ARS | Publication request: Lipid-based cosmeceuticals

Submitted to: Inform
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: October 17, 2006
Publication Date: December 1, 2006
Citation: Compton, D.L. 2006. Lipid-based cosmeceuticals. Inform. 17:793-795.

Technical Abstract: Cosmeceutical, a combination of cosmetic and pharmaceutical, is a marketing term coined to imply a cosmetic or skin-care formulation that contains one or more active ingredients that impart a physiological or biological ¿medicinal¿ benefit to the consumer. Our mission to develop new uses for commodity vegetable oils has led us to develop a method for improving soybean oil to make specialty ingredients that can be used in cosmeceuticals. We have developed an environmentally friendly method to biocatalytically attach a natural component found in most plants, ferulic acid, to soybean oil. Ferulic acid naturally absorbs ultraviolet radiation, and is as potent an antioxidant as ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol. Ferulic acid, by itself, is difficult to use in skin-care formulations because of its limited solubility, and it yellows when applied to the skin. Attaching ferulic acid to soybean oil has eliminated these problems, while maintaining the essence of an all-natural ingredient. New, value added uses for vegetable oils are beneficial to producers by increasing the value of their commodity crops.