Anti-irritant potential of cosmetic raw materials and formulations

Synopsis The investigation studied the anti-irritant potential of several substances commonly employed in cosmetic formulations as basic components of the emulsion or as active ingredients, and evaluated the effect of the emulsifier. Five different emulsions were made irritating by addition of croton oil, in sufficient quantity to provoke a clearly adverse reaction in the rabbit, i.e. primary cutaneous irritation index (PII) close to 2. The PII was determined according to the official French methods by applying to symmetrical areas of the back, the irritant base as control and the same base containing the test substance. Fifty-five ingredients were evaluated: gelling agents, plant extracts, molecules defined as healing, anti-inflammatory substances or anaesthesic compounds, etc. The test substances were added to the emulsion at concentrations close to the ones generally found in cosmetics. The qualitative and the quantitative composition of the oil phase was similar for each emulsion. Several gelling agents, thickeners and polymers which notably reduce skin contact with an irritant, gave good results. Some of the usual healing, anti-inflammatory, local anaesthesic compounds gave the expected results. Some ingredients, though well known, were ineffective. The type of emulsifier, by modifying cutaneous penetration and bio-availability of the active ingredients, may play an important role.