Skin is made up of three layers: epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. The main target of peels is the epidermis, or more precisely its outermost layer; the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is made up of dead cells, corneocytes, which pile on top of each other. They are formed during the skin's self-renewal process, which takes about 4 weeks. Exfoliation can be used to remove the dead cells. Scrubs are also recommended for various skin disorders, as they improve the condition or prevent it from occurring in the first place. These conditions include: acne, hyperpigmentation, photo-aged skin, dry skin, hyperkeratosis.
In the thesis, the composition of 50 selected facial peels was studied. The products were found in shops and online. The aim was to look at the representation of individual types of peels, cosmetically active ingredients and excipients most commonly found in this type of cosmetic product. Depending on the type of peel, they were divided into mechanical, chemical and enzymatic peels, and combinations of these. Chemical peels accounted for 52% of the peels. Cosmetically active ingredients were also divided into those with mechanical, chemical or enzymatic action. Abrasives of natural origin were the most common in mechanical peels. These are represented by various granules and beads, as well as kaolin and activated carbon. Only one abrasive (polylactic acid) was of synthetic origin. The cosmetically active ingredients in chemical peels were divided into alpha hydroxy acids, salicylic acid and its derivatives, poly hydroxy acids and azelaic acid. AHAs were the most frequently occurring (42 %). Of the individual cosmetically active ingredients, glycolic acid, which is representative of AHAs, was the most frequent (36 %). Three enzymes appeared in the enzyme peels: papain, bromelain and protease. In addition to the AHAs, moisturisers, pH adjusting agents, preservatives, plant extracts and fragrances were also examined. Moisturisers were divided into emollients and humectants. Glycerol, which belongs to the humectants category, was the most abundant in the selected peels (76 %). The pH-regulating agents are added to raise the pH. Sodium hydroxide was the most frequently used pH adjusting agent (42 %). Among the preservatives, phenoxyethanol is the most frequently used (42 %). Plant extracts play different roles in facial peels. They can be antioxidant, nourishing, anti-inflammatory, so a wide range of plant extracts can be found in the selected peels. Aloe vera leaf extract is the most commonly used (18 %). Of the fragrances, 'Parfum' and 'Fragrance' appear most frequently (62 %) in the selected exfoliants, followed by limonene (22%). All the cosmetic products reviewed contain at least one exfoliating coemtically active ingredient, but for most of them there is no information on its concentration, so we cannot fully confirm that all products are indeed exfoliants.
|
