In response to the raising concerns of consumers about pollution and its effects on the skin, Lipotec is launching Pollushield, a new functional ingredient that can help prevent accumulation of pollution particles in the epidermis and replenish the skin with antioxidants thus increasing its capacity to resist the harm caused by heavy metals, particulate matter and other harmful elements found in big cities and other polluted areas.

Being in direct contact with air and water pollutants, the skin is our first line of defense against the harmful elements in the environment. Premature skin aging and inflammation are associated, among other things, with the exposure to pollutants, which trigger the generation of oxidative stress and thus protein and DNA damage as well as lipid peroxidation. Skin irritation or allergies as well as a dry, wrinkled and dull skin are among the most undesired macroscopic effects,” explains the Barcelona based supplier of active ingredients dedicated to cosmetic products.

Pollushield offers two complementary effects:

 binding of toxic metals by a polymer with metal chelating properties to prevent their interaction with the skin,
 a strong antioxidative action by a potent free radical scavenger to avoid oxidative damage within the skin.

The new active therefore provides a barrier between the skin and pollutants as well as boosts the antioxidative defense of the skin.

Several tests were performed to prove the effectiveness of this new anti-pollution active ingredient,” highlights Lipotec.

In vitro, epidermal cells treated with the ingredient presented statistically significantly higher cell viability of keratinocytes in the presence of urban dust, maintaining close to normal levels.

Ex vivo, the treated skin exposed to pollution preserved normal epidermal and dermal morphology as well as showed reduction in several markers of damage.

Finally, an in vivo test was also performed on female volunteers that applied a placebo cream and a cream containing 5% Pollushield functional ingredient to half the face twice a day for 30 days and were regularly exposed to air pollution in Beijing (China). “After 6 hours of exposure, the skin treated once with the active showed significantly reduced levels of metals when compared to placebo, demonstrating the ingredient’s ability to prevent metal build up in the epidermis. At the end of the study, the skin ́s antioxidative capacity against damage was improved with higher antioxidative power and decreased lipid peroxides,” claims the company.