Stem cells and cosmetics: secrets of interaction

Author: Svetlana Tvardovskaya - cosmetologist-pharmacist, author of the patented method "Hollywood plastic surgery" (Ukraine, Zhitomir)

Source: KOSMETIK international journal, №1/2013, стр. 60-63

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What does our skin really need to stay young and beautiful for as long as possible? The answer to this question must be sought in the very nature of the body's aging and in the problem of tissue aging, in particular. How is skin formed and regenerated? It all starts with stem cells.

Stem cells are immature cells found in all multicellular organisms. They are capable of self-renewal, forming new stem cells, dividing through mitosis, and differentiating into specialized cells of various organs and tissues.

There are more than 220 types of stem cells in the human body. They are preserved and function in the adult body, thanks to them the renewal and restoration of tissues and organs is carried out. However, as the body ages, their number decreases. There are two mechanisms that maintain the population of stem cells in the body:

• asymmetric division, in which the same pair of cells is produced (one stem cell and one differentiated cell);
• stochastic division – one stem cell divides into two more specialized ones.

The differentiating potential, or potency, of stem cells is the ability to produce a certain number of different types of cells. According to potency, stem cells are divided into the following groups: totipotent (omnipotent), multipotent, oligopotent, and unipotent.

Pluripotent stem cells are the descendants of totipotent cells and can give rise to almost all tissues and organs, with the exception of extraembryonic tissues (e.g., placenta). They give rise to three germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. The ectoderm gives rise to the nervous system, sensory organs, anterior and posterior sections of the intestinal tube, and skin epithelium. The mesoderm gives rise to the cartilaginous and bone skeleton, blood vessels, kidneys, and muscles. The endoderm gives rise to various organs responsible for respiration and digestion. In humans, this is the intestinal mucosa, as well as the liver, pancreas, and lungs.

Cells need nutrition

The skin is the body's first line of defense against negative environmental influences. Every day it is exposed to adverse factors, suffers from polluted air, scorching cold and sun rays.
Under the influence of unfavorable ecology, stress, ultraviolet radiation, the formation of free radicals in the skin increases. Bad habits such as smoking, alcohol, fatty foods also actively contribute to premature aging.

The cosmetics industry has been searching for the secret of rejuvenation for many years. And today, colossal achievements have already been made in this area. As a rule, all rejuvenating creams contain vitamins A, C and E, as well as alpha hydroxy acids and polyphenols. Anti-aging cosmetics not only help the skin to recover, but also have a preventive effect. However, when it comes to preventing aging, we do not mean accumulating vitamins or hyaluronic acid for a week ahead. Prevention is, first of all, protecting the skin from dehydration, chapping and sunburn. Secondly, the functional effect is moisturizing, strengthening blood vessels, nutrition, etc.

Japanese scientists have made an important discovery: the effect of centella asiatica extract on skin cells has a powerful healing and rejuvenating effect. Its composition is dominated by: triterpene saponins; asiaticoside (has the highest antioxidant activity; its metabolite is asiatic acid); madecassoside (metabolite is madecassonic acid); phytosterols (beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol); derivatives of R1-barrigenol; polyacetylene compounds, including acetoxycentellinol; tannins; flavonoids (rutin, kaempferol, quercetin); betulinic acid. The substances that cause the main pharmacological effects of centella asiatica are pentacyclic triterpene compounds: asiaticoside, madecassoside and their metabolites.

What properties of Centella asiatica are most valuable for cosmetology today? First of all, stimulation of collagen synthesis, antioxidant potential. Antioxidant properties of Centella in a concentration of 1 mg/ml are comparable to vitamin C and grape extract.

During experiments on fibroblast culture, asiaticoside at a dosage of 30 μg/ml increased the number of fibroblasts and stimulated their synthetic function. The synthesis of some components of the extracellular matrix increased, including collagen types I and III. Centella asiatica extract reduced the amount of fatty acid hydroperoxides and increased the amount of key antioxidants - superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase and catalase.

An important property of centella is its lipolytic activity. The anti-cellulite effect is associated with the accumulation of cAMP in fat cells, as well as with improved microcirculation and normalization of venous outflow.
In addition, thanks to centella asiatica, UV radiation on the skin is weakened, microcirculation is improved and venous hypertension is reduced. The plant extract effectively protects skin stem cells from aging and early death.

Centella asiatica in cosmetics

Today, Centella asiatica is actively used in the cosmetics industry. The plant extract is used in the production of serums, creams, masks, tonics for flabby, aging, dull skin; products that reduce swelling and pastosity of the skin; lifting creams, including creams for the skin around the eyes; creams and serums that slow down the process of chronoaging; in complex creams and serums to combat rosacea, to prevent stretch marks and stretch marks; in anti-cellulite products. Centella is added to daytime cosmetics, increasing the sun protection factor of the emulsion; in products to reduce swelling of the legs at the end of the day; as well as in post-epilation and shaving products - to accelerate the healing of minor cuts and other microtraumas.

