08.21.08
Posted in skin care news at 2:47 pm by Administrator
Skin cancer from moisturizers? It seems skin care products are enjoying (!) greater scrutiny than ever before. It might be the enormous public reaction to the bombshell launched by the EWG a month ago related to carcinogens in sunscreens. It is past time that the many suspect ingredients in our popular skin care products be investigated. It’s not just that the products do not live up to their bogus claims, we all know how that works, but that they may contain ingredients that pose health risks. And yes, many of these ingredients are absorbed by the body.
This article will be of interest to many of you.
Beiersdorf defends cream against skin cancer claims
By Guy Montague-Jones
19-Aug-2008 - Beiersdorf has hit back against academic research on mice that linked its Eucerin moisturizer to skin cancer.
Researchers at Rutgers University, New Jersey, found the number of non-melanoma tumors was significantly higher in mice treated with commonly-used creams than the control group.
Cream increases cancer risk in mice
In a paper published last week in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the scientists said tumor rates were 24 per cent higher in the mice treated with Beiersdorf’s Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream.
Beiersdorf has now responded to the research findings with a host of criticisms.
The Germany-based company said the research “selected only a special line of hairless mice that are highly susceptible to developing tumors when exposed to UVB.”
Leading study author Allan Conney was also guarded about the implications of the study for humans saying that more research is necessary to determine the significance of the findings.
Research dismissed as irrelevant
Beiersdorf’s criticisms went further concluding that the study was ‘clinically not relevant’.
The company said the paper does not comply with scientifically accepted or validated methods outlined in OECD guidelines. Beiersdorf also claimed the study lacked dose-response relationships, positive controls, an appropriate placebo group and historical data on the test method.
Beiersdorf’s Eucerin Original Moisturising Cream was not the only product put under the microscope.
The scientists also looked at Dermabase by Paddock Laboratories, Dermovan by Healthpoint, and Vanicream by Pharmaceutical Specialties.
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Posted in nanotechnology, skin care news at 2:36 pm by Administrator
This article is the first I’ve read to indicate that studies are being done on the nanoparticle penetration into skin issue.
Sun damage may exacerbate skin penetration of nano-sunscreens
By Guy Montague-Jones
20-Aug-2008 - Nanoparticles may penetrate sun damaged skin causing concern about their increasingly widespread use in sunscreens, according to new research.
Nanoparticles may penetrate sun damaged skin causing concern about their increasingly widespread use in sunscreens, according to new research.
In a paper published in Nano Letters, scientists at the University of Rochester found that quantum dot nanoparticles penetrated UV damaged skin more than non-compromised skin.
The conclusion was reached from in-vivo tests carried out on mice exposed to UV light levels similar to those that would induce medium level sunburn in humans.
Gauging the impact of sun damage
To gauge the impact of sun damage on the penetrative capabilities of nano-based sunscreens the scientists used quantum dot nanoparticles.
These are not generally used in sunscreens despite their UV absorption properties but they are a similar size to the titanium dioxide nanoparticles used commonly in sunscreens.
The authors of the study said the higher penetration levels observed in sunburned skin led them to the conclusion that the condition of the skin strongly influences penetration.
Important discovery
“This is an important discovery for nanoparticle safety concerns as consumers often apply sunscreens containing metal oxide nanoparticles of similar size and raw material properties to UV-exposed skin,” said the authors.
They said direct comparisons were impossible to make at this stage as a wide variety of surface coatings are used in commercial sunscreens that may alter skin penetration characteristics.
The authors called for further research. “Future in-vivo studies using custom imaging modalities and commercial sunscreen formulations are planned to generate the necessary insight to assess human health risks from applying nanoparticle sunscreens to UV-damaged skin.”
In Vivo Skin Penetration of Quantum Dot Nanoparticles in the Murine Model: The Effect of UVR
Luke J. Mortensen, Gunter Oberdörster, Alice P. Pentland, and Lisa A. DeLouise
Nano Lett.; 2008; ASAP Web Release Date: 08-Aug-2008; (Letter) DOI: 10.1021/nl801323y
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