The Top 10 Best Cosmetic Ingredients For Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is a tissue damage and physiological dysfunction caused by the body being stimulated by antigenic substances such as prolonged sun exposure, cosmetic allergies, foreign substances, etc. In theory, it refers specifically to a state of hyperresponsiveness of the skin under physiological or pathological conditions. It includes some subjective symptoms, such as burning, tingling, itching, and tightness, with or without objective signs such as erythema, telangiectasia, and desquamation.

Nowadays, there are many ingredients that help to relieve sensitive skin. They can be roughly divided into skin barrier repair, inflammation inhibition, and skin nerve sedation. The followings are some ingredients for sensitive skin.

1. Ingredients for Anti-inflammation

1.1 Baicalin (Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract)

Baicalin is an effective component extracted from dried root of scutellaria baicalensis. A study result shows that baicalin topically applied on skin can significantly reduce the permeability of mouse skin capillaries, and significantly antagonize guinea pig isolated ileum contraction induced by histamine phosphate. It indicates that baicalin has an anti-allergic effect, which may act by preventing the release of allergic reaction mediators and stabilizing cell membranes. In result, baicalin can be used for treatment of sensitive skin. In addition to its anti-inflammatory and skin soothing effects, baicalin also has a certain antibacterial effect, thereby alleviating acne caused by Propionibacterium.

1.2 Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate

Dipotassium glycyrrhizinate is a potassium salt of glycyrrhizinate extracted from licorice. It has good water solubility, safety and non-toxicity. Dipotassium glycyrrhizinate can inhibit the release of inflammatory factors such as NO and IL-6, and reduce the occurrence of inflammation. Also, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate has similarities with Cortin. By acting on the hormone receptors on the cell membrane, it reduces the permeability of cell membranes and capillaries and reduces inflammatory exudation. Meanwhile, it inhibits the formation and release of histamine and other toxic substances, so as to play a good anti-inflammatory role.

1.3 PMRelief® 9982

PMRelief® 9982 is a compound of sophora flavescens root extract and paeonia suffruticosa root extract. Among them, sophora flavescens root extract contains various alkaloids (1%~2.5%), with matrine and oxymatrine as the main ones. Sophora flavescens root extract has strong anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, which can inhibit histamine and regulate the release of intracellular inflammatory mediators, avoiding cells in an over-excited state and producing allergic and other inflammatory symptoms. It also has a strong inhibitory effect on hyaluronidase activity, thus preventing further damage to skin cells and providing excellent protection, and is an excellent immunosuppressant. The main active ingredient of paeonia suffruticosa root extract is paeonol, which has pharmacological activities such as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and immune function enhancing, and is widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceutical preparations and fine chemicals. Therefore, PMRelief® 9982 is a water-soluble natural cosmetic ingredient with excellent anti-inflammatory and soothing effects.

PMRelief® 9982 and Alpha-Bisabolol (95%) have similar anti-inflammatory efficacy at the same concentration of 0.0001%, which is the max safe concentration of Alpha-Bisabolol.

PMRelief® 9982 has 82% anti-inflammatory efficacy at the concentration of 0.05%.

PMRelief® 9982 showed a significant decrease in the content of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6) and inflammatory mediators (PGE2) at a concentration of 0.03125% (m/v), with inhibition rates of 32.39%, 39.01% and 46.50%, respectively.

1.4 Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Portulaca oleracea extract can reduce the secretion of inflammatory factors interleukins, thus to relieve skin inflammation and soothing skin itching caused by dryness. At the same time, portulaca oleracea extract has a significant improvement effect on skin allergies caused by long-term use of hormone cosmetics. It is an effective anti-allergic ingredient. Additionally, portulaca oleracea extract has obvious inhibitory effect on hyaluronidase, thereby achieving the effect of inhibiting skin allergic reactions.

1.5 Paeoniflorin

Paeoniflorin is an active ingredient extracted from dried root of plant white peony. Paeoniflorin can exert an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the production of TNF-α and IL-1β, and promoting the expression of IL-10. According to the study, the results show that paeoniflorin can antagonize the production of chemokines induced by TNF-α, and inhibit the migration of white blood cells, The effect is related to the inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. Therefore, paeoniflorin shows broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory properties.

2. Ingredients for Nerve Soothing

2.1 Kava Pepper Extract

Kava pepper extract is obtained by supercritical low temperature extraction and supramolecular encapsulation; it's naturally from the dried rhizome of Piper methysticum. Piper methysticum, also named kava pepper is a perennial evergreen shrub-like medicinal plant of the piperaceae family. It mainly grows in the South Pacific islands, wild or cultivated. Its roots and rhizomes are used for medicine, and the active part is the fat-soluble resin part. The main medicinal components of kava pepper are kavalactones, Kavain, etc. It is able to regulate neurotransmitters in both directions, and has a variety of effects such as anti-anxiety and depression, sedative-hypnotic, local anaesthesia, and anticonvulsant. In cosmetics, it can effectively inhibit the overreaction of sensory nerves, thus significantly improving the skin's tolerance to external stimuli.

PMSoothe® Kava is white powder, and it's 100% water-soluble. The water solution is colorless, transparent and clear.