Centella-based products contain acetoxycentellinol, an important polyacetylene compound that acts as a "janitor" - suppressing the action of free radicals and "sweeping" them out of skin cells. The action of the products is supported by vitamins A, C and E, which help prevent skin inflammation, protect it from sun rays and stimulate collagen production. Polyphenols also effectively slow down skin aging due to their ability to suppress free radicals that destroy cell membranes, disrupting the life cycle and promoting cell mutations, including stem cells.

Free radicals are molecules made up of unstable groups of atoms because they lack an electron in one of their outer orbits. So they tend to "steal" electrons from other molecules they come into contact with. This leads to skin aging: after this reaction, the molecules inside the cell become "oxidized" and turn into free radicals.

Free radicals are dangerous because they damage cell membranes, which are mainly made up of lipids. They also pose a threat to cell components such as sugar, phosphates, enzymes and proteins. Free radicals can even damage DNA and change the genetic information of cells. Antioxidants (such as polyphenols) found in creams can stop the chain reactions of cell oxidation by removing free radicals and inhibiting other oxidation reactions.

We often hear about the need to protect the face from direct sunlight. The fact is that UV rays, attacking water molecules contained in the skin, destroy them. In place of each damaged molecule, two free radicals are formed. The same thing happens if smog and smoke settle on the skin. For this reason, it is also important to create a barrier from the outside with the help of facial skin care products. Organic cosmetics are natural protection against aging based on modern natural ingredients.

Products based on Centella asiatica extract can significantly slow down the skin aging process in a natural way. They effectively moisturize the outer and inner layers of the skin. As a result, the skin becomes more elastic and soft. Polyphenols and stem cells from plants fight free radicals that cause skin aging. Extracts of Centella asiatica, hops, fenugreek, apples, lemon, etc. help protect stem cells.

Air is needed not only by the lungs, but also by the skin

Stem cells need not only nutrition, but also oxygen. Scientists came to this conclusion after conducting a study on mice. It turned out that bone marrow stem cells deprived of oxygen can survive for about four days, entering a state of special rest. "But these cells survive because they are in a certain state, "sleeping", - notes Professor Fabrice Chretien, director of research at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Since oxygen is vital for maintaining the health of stem cells, one way to saturate them with air is massage. A course of good massage can not only improve blood circulation, lymph, access to fresh moisture, but also help the skin "breathe", thereby maintaining its health and beauty.

The power of cosmetics – healing or harmful?

The cosmetic industry uses about 5,000 active chemicals and over 8,000 transport agents. Of these, only 300-400 are substances of natural origin, while the rest are synthesized in laboratory conditions. Moreover, a large number of ingredients cause allergic reactions. Many components present in cosmetics can lead to adverse reactions. Research shows that preservatives and components of aromatic synthetic mixtures are the most active in allergic reactions. Among the adverse reactions to cosmetics are pseudo-rosacea (provoked by paraffin-containing cosmetics), tumor-like formations (caused by zinc and aluminum salts), acne (provoked by the content of mineral oils, lanolin, sodium lauryl, etc.).

I would like to explain why you should not use paraffin, parabens and silicones in cosmetic formulas.

Paraffin (Paraffinum Liquìdum, Vaseline and its derivatives paraffins) is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly solid alkanes, the molecules of which have a network of more than 20 carbon atoms. It is a derivative of petroleum and looks like a waxy, whitish mass. Liquid paraffin is widely used in cosmetics as a carrier agent, a base for transporting active substances. However, it also limits air exchange, clogs pores, and masks all openings. In addition, being a derivative of petroleum, it is recognized as a potentially carcinogenic substance (according to European legislation in 2004).
Parabens are ethers, alkylated paraoxybenzoic acids. They have an antifungal and antibacterial effect, and are widely used as preservatives, mainly because they are considered "reliable". Cosmetics in which they are often present are shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, shaving creams, face and body creams, depilatory creams, sunscreens, makeup, deodorants. Parabens can also be found in some food products – mayonnaise, sauces, seasonings. In 2004, Dr. Philippe Darbre, an oncologist, found parabens in breast cancer tissue samples. No comment needed.

Silicones, less than twenty years ago, introduced en masse into the formulation of cosmetics, are silicon-based compounds with a long carbon chain that does not exist in nature, but is chemically synthesized in the laboratory. Therefore, silicone is not biologically and ecologically recyclable. The function of silicone is purely sensory - to fill all the spheres, pores and wrinkles. The use of such compounds in the cosmetic industry has increased significantly in recent years, although to a much lesser extent than parabens and paraffins.

From all of the above, it is important to understand that the cream is an active nutrient that promotes the formation of healthy skin cells. The composition of the cream should promote correct, timely cell division, creating an environment for their existence, development and growth. At the same time, cosmetics should not wear out resources and destroy lipids, proteins and other protective coatings. It should not contain paraffins and mineral oils due to their mutagenicity with prolonged use.

Today, there are plenty of not only synthetic but also organic cosmetics on store shelves. However, not all of them are worth our attention. The effectiveness of "organic" directly depends on the concentration of active substances and extracts. Many products have a rather meager composition. Therefore, when buying an expensive jar of organic cream, many consumers do not feel its effectiveness.