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Research Summary Antioxidants play a critical role in maintaining healthy skin. While the antioxidant benefits of vitamins C and E are well known, the importance of the trace mineral zinc has often been overlooked. This article reviews the evidence supporting zinc’s antioxidant role in protecting against free radical-induced oxidative damage. Zinc protects against UV radiation, enhances wound healing, contributes to immune and neuropsychiatric functions, and decreases the relative risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.All body tissues contain zinc; in the skin, it is concentrated five to six times more in the epidermis than in the dermis. Zinc is required for...

Research Summary Cosmetic formulators have numerous thickeners at their disposal to stabilize and increase the viscosity of their formulations. Traditionally, some ingredients are the most widely used for these purposes, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, and other cellulose derivatives, as well as carbomer and acrylic acid derivatives (acrylates). As an alternative to chemical compounds, many of which are of fossil origin, there are gums of natural origin, such as guar gum, Arabic gum, pectin, and alginate. There are also thickeners of mineral origin, such as aluminum and magnesium silicates, bentonite, and hectorite. However, xanthan gum stands...

Research Summary Aloe vera gel at concentrations of 50% and 96.4% was tested for its wound healing activity through topical application on experimental rats. The wound healing effects of Aloe vera gel were evaluated using the wound excision model, with histopathology employed to study its impact on the healing process. Results showed that Aloe vera gel significantly contributed to wound contraction, wound closure, reduction in the surface area of the wound, tissue regeneration at the wound site, and favorable histopathological characteristics in treated rats.Biochemical studies also revealed that Aloe vera gel produced a significant increase in collagen content, while hexosamine...

Research Summary Vitamin C in humans must be ingested for survival. As an electron donor, vitamin C acts as a potent water-soluble antioxidant. This property underlies all of its known functions. The antioxidant effects of vitamin C have been demonstrated in numerous in vitro experiments. Human diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer might partially result from oxidant damage to tissues. Oxidation of lipids, proteins, and DNA leads to specific oxidation products that can be measured in laboratory settings. While these biomarkers of oxidation have been measured in humans, the assays used are neither validated nor standardized, and the connection between...