In this article, I would like to mention about a formulation of Sea buckthorn oil, which is a very useful vegetable oil has a rich chemical composition, in cosmetic products. Formulations have developed in Yeditepe University Cosmetic Research and Development Laboratories.
There has been an increased interest vegatable oils in cosmetics toward the increasing demand for using natural products in recent years.
Vegetable oils are obtained by mechanical extraction or cold pressing of various parts of plants, as seeds and fruits. Fatty acids contained in these oils create an barrier film on the skin which reduces transepidermal water loss, thus contributing to maintaining the correct hydration of epidermis.
Moreover, fatty acids protect, regenerate and soften stratum corneum, relieve inflammation. Triglycerides of long-chain fatty acids play a significant part in appropriate functioning of the human body.
Vegetable oils play a significant part in biological synthesis of cell membrane components or icosanoids (eicosanoids: prostaglandins, prostacyclins, thromboxanes, leucotrienes).
One of the natural glycerides is seabuckthorn oil which has a rich chemical composition and unique properties. This oil is obtained as a result of mechanical cold pressing or extraction from fruit or seeds of the plant.
The latest scientific studies confirm the presence of many active ingredients in the extract of common sea-buckthorn (Hippophaes rhamnoides) obtained by cold extraction from the fruit of the plant, including antioxidants, vitamin C, flavonoids, polyphenols and polysaccharides.
Nowadays, the fruit of sea- buckthorn (Fructus Hippophae) are not only raw materials for food industry, a medicinal product, but also commonly used ingredient of cosmetic products, the properties of which are beneficial for the skin.
It should be noted that the generic name of the plant, Hippophae, originated in ancient Greece, where seabuckthorn was fed to horses to make their coats nicer and more shiny (Greek hippos – horse; phaos – shiny).
However, vegatable oils are unstable and susceptible to degradation in the presence of oxygen, light and temperature. So, studies have been made to preserve them through encapsulation in various colloidal systems such as microcapsules, nanoemulsions and liposomes.
In our study, we formulated personal care products by encapsulating Sea buckthorn as liposomal technology by using Microfludizer system. The Microfluidizer processor relies upon the forces of shear, impact, and occasionally cavitation to emulsify a liquid-liquid system or to deagglomerate and disperse a solid into a liquid.
The process takes place at high energy intensity levels within an interaction chamber. Therefore with the process particle size reduction, cell disruption and emulsions could be obtained.
The entire product experiences identical processing conditions in a uniform, continuous, and repeatable manner with the following results; small particle or droplet size (often sub-micron); uniform particle or droplet size (small polydispersity index); completely scalable process; continuous processing.
As a result of our study; 93% of the encapsulated molecules in the Sea buckthorn extract decreased to 314 nm. The anti-aging cream we formulated using this extract was stable at room temperature and 40°C for 90 days.
Hülya Dağöttüren
Biochemist – M.B.A.
T.C. Yeditepe University
Head of Medical Device and Cosmetics R&D
Manufacturing Department
