Zosimo T. Literatus, R.M.T.
Breakthroughs

GREEN tea and coffee are natural sources of stimulants and are two of the most popular beverages nowadays. But green tea and coffee for skin care?

Cosmetic researchers I. Bogdan Allemann and L Baumann believed so in their report to the Skin Therapy Letter. Both are antioxidants, and that’s the key to understand its use in skin care.

Green tea, Camellia sinensis, contains four major polyphenolic cathechins, of which epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant and biologically active. It stops skin inflammation and cancer. It also prevents the activation of matrix metalloproteinase, essential in the growth and invasiveness of skin tumor.

It reduces erythema (skin redness), number of sunburn cells, immunosuppression, and DNA-damage. Its skin antioxidant activity remains to be proven in clinical studies.

CoffeeBerry is a trademark of an antioxidant obtained from the coffee fruit (Coffea arabica). It exhibits stronger antioxidant properties than green tea, pomegranate extract, ascorbic acid and vitamin E. It contains polyphenols but studies on its skin care properties remained unavailable to date.

Active ingredients of other origins include Coenzyme Q (from fish and shellfish), Idebenone (synthetic), and Silymarin (from milk thistle plant Silybum marinum).

CoQ10, a.k.a. ubiquinone, is fat-soluble antioxidant. It supplies up to 95 percent of the body’s energy requirements. It can be found in all human cells as a component of the respiratory chain. Laboratory studies observed its suppressive action of collagenase under UVA. Collagenase dissolves collagen fibers in the skin. Few studies exist on the effects of CoQ10 as a skin antioxidant.

Idebenone is a CoQ10 analog and is stronger than CoQ10 as antioxidant. On a sun-damaged skin, it has reduced skin roughness/dryness and fine lines/wrinkles. The effect to wrinkles though has been due to its ability to increase hydration or initiate skin irritation. On report of contact dermatitis caused by zero percent idebenone; but other researchers reportedly encountered more of these incidents.

Silymarin is a natural polyphenolic flavonoid derived from the milk thistle plant (Silybum marinum).

Its main component is silybin, considered to be the most biologically active with strong antioxidant properties. Laboratory studies observed its protective properties against UV damage.

Other than this, few clinical data are available about silymarin use in skin care.

Franz Kafka reminds on the right attitude towards beauty: “Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” A start would be a look at our self no matter
what our age might be.

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(January 7, 2009 issue)
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