Cosmeceuticals and silibinin

Abstract

Cosmeceuticals are used for nourishing as well as improving the appearance of the skin, and are also documented as effective agents for treating various dermatologic conditions. Cosmeceutical preparations from herbal origin are most popular among consumers, as these agents are mostly nontoxic and possess strong antioxidant activity. Since oxidative stress is one of the major mechanisms for skin aging and dermatological conditions, the phytochemicals, such as silibinin, with proven antioxidant activity, could be useful for treating many dermatologic conditions as well as skin aging. Silibinin is a flavonolignan compound from milk thistle plant which possesses strong antioxidant activity and also modulates many molecular changes, caused by xenobiotics and ultraviolet radiation, to protect the skin. In this review we have provided an account of evidence generated from the laboratory studies to support the scientific rationale for the effective use of silibinin in cosmeceutical preparations.Cosmeceuticals of herbal origin are becoming more popular than conventional cosmetics. It is now widely understood that what we eat directly influences our metabolism and health. Since skin is the most important protective barrier in our body and directly exposed to the harsh environment, most of the deleterious effects of the environmental toxicants are visibly manifested on the skin, including that of aging. Many anti-aging agents in cosmeceuticals are consumed orally; however, these are also known to work topically for improving the skin health. Due to the increased popularity of cosmeceuticals, these agents are being specifically manufactured and marketed in different categories such as body care, face care, skin care, hair care and growth and sun protection cosmeceuticals. These preparations usually contain ingredients that can prevent or reverse cutaneous aging, which is mainly caused by highly reactive oxygen molecules damaging the skin structure (1,2). In this regard, botanical agents are getting wide-spread attention due to the fact that many antioxidant phytochemicals are evolved as a protective mechanism in plants to counter the oxidative stress (1-3). There is an upsurge in discovering novel and effective botanical antioxidants that can quench reactive

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“…Silibinin also has a number of potential mechanisms that could benefit the skin. These include chemoprotective effects from environmental toxins, anti-inflammatory effects, protection from UV induced photocarcinogenesis, protection from sunburn, protection from UVBinduced epidermal hyperplasia, and DNA repair for UV induced DNA damage (double strand breaks) (Singh et al, 2009).…”

Exploring the antioxidant potential of Helichrysum stoechas (L.) Moench phenolic compounds for cosmetic applications: Chemical characterization, microencapsulation and incorporation into a moisturizer

“…Since oxidative stress is one of the major mechanisms for skin aging and dermatological disorders, phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds could be useful for treating or preventing those conditions (Singh and Agarwal, 2009). …”

Are plants used for skin care in South Africa fully explored?

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