CARINE NIZARD¹*, EMMANUELLE LEBLANC-NOBLESSE¹, MILENE JUAN¹, TONY XU², SYLVIANNE SCHNEBERT¹
*Corresponding author
1. LVMH Recherche. Life Science Department, 185 Avenue de Verdun, 45800. Saint Jean de Braye. France.
2. LVMH Recherche. Asia Innovation Center. 3511, Tower 1, Plaza 66, No.1266 Nanjing road, Shanghai, 200040, China.

Abstract

The skin, is an interface between the body and the surrounding atmosphere and is therefore the primary contact for ambient pollutants. Once inside the skin, the pollutants can accumulate and form free radicals that generate DNA and protein damage thus causing serious premature aging. It has been demonstrated that oxidized proteins in the skin accumulate with age and that they can be eliminated by proteasome in cytosol, and Lon protease in mitochondria. We previously developed two active ingredients (Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts) which activate these two systems in order to eliminate oxidized proteins in these two cellular compartments. Here, we show that a skin explant, exposed to 32 pollutants (27 heavy metals and 5 hydrocarbons) under a patch can be a good ex-vivo model for pollution damage and that our formula is a good protector against pollution damage (skin morphology integrity scoring) and lipids peroxidation (by Malondialdehyde measurement).

INTRODUCTION

For decades, extrinsic skin aging has been known to result from chronic exposure to solar radiation and, more recently to pollution (1). Pollution is a world-wide issue and the skin is the body's first line of defence against these stressors. It's not necessary to inhale polluted air for it to harm the skin as many topically applied substances get absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream and tissues of the body (2). A major mechanism by which ambient PM (particulate matter) exerts its detrimental effects is through the generation of oxidative stress which is an important contributor to extrinsic skin aging. Particles in the nanosize range, especially those from road traffic, are considered to be among the most harmful components of ambient PM. These nanoparticles cause oxidative stress partly because of their physical properties, i.e. small size but large surface per unit mass, making them highly reactive toward biological surfaces and structures. Pollutants bind to the stratum corneum, penetrate into the epidermis, or become metabolized. In this process the structural and functional integrity of the epidermal barrier seems to be direc ...