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Acetyl Hexapeptide-3
Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 is used in formulas as
a wrinkle preventative as well as a wrinkle reducer as an alternative to
injections.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 is a mimic of the
N-terminal end of SNAP-25, one of three proteins (known as the SNARE
complex) that are essential for neurotransmitter release at the synapsis,
which is the chemical signal for a muscle to contract.
As a wrinkle reducer, studies have shown
that Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 at a 10% concentration was able to significantly
decrease the depth of wrinkles after 30 days of treatment. The mechanism
by which Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 is able to accomplish this is related to the
ways in which Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 is able to assist wrinkle prevention.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 performs this activity
in two distinct ways:
The first way Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 acts as
a wrinkle preventative is by competing with SNAP-25 for a position in the
SNARE complex. This destabilizes the SNARE complex, preventing the vesicle
from releasing neurotransmitters efficiently, and therefore attenuating
muscle contraction. This causes a reduction in facial muscle contraction,
which is believed to help prevent the long-term formation of lines and
wrinkles.
The second way that Acetyl Hexapeptide-3
acts as a wrinkle preventative is by reducing the release of
catecholamines (the overproduction of which is known to induce the
formation of wrinkles and fine lines in the skin), specifically adrenaline
and noradrenaline.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 is non-toxic and well
tolerated by the skin.
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3 is a synthetic
peptide that is a fragment of immunoglobulin G that has been combined with
palmitic acid to make it more lipophillic and thus enhance its affinity
towards human skin. Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3 was discovered through
research to learn how to suppress the body's production of interleukins,
particularly IL6, since these are the chemical messengers that trigger the
body's acute inflammatory response.
Inflammation is a function of immunity and
is a protective response to injury or destruction of tissue. This is the
body's way of walling off the injurious agent and the injured tissue.
Under normal circumstances, very little IL6 is secreted and its secretion
is strictly controlled. However, as we age this regulation system develops
defects, and significant levels of IL6 appear in the plasma even when
there is no inflammatory stimulus. This results in high levels of
inflammatory proteins in the tissues and a loss of healing potential. This
process has been linked with breast cancer, osteoporosis, anemia,
autoimmunity and slower tissue regeneration.
The hormone DHEA is directly responsible
for maintaining the regulation of the production of IL6. This has even
been demonstrated in the skin: when DHEA is present in sufficient amounts
it is converted into a steroid hormone, androstenediol, which is directly
responsible for maintain IL6 production and for maintaining local
homeostasis of cytokine and interleukin production. As we age, DHEA is
reduced and this directly leads to cytokine deregulation and the
over-production of some interleukins and the under-production of others.
As mentioned above, IL6 production is increased with negative
consequences. Since UV radiation can increase IL6 production by five
times, this process can significantly impact the skin.
The researchers' goal thus became to find a
peptide that would mimic the effects of DHEA without DHEA's potential for
being converted into estrogen, since estrogen is a hormone that is not
licensed for cosmetic purposes. Specifically they wanted to find a peptide
that would target IL6 and inhibit its production. The results:
1.) At concentrations from 10 ppm,
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3 induces a marked reduction in the secretion of
the cytokine IL6. This reduction is progressive and depends on the
concentration of the peptide: baseline secretion may be inhibited by up to
40%.
2.) Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3 reduced levels
of IL6 after cells were exposed to UV radiation by up to 86% even though
IL6 had been increased by about 20 fold by the UV.
These results show that Palmitoyl
Tetrapeptide-3 is able to affect baseline levels of IL6 as well as
modulate the effects of UV-stimulated over-production of IL6. IL6 is
marketed by Sederma as a molecule that can restore cytokine equilibrium,
which characterizes youthful skin. Ultra Aesthetics has chosen to use
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3as a synergistic support ingredient to create a
more optimum environment for other active ingredients to help restore
youthful skin appearance.
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide (Biopeptide-CL)
Like Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3, Biopeptide-CL
is a synthetic protein that is a fragment of collagen combined with
palmitic acid to make it more lipophillic, to improve its stability and to
enhance its affinity towards human skin. As with Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3,
one could look at Biopeptide-CL as a man-made precursor to collagen.
Biopeptide-CL was developed through
research to identify a substance that would behave similarly to retinoic
acid but without its drawbacks, especially in regards to synthesizing
collagen.
The reported results are as follows:
In vitro:
- Increased collagen production by the fibroblasts by as much as 350%.
- Increased hyaluronic acid production by the fibroblasts by as much as
146%.
In vivo:
The following statistics were gathered using image analysis of volunteers
who used crèmes containing a 3% concentration of Biopeptide-CL for 28
days.
- Surface roughness -- Reduced 17%
- Mean depth of wrinkles -- Reduced 23%
- Depth of main wrinkle -- Reduced 39%
- Skin thickness -- Increased 4%
The increase in skin thickness was
considered especially notable and contrasts with the 6% reduction of the
skin thickness that occurs after 10 years of aging. The study concludes to
state that Biopeptide-CL is a potent active cosmetic ingredient without
the adverse effects (including irritation, dehydration or long-term
toxicity and instability) characteristic of retinoids.
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