European launch of anti-inflammatory ingredient

International Specialty Products (ISP), a supplier of specialtyingredients for the cosmetics industry, has launched a newanti-erythemal and anti-inflammatory ingredient into the Europeanmarket.

This latest innovation from the company, Vital ET, is aunique bio-functional form of vitamin E developed for use in theformulation of skin treatment products for the personal caresector.

Already launched in the USA in 2003, Vital ET has beenavailable in the European market since early 2004 and will be akey feature at the forthcoming In-Cosmetics exhibition to be heldin Milan, 27-29 April 2004.

Delivering both anti-erythemal andanti-inflammatory properties, Vital ET provides an importantaddition to the formulation of products designed to prevent orremediate the irritation and inflammation of skin caused by arange of common conditions.

These include sunburn, shaving oracne, as well as the treatment products that target the effectsof ageing and environmental stress.

Excellent skin lubricity andelegant skin-feel complement the skin restorative properties ofVital ET and give it an ideal fit in applications such assunscreens and after-sun products, daily use body lotions andanti-ageing creams, anti-perspirants, anti-acne and shavingproducts, also in the foundations and concealers of colourcosmetics.

"Acute inflammation of the skin, caused bysunburn, shaving or acne is painful and cosmeticallyunappealing," says Neil Thomas, personal care marketingdirector, ISP Europe.

"In developing a product that can aidthe reduction of the redness and swelling associated with theseconditions, we have exploited the properties of disodiumtocopherol phosphates which have been shown to deliver thatbenefit.

In Vital ET we have complexed it with disodiumlauriminodipropionate to make it more bioavailable to theskin".

In-vitro penetration studies show that Vital ET(disodium lauriminodipropionate tocopheryl phosphates) is betterdelivered than tocopheryl acetate under the same conditions.

In aclinical study to assess the potential of Vital ET to reduce theredness and swelling of inflamed acne lesions, it was found thatat 3wt%, Vital ET significantly reduced both swelling and rednessafter five days of application compared to no treatment.

And, toevaluate the potential benefits of Vital ET for sun careapplications, a clinical study examined both pre-treatment andpost-treatment of UV-induced erythema.

Three concentrations ofVital ET (3wt%, 1wt%, 0.5wt%) were examined against 3wt%tocopheryl acetate, and a medium-strength prescription steroid asa positive control.

All concentrations of Vital ET and thesteroid resulted in lower erythema scores when applied prior to 1MED UV irradiation.

The same result was the same when the productwas applied following 2 MED UV irradiation exposure.

Tocopherylacetate was less effective in both pre- and post-treatment andall treatments were better than base.

Vital ET, which is easilyformulated into oil and water-based systems and compatible with abroad range of raw materials, will be specially featured in theISP display on stand H20 during In-Cosmetics 2004.

In addition,it will be the subject of a technical paper entitled NewBio-functional Ingredients, being given by Andrew Mint,ISP's director of technology - Europe, at the In-Cosmeticsseminar which runs concurrently with the show.