Nowadays, people, especially women, are more and more concerned with their appearance. We pay attention to every single flaw on our bodies, which we want to eliminate as quickly and effectively as possible in order to look better. One of the afflictions of contemporary society is cellulite. Usually, cellulite appears when our body fat percentage increases. The thickening of fatty tissue in the hypodermis leads to an obstructed lymph flow and, consequently, to the accumulation of radicals and other harmful substances in the hypodermis. These substances destroy the connective, mostly collagen fibres, which leads to the weakening of connective tissue, making the fat cells push towards the surface, which causes the appearance of orange-peel skin or cellulite. This diploma thesis studied the composition of anti-cellulite cosmetic products; 56 products were selected, which are available online, at chemist’s shops, pharmacies, and well-stocked shops. Special attention was devoted to cosmetic active ingredients, which were divided into four groups based on their mechanism of action. It also analysed the frequency of the presence of individual fragrances and preservatives. It has been established that the most commonly used ingredient for accelerating microcirculation is the common ivy extract, whereas the predominant substance for inhibiting lipogenesis and accelerating lipolysis is caffeine, which is present in 43% of the products. The most common ingredient for restoring the normal structure of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue is retinyl palmitate, while α-tocopherol is the most popular radical scavenger. Among the other ingredients, which could not be categorised under any of the above-mentioned groups, menthol was prevalent. Among the fragrances listed in Annex III to the Regulation (EC) on Cosmetic Products, the selected cosmetic products most often contained limonene, whereas 20% of the products contained no fragrances whatsoever. The most commonly used preservative is phenoxyethanol, which is present in as many as 43% of the products. 20% of the examined products do not contain any of the preservatives mentioned in Annex V. After reviewing the packaging of the selected anti-cellulite cosmetic products, it has been established that tubes are predominant, enabling easy application of the product. The thesis also focused on the safety and, above all, efficiency of such products, which is often questionable. It is very difficult to prove that an anti-cellulite cosmetic product is truly effective. Even though there are in vitro tests confirming it, the number of performed in vivo tests is too small; moreover, the results of the latter tests are based mainly on the subjective opinions of users, which are often irrelevant. For this reason, recent years have witnessed the rise of more invasive methods, which deliver the cosmetic active ingredient directly to the target site, thus ensuring the desired action.
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