BASF´s Beauty Creations - the cosmetic active ingredient business of BASF, resulting from the merger of BASF Beauty Care Solutions and Laboratoires Sérobiologiques that followed the purchase of Cognis - has developed Ultra Filling Spheres, a new version of Filling Spheres, its previous wrinkle filling concept.
“Wrinkle formation is one of the today’s consumer major concerns as wrinkles and fine lines represent the most visible sign of aging. Among the several wrinkle corrective treatments which are available today, dermal fillers are still among the most popular,” explains the company in a release.
Hyaluronic acid and konjac
The Ultra Filling Spheres [1] are composed of two biopolymers: hyaluronic acid of low molecular weight (<40 kDa) and konjac, a polysaccharide of high molecular weight (> 200 kDa) with high hygroscopic properties. The underlying system is based on the ability of cross-linked and dehydrated spheres to penetrate the upper layers of the epidermis and to absorb the water that evaporates from the deep dermis.
“Cross-linking of both components forms small spheres which after drying, are transformed into Ultra Filling Spheres. Thanks to their high hygroscopic properties, the volume of the spheres increases rapidly in the presence of the skin’s water reserve, and work as plumping the skin from inside out which may result in smoothing out the wrinkles and fine lines at the surface of the skin,” says BASF Beauty Creations.
Efficacy tests
In presence of water, the Ultra Filling Spheres exhibited a higher capability to swell than previous generation Filling Spheres, thanks to the properties of Konjac.
According to BASF Beauty Creations, ex vivo tests have demonstrated increased performances in comparison with the former generation: “their water absorption capability is superior respectively 24 times in weight and 17 times in volume; in addition they were shown to exhibit a water retention capability 20% higher (in tubo gravimetric determination) as well as an enhanced thickness of the stratum corneum by 17 % (ex vivo measurement), both again in comparison with previous generation Filling Spheres.”
BASF recommends predispersing the spheres in the oily phase before creating the emulsion and to use them at a concentration of 0.5-3.0% in formulations. They should not be used in aqueous gel or emulsions in oily phase at less than 20%.
