Jojoba leaf extract enhances skin performance from inside

 A new twist from the jojoba plant source extracts, different from the existing seed oil based moisturisers and emollients, IBR-Gapture is a water extract of jojoba leaves. IBR-Gapture improves skin structure and cohesion to restore moisture in the skin, as would occur with such structural improvement. Gene expression studies of IBR-Gapture indicated enhanced expression of several genes related to barrier repair, improvement of the barrier functions and skin cells cohesion, which are linked to enhanced skin performance, appearance and restoration of moisture. Subsequent clinical tests conducted on 3% IBR-Gapture in a cosmetic cream substantiated this ingredