged skin.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18254806
Folic Acid: Cellular Uptake and Penetration into Human Skin
full text here
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232803582_Folic_Acid_Cellular_Uptake_and_Penetration_into_Human_Skin
All 4 researchers work for Beiersdorf AG so there's a chance of conflict of interest.
Human fibroblasts culture absorbed folic acid
so did a 0.03% folic acid cream used by human volunteers.
BTW I wonder why they use such a tiny amount.
https://www.personalcaremagazine.com/story/5247/formulating-anti-ageing-products-with-folic-acid