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Cosmetics
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Fine Chemicals from Natural Sources with Potential Application in the...
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Fine Chemicals from Natural Sources with Potential Application in the Cosmetic/Pharmaceutical Industry—Volume 2

A special issue of Cosmetics (ISSN 2079-9284).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 7821

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Agnieszka Feliczak-Guzik

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8 Str., 61-614 Poznan, Poland
Interests: fine chemicals; cosmetics products; renewable sources; nanomaterials; catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Agata Wawrzyńczak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
Interests: mesoporous materials; biomaterials; functionalization and surface modification; characterization and analysis of materials; heterogeneous catalysis; catalysts' preparation; catalysis on metals; acid-base catalysis; active substance-delivery systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is beyond any doubt that chemistry has provided countless products, improving the quality of human life in all areas. Unfortunately, some of the products have proven difficult to dispose of due to being non-biodegradable or toxic. Recently, much care has been taken to ensure that chemical products are safe for humans. According to one of the approaches, the cosmetic/pharmaceutical products used should be based on natural raw materials. With the use of physical, chemical and biochemical processes, these raw materials can be transformed into intermediates that are later used to produce high-value chemicals, polymers, lubricants, solvents or surfactants, and special products, which, until now, have been obtained using fossil fuels.

Dr. Agnieszka Feliczak-Guzik
Dr. Agata Wawrzyńczak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cosmetics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural sources
  • application in the cosmetic/pharmaceutical industry
  • fine chemicals
  • active substances