We did human capsaicin patch test to evaluate the anti-irritant effect of PMSoothe® Kava. The experiment was divided into two groups, A and B. Group A was the blank control group, 10 drops of 0.01% capsaicin were put on the patch test paper. Group B was PMSoothe® Kava test group, 10 drops of the prepared solution containing 0.01% capsaicin and 3% PMSoothe® Kava were put on the paper. Then Groups A and B were put on the left and right arms at the same time.The patches were torn off after 30 min, and the results were as follows:

The results showed significant stinging, burning and redness in Group A, while no adverse reactions were observed in Group B. The results showed that Group B had no adverse effects on the skin. It was confirmed that the sample PMSoothe® Kava could significantly improve the skin tolerance.

2.2 Crithmum Maritimum Extract

Crithmum maritimum extract has a special mechanism of action for sensitive skin. It is mainly to soothe the irritating feeling of skin, because it can promote the release of β-endorphins in the skin, and inhibit the release of neuropeptide CGRP. Thus, crithmum maritimum extract quickly relieves the tingling and itching sensation caused by inflammation. Crithmum maritimum extract itself also has a certain antioxidant effect. Although other anti-inflammatory ingredients can also alleviate the tingling and itching sensation by inhibiting inflammatory factors, Crithmum maritimum extract is better than most anti-inflammatory ingredients in terms of mechanism to relieve irritation.

2.3 Bisabolol

Bisabolol is abundantly present in Compositae plants, such as chamomile. As an anti-inflammatory ingredient, bisabolol can effectively inhibit the release of various inflammatory factors. Also, it improves the skin's ability to resist irritation, and help relieve skin allergy induced by sodium hydroxide and SDS. Meanwhile, bisabolol has a certain antibacterial activity. Bisabolol has good stability and great skin permeability, so it's a proper anti-allergy ingredient for skincare.

3.1 Ceramide

Ceramide is an important component for keratinocytes to maintain each other. It accounts for 40% to 65% of epidermal lipids, and is generally known as intercellular lipids. If the ceramide in the skin is sufficient, it will be enough to resist external stimulation to the skin; but few or without ceramide, the skin will lose its natural protective effect and lose its defense against all physical and biological damages from the outside world. Studies have shown that ceramide plays a leading role in the regulation of skin barrier function. Ceramide can help thicken the stratum corneum, improve the tolerance of skin, reduce skin sensitivity, and have the effect of repairing skin redness and dryness.

3.2 Centella Asiatica Extract

Centella asiatica extractis also named gotu kola extract. The main active ingredients are asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Madecassoside and madecassoside belong to triterpenoid saponins, and asiatic acid and madecassic acid belong to triterpene acid compounds. Scientific research has proved that Centella asiatica, as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has skin care effects such as repairing, anti-inflammation, whitening, and anti-oxidation. Centella asiatica is rich in a variety of biological active substances, and is a natural medicinal plant resource worthy of exploration and development.

PMRepair® Centella released by Plamed is a natural cosmetic material that can be soluble in water or butanediol with excellent skin repair and anti-inflammatory effects.

Plamed has done the test of in vitro 3D epidermis skin model repairing efficacy, using the anionic surfactant Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) to stimulate the 3D epidermal skin model to construct an in vitro skin injury model. After PMRepair® Centella sample is applied, the tissue morphology, filaggrin (FLG), loricrin (LOR) and transglutaminase 1 (TGM1) are used to evaluate the repairing efficacy of PMRepair® Centella.

Based on the 3D epidermal skin model, compared with the control group, the tissue morphology of the sample PMRepair® Centella at a concentration of 0.15% was significantly improved, and the thickness of the living cell layer was significantly increased, with an increase rate of 49.39%. FLG, LOR, and TGM1 contents all increased significantly, with the increase rates being 150.00%, 646.15%, and 537.14% respectively. It indicates that PMRepair® Centella can improvetissue morphology at 0.15% concentration, promote skin tissue recovery and increase the content of barrier-related proteins (FLG, LOR, TGM1) to achieve repairing effects.

Based on skin barrier permeability test of zebrafish embryo, PMRepair® Centella has a significant skin barrier repair effect at a lower dose of 0.1%, the repairing rate is 53%; while Asiaticoside (95%) has no repairing effect or has a weak repairing effect at either low or high doses.

3.3 Ectoin

Ectoin is derived from microbial extracts under high temperature, high salt, and high ultraviolet environments. It is a cyclic amino acid derivative. Studies have shown that Ectoine has the effects of delaying skin aging, preventing ultraviolet rays, anti-oxidation, and moisturizing.

Ectoin can maintain the balance of osmotic pressure inside and outside the cell and prevent cell dehydration. Ectoin is the most widely distributed compatible substance found in the bacterial kingdom. It is compatible with intracellular metabolism, and does not affect the cell's biological macromolecular functions or physiological processes. Ectoine also has other important functions. Because of the dense charge of molecular surface, it is easy to bind water molecules to achieve moisturizing effect. Moreover, Ectoin can protect and repair skin.

All above ingredients are natural. They can be applied in skincare products for sensitive skin. As professional cosmetics raw material manufacturer, Plamed aims to produce best sensitive skin soothing ingredients. The followings are product list for sensitive skin ingredients.