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Avocado (Persea Americana) consumption has experienced a remarkably fast increase in demand, which inevitably leads to significant waste along the production chain. In recent years, the increased awareness of the environmental impact linked to food loss generated a huge rise in demand for sustainable goods. In this study we evaluated the moisturising effect, and the mechanisms behind it, of an oil-soluble extract from aesthetically imperfect, and thus rejected, avocado fruits cultivated in Sicily. Through in vitro and ex-vivo studies, we demonstrated that this new active ingredient significantly up-regulated proteins with key functions in the maintenance of intracellular water balance. Moreover, we showed that the extract promoted an overall improvement of epidermal barrier function by increasing the synthesis of lipid structures. Finally, clinical studies showed that the extract improved skin hydration and dermal density.

The “skin microbiome” consists of the skin’s resident microorganisms (bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses) as well as their genomic content and metabolic by-products. Modern techniques for sequencing DNA have enabled researchers to find microbes that could not be cultured in the lab using traditional microbiology culture techniques. Skin microflora is influenced by environmental conditions, temperature, humidity, clothing, exposure to pollution as well as internal factors like diet and psychological stress, thus making it very challenging to study and understand. Nevertheless, the cosmetic industry is teeming with products claiming to “balance” the skin microbiome. There is no doubt that there is a serious shift in microbiome diversity of diseased skin versus healthy skin. However, healthy skin is balanced already, so claims to balance healthy skin with cosmetics is somewhat a fallacy.
Studies are needed to determine the variations in the day to day, week to week as well as seasonal and other environmental factors on healthy skin microbiome of untreated skin to determine if the changes observed from cosmetic products is meaningful.

From conventional cosmetics to oral care and sexual wellbeing, the personal care industry is continuously expanding into the growing wellness and self-care space. In order to differentiate from other brands in an already crowded space, developers and marketers must find effective ways to connect with the consumer with products that have a real impact on consumer routines and lifestyles. Brands can address consumer priorities and interests with the inclusion of active ingredients to entice consumers and build confidence in buying decisions. Incorporating active ingredients into products to enhance the desired effect requires a favorable consumer perception to determine the true value of the additive. For a product with a commercialized active to be successful, brands must not only address the need but articulate and promote it in a way that consumers are familiar, driving not only the initial checkout but also future repurchases.

When HPC Today invited me to contribute this article, I was delighted at the prospect, yet concerned that, yet again, the industry needs reminding that the requirement to support product claims. What is it then, that despite the global Cosmetic Regulations, notably our own here in the EU, Marketing, Copy writers, and even many in ‘R&D’ still don’t get when it comes to testing cosmetics to support product claims? Why does that very word ‘test’ cause stress among many in the industry? This article looks at the key reasons why; the body of evidence; the types of testing available, and their differences; how these differences impact on not only what claims you make, but also interpretation and business risk in its wider context.

Demand for anti-aging cosmetic products is thriving – consumers are increasingly interested in healthy aging and natural safe ingredients. In this context, biotic ingredients are gaining popularity because they are associated with health, wellness and eco-friendliness. Two new biotic ingredients based on the Lactobacillus crispatus bacteria are now enabling cosmetics producers to respond to this trend. These solutions are among the first biotic ingredients derived from bacteria that are naturally present on the skin, and which decrease with aging. When applied onto the skin, the two specific Lactobacillus crispatus derived actives provide clinically proven antiaging benefits.