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

33 pages, 1973 KiB  
Review
A Journey Along the Boulevard of Bioactive Compounds from Natural Sources, with Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Potential: Bee Venom, Cobra Venom, Ficus carica
by Monica Dinu, Carmen Galea, Ana Maria Chirilov, Alin Laurențiu Tatu, Lawrence Chukwudi Nwabudike, Olimpia Dumitriu Buzia and Claudia Simona Stefan
Cosmetics 2024, 11(6), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics11060195 - 18 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1490
Abstract
Animal venom and plant extracts have been used since ancient times in traditional medicine worldwide. Natural components, valued for their safety and effectiveness, have been consistently used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. We propose a journey along the boulevard of active compounds from [...] Read more.
Animal venom and plant extracts have been used since ancient times in traditional medicine worldwide. Natural components, valued for their safety and effectiveness, have been consistently used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. We propose a journey along the boulevard of active compounds from natural sources, where bee venom (BV), cobra venom (CV), and Ficus carica reveal their individual therapeutic and cosmetic properties. The originality of this review lies in exploring the synergy of these bioactive sources, an approach that has not been presented in the literature. Although BV, CV, and Ficus carica have different origins and compositions, they have multiple common pharmacological and cosmetic actions, which make them ideal for inclusion in various products that can be used for skin care and health in general. Their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, and regenerative properties give them an essential role in the creation of potential innovative and effective products in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry. Although many plant extracts have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Ficus carica was chosen due to its complex biochemical composition, which provides valuable benefits in skin regeneration and protection against oxidative stress. According to the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI), Ficus carica is used in the form of an extract of fruits, leaves, juice, bark or stem, each having specific applicability in topical formulations; due to the diversity of bioactive compounds, it can amplify the effectiveness of BV and CV, helping to enhance their beneficial effects and reducing the risk of adverse effects, due to its well-tolerated nature. Thus, this combination of natural ingredients opens up new perspectives in the development of innovative products, optimizing efficiency and maintaining a favorable safety profile. In this context, due to the reported experimental results, the three natural sources caught our attention, and we conceived the present work, which is a review made following the analysis of the current progress in the study of the bioactive compounds present in BV, CV, and Ficus carica. We focused on the novelties regarding pharmacological and cosmetic actions presented in the literature, and we highlighted the safety profile, as well as the modern approaches regarding the delivery and transport systems of the active substances from the three natural sources, and we evaluated their prospects in therapeutic and cosmetic use. This paper not only expands our knowledge of bioactive compounds, but it can also generate new ideas and motivations for the research and development of innovative treatments and skincare methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fine Chemicals from Natural Sources with Potential Application in the Cosmetic/Pharmaceutical Industry—Volume 2)
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18 pages, 1098 KiB  
Review
Liposomes and Ethosomes: Comparative Potential in Enhancing Skin Permeability for Therapeutic and Cosmetic Applications
by Ewelina Musielak and Violetta Krajka-Kuźniak
Cosmetics 2024, 11(6), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics11060191 - 5 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1580
Abstract
Skin diseases are a common health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Effective treatment often depends on the precise delivery of drugs to the affected areas. One promising approach is currently the transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS), whose significant challenge is the poor [...] Read more.
Skin diseases are a common health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Effective treatment often depends on the precise delivery of drugs to the affected areas. One promising approach is currently the transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS), whose significant challenge is the poor penetration of many compounds into the skin due to the stratum corneum (SC), which acts as a formidable barrier. To overcome this limitation, nanocarriers have emerged as a highly effective alternative. This review discusses the use of liposomes and ethosomes for transdermal drug delivery. Liposomes are micro- or nanostructures consisting of a lipid bilayer surrounding an aqueous core. They facilitate transdermal drug penetration and may be advantageous for site-specific targeting. Some methods of treating skin diseases involve incorporating drugs such as acyclovir, dithranol, and tretinoin or bioactive compounds such as fluconazole, melanin, glycolic acid, kojic acid, and CoQ10 into nanocarriers. The inability of liposomes to pass through the narrowed intercellular channels of the stratum corneum led to the invention of lipid-based vesicular systems such as ethosomes. They are structurally similar to conventional liposomes, as they are prepared from phospholipids, but they contain a high ethanol concentration. Ethosomes are noninvasive carriers that allow drugs to reach the deep layers of the skin. Examples of commonly used substances and drugs combined with ethosomes in cosmetics include methotrexate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A and E, and colchicine. A significant development in this area is the use of rutin-loaded ethosomes. Encapsulating rutin in ethosomes significantly improves its stability and enhances skin penetration, allowing more efficient delivery to deeper skin layers. In cosmetics, rutin–ethosome formulations are used to protect the skin from oxidative stress, reduce redness, and improve capillary strength, making it a valuable formulation in anti-aging and anti-inflammatory products. The results of the first clinical trial of the acyclovir–ethosome formulation confirm that ethosomes require further investigation. The work provides an update on recent advances in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, mentioning the essential points of commercially available formulations, clinical trials, and patents in the recent past. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fine Chemicals from Natural Sources with Potential Application in the Cosmetic/Pharmaceutical Industry—Volume 2)
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20 pages, 6808 KiB  
Review
Microplastics (MPs) in Cosmetics: A Review on Their Presence in Personal-Care, Cosmetic, and Cleaning Products (PCCPs) and Sustainable Alternatives from Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers
by Nikolaos Bikiaris, Nikolaos F. Nikolaidis and Panagiotis Barmpalexis
Cosmetics 2024, 11(5), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics11050145 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 4290
Abstract
Since the emergence of microplastics, the scientific community has been extremely alarmed regarding their potential risks for and threats to both the environment and human lives. MPs are traced in freshwater and marine environments, day-to-day-life ecosystems, and the bodies of animals and humans. [...] Read more.
Since the emergence of microplastics, the scientific community has been extremely alarmed regarding their potential risks for and threats to both the environment and human lives. MPs are traced in freshwater and marine environments, day-to-day-life ecosystems, and the bodies of animals and humans. Due to their usage advancements, MPs have become directly or indirectly an integral part of personal care, cosmetics, and cleaning products and appeared as a domestic cause of environmental pollution. Over the years, researchers have ascertained the harmful effects of MPs on the environment. In this regard, the monitoring and assessment of MPs in PCCPs necessitates considerable attention. The worldwide ban legislation on plastic μBs used in cosmetic products has driven researchers to investigate sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. This review paper summarizes the potential threats of MPs used in cosmetics and the utilization of potential alternatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fine Chemicals from Natural Sources with Potential Application in the Cosmetic/Pharmaceutical Industry—Volume 2)
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