Preparation of Innovative Skin Compatible Films to Release Polysaccharides for Biobased Beauty Masks

Abstract

The preparation and selection of biobased materials compatible with skin is essential for producing innovative and highly eco-friendly beauty masks. The use of a commercial elastomeric poly(hydroxyalkanoate) and starch was fundamental to select materials for bioplastic films with the necessary resistance in wet conditions, skin compatibility and capacity for a fast release of polysaccharides and similar active and functional molecules. Micrometric calcium carbonate was also used to control the stickiness of film during moulding. Starch release in water was investigated by gravimetric and infrared analyses. The compatibility with skin was investigated via two different in vitro tests based on human keratinocytes and human mesenchymal stromal cells. The materials were highly cytocompatible with skin, enabled immune modulation by keratinocytes and starch release in water up to 49% by weight in 30 min. These outcomes are a good starting point for boosting the production of biobased and biodegradable beauty masks, thus decreasing the impact onto environment of cosmetic products that are currently still mainly produced using petrol-based substrates.

Skin-Compatible Biobased Beauty Masks Prepared by Extrusion

“…Therefore, as noticed by visually observing the improved homogeneity, the extrusion has made the blend of starch with the other polymers (PHB and PBAT) more homogeneous by dispersing it more finely in the polymeric melt. The surface properties of BM were different from those of E-BM1 and E-BM5, as the samples obtained without extrusion were less homogenous [16], as evidenced in Figure 3. To better understand the differences in between the films' release behavior, the morphology of the E-BM1 and E-BM5 films was compared with that of BM using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (Figures 9-11).…”

“…To better understand the differences in between the films' release behavior, the morphology of the E-BM1 and E-BM5 films was compared with that of BM using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (Figures 9-11). The surface properties of BM were different from those of E-BM1 and E-BM5, as the samples obtained without extrusion were less homogenous [16], as evidenced in Figure 3. To better understand the differences in between the films' release behavior, the morphology of the E-BM1 and E-BM5 films was compared with that of BM using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (Figures 9-11).…”

“…Skin-compatible PHA/starch films including calcium carbonate were prepared in a previous paper [16], where a PHA elastomer (EM 5400F EM 5400F, obtained from Shenzhen Ecomann Biotechnology Co.), a specific calcium carbonate and an easy methodology to pregelatinize starch were investigated and selected for preparing films by compression molding. These films resulted as promising to make beauty masks being flexible enough to follow the skin curvature, being sticky when applied on wet skin and having a fast release kinetic in water.…”

“…Coltelli et al [16] described the use of a commercial elastomeric poly(hydroxyalkanoate) and starch for obtaining compression-molded bioplastic films with the necessary resistance in wet conditions, skin compatibility and capacity for a fast release of polysaccharides. Starting from these results, the preparation of blends by extrusion including poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) or poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) was successfully exploited in the present paper to better modulate melt viscosity to obtain films by extrusion.…”

Cosmetic Packaging to Save the Environment: Future Perspectives

“…These starch-based thermoplastic materials have found wider industrial applications ranging from extrusion applications, injection molding, blow molding, film blowing, and foaming [63,64]. The resistance to water or water vapor is, however, very limited because water swells the starch fraction of the blends, as observed for films prepared using wheat starch [65]. Hence the starch is partially released.…”