Exposure to pollution can cause oxidative stress, premature ageing, inflammation, and diseases. Since most of us are exposed to pollution, protection is important. This can be achieved through skin protection or through protection with respect to food and food supplements. There is a wide range of products on the market with anti-pollution claims. However, it is important that these claims are thoroughly validated by proper efficacy testing. When skin cells are exposed to pollution factors, changes in a number of skin properties can be observed, such as lipid composition, lipid and protein oxidation, pH, sebum secretion rate, oxidative stress, inflammation markers, and collagen and elastin levels. These can be measured and used as markers to verify anti-pollution claims. In the present review, we summarize some of the most important in vitro and in vivo tests that are used to determine if an ingredient or formulation has anti-pollution efficacy.

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Natural ingredients have been used to improve the state of health in humans. The genus Paeonia has been studied only limited yet it’s reported to have many activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. To this context, here we focused on an endemic Paeonia species in Attica. This study aims to present the development of the Paeonia mascula subsp. hellenica callus extract and its pleiotropic bioactivity on human primary keratinocytes exploring its potential application as an active agent in skin-related products. This extract showed a high scavenging activity with high phenolic content and an interesting metabolic profile. At a molecular level, the study on the transcript accumulation of genes revealed that this extract exhibits in vitro skin-related protection properties by mediating mitochondrial energy, cell proliferation, immune and inflammatory response and positively regulates genes involved in epidermal and in stratum corneum function. Besides, the extract is proven not skin irritant on reconstructed human skin model. These findings indicate that the specific P. mascula subsp. hellenica extract possesses significant in vitro protection activity on human epidermis and provides new insights into its beneficial role in skin confirming that the advent of biotechnology contribution the past few decades.

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The aim of this study was to demonstrate that penetration of quercetin, hydrogen peroxide and ascorbic acid through skin membranes can be monitored amperometrically. Skin membrane was fixed on the top of chemically modified electrodes and penetration of the appropriate compound was registered as electrode current. The methodology allows the study of penetration from solution as well as from pharmaceutical creams. From real‐time measurements of electrode current, fluxes and diffusion coefficients of mentioned compounds in skin membranes have been estimated.

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