Microparticles based on natural and synthetic polymers for cosmetic applications

Most peeling products (exfoliators) available on the market, used in cosmetic and aesthetic dermatology applications, contain synthetic microbeads as abrasive agents. After being released into the natural environment, these non-biodegradable microparticles have an adverse impact on it, especially on aquatic ecosystems. Cosmetics consisting of solid plastic particles will be prohibited in the European Union from 2020. Therefore, there is a great need to develop effective abrasive substances for cosmetic industry. An alternative to synthetic beads may be beads based on biopolymers. Spherical microparticles of sodium alginate and mixture of sodium alginate and starch were obtained using encapsulator BÜCHI B-395 Pro. The obtained microparticles were added to the developed peeling formulation. Subsequently, the evaluation of skin condition after application of peelings with alginate, alginate-starch and synthetic microparticles was made, including topography, skin's barrier quality, hydration, colour, and the level of sebum. The peeling containing sodium alginate and sodium alginate with starch beads does not irritate the skin - redness of skin, itching and dryness did not appear. Microparticles of sodium alginate and sodium alginate with starch act on the skin as effectively as commercial synthetic particles, therefore they may be successfully used as abrasive ingredients in the developed recipe.