The electrokinetic (ζ, zeta) potential was determined for a series of commercial tattoo pigments. A standard experimental method involving the measuring of the level difference formed in a U-shaped tube filled with a solution containing the dye after application of some potential difference was used to find ζ-potential values. All of them were negative and sufficiently large to ensure electrophoretic mobility of the pigment particles in a special gelatin-based electrophoretic bed. Gelatin-based beds, one containing a pigment and the other without the pigment, were set side by side in a microelectrophoretic cell. The application of relatively low potential difference (20-25 V) provoked the migration of the pigment in the gelatin bed without pigment for as much as 10 mm after a 40-minute long electrophoresis. The intensity of the color of the pigment did decrease noticeably. These results seem to indicate the potential applicability of the reported method for the elimination of old and/or unwanted tattoo and of tattoo traces left after previous manipulations.

Mistletoes, hemiparasites, contain many components with various biological activities and have been used in cosmetics industry. Loranthacease (1,000 species) and Viscaceae (550 species) have the most dominant species in mistletoes (nearly 1,600 species). It can be expected that the biological activities vary from species to species; therefore, we have tested Viscum album var. coloratum (Kom.) Ohwi (belonging to Santalaceae) and Loranthus tanakae Franch. & Sav. (belonging to Loranthacease) for a comparative study of their cosmetic properties, including antioxidant, antimelanogenic, and antiwrinkle activities. As results, the ethanol extract of L. tanakae had higher phenolic content and showed effective antioxidant activity and elastase inhibition. Meanwhile, the ethanol extract of V. album more effectively inhibited tyrosinase. Comparing with ethanol extracts, the water extracts of both mistletoes showed lower biological efficacy than the ethanol extracts or no significant effect. Thus, these results show that different extracts of mistletoe have different levels of biological activities, presumably because of the differences in their phytochemical profiles and because of the different extraction methods used.

Coffee roasting industries generate a by-product called coffee silverskin that is usually disposed of as waste. The valorization of this abundant waste is necessary because of the antioxidant compounds in coffee silverskin. In this study, coffee silverskin was extracted in different extraction conditions to obtain an extract with high antioxidant activity and to use it as an additive for antioxidant skin gel. The extracts were characterized for the total phenolic content by using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The antioxidant activity was determined by using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay. It was found that the extraction time and temperature strongly affected the total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of the extracts. The extraction at 40°C and 60 min resulted in an extract with a high total phenolic content of 31.15 ± 2.77 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent/g coffee silverskin and a high antioxidant activity of 68.44 ± 0.76%. The extract solution was spray-dried to produce extract powder, which was then added to a basic skin gel with different extract concentrations. It was observed that the antioxidant activity of the gel increased with increasing extract concentration in the gel. This result showed that coffee silverskin has great potential as a source of antioxidants for various skin care products.

Safrole is a well-known carcinogenic agent that is present in camphor trees. In this study, a gas chromatographic method was established to quantitate the levels of safrole in essential oils using n-decyl alcohol as an internal standard. The method used a nonpolar column and was able to detect concentrations of safrole as low as 5 µg/ml in the samples. Following addition of 2-10 mg of safrole into 1 g of essential oil extracted from Stout Camphor wood (Cinnamomum kanehirai Hayata) or 1-10 mg of safrole into 1 g of essential oil extracted from Small-flower Camphor wood (Cinnamomum micranthum Hayat), the recovery rates of safrole were determined. With direct injection of samples into the gas chromatograph, the results showed that the recovery was more than 96.1%, with a coefficient of variation below 5.6%. We then analyzed 23 commercially available Stout Camphor and other essential oil samples and found that 21 of them contained safrole in the range of 37.65-355.07 mg/g. In addition, in the heavier essential oil distilled from Small-flower Camphor wood, the safrole level was up to 642.98 mg/g. Our results demonstrated that most camphor essential oils on the market have a carcinogenic potential due to their high safrole levels.

This paper describes experimental evaluations of an optical scanning device for skin surface recovery using multiple light source photometric stereo method. The portable optical device based on the principle of six-light photometric stereo was developed and subjected to evaluation and advancement through clinical trials for the purpose of monitoring skin conditions. As the device can provide objective topographic data for the description of the skin surface condition, the evaluation processes are mainly applied on skin in vitro and in vivo and compared with a commercial product, PRIMOS, which has been so far considered as a standard device used for skin surface measurement. The results of the experiment show that the topography measured by the device is significantly closer to that of the ground truth. Meanwhile, the new optical scanning device demonstrates better performance in measuring skin surface in vivo, superior to that of the PRIMOS.

Data were generated from three studies to assess the tolerability and acceptability of a prototype cosmetic lip balm. Dermatological assessments of topical compatibility (primary and cumulative irritability and sensitization), photoirritant and topical photosensitizer potential, and acceptability for safe use of a prototype cosmetic lip balm on sensitive skin are summarized. In Study 1, the product was applied to the volunteers' backs under a semiocclusive patch followed by patch removal/reapplication over 6 weeks to assess the irritant and allergic potential of the product. Dermatological assessments were performed at the beginning and end of the study or when there was evidence of positivity or adverse event. Study 2 was conducted by applying the product to the volunteers' backs under a semiocclusive patch, followed by patch removal/reapplication and irradiation of the test area with ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation at various intervals over 5 weeks. Dermatological assessments were performed to assess the product's role in the induction of photoirritancy and photosensitization. Clinical and subjective assessments for acceptability were obtained during Study 3 in volunteers with a diagnosis of sensitive skin and those who used the product as per instructions for use during the study period. The data generated from the three studies demonstrated no evidence of primary or cumulative dermal irritation or of dermal sensitization. In addition, no photoirritation potential or photosensitization potential was observed. As assessed by dermatologic monitoring and subject diary entries, the prototype lip balm did not cause irritation or sensitization reactions when used for 28 days in volunteers with a diagnosis of sensitive skin. Based on these findings, the prototype lip balm can be considered suitable for use for people with sensitive skin.

In this study, the radiance contribution from formulating various pearlescent effect pigments into a skin cream was modeled using gloss map histograms created from digital photographs of clinical panelists. CIELab color data from the various pearlescent effect pigments applied to simulated skin tone drawdown cards was first collected to screen experimental candidates and to help select the concentration of pigment used in the formula. Optical microscopy was used to develop a simple coverage model to control for the differences in particle size and density of the effect pigments. In the subsequent in vivo study, panelists applied a weighed amount of cream containing various pearlescent effect pigments to the face and high-resolution digital photography images were collected on each panelist for image analysis. Gloss map histograms were developed through the software analysis of gray-scale images, which were used to describe the gloss, whiteness, and/or radiance contribution of each pearlescent effect pigment. The resulting gloss map histograms shared identifiable characteristics useful for statistical analysis and description. This methodology could serve as a novel way to investigate and describe the visual impact and benefit of formulating effect pigments in cosmetic creams intended for application on the skin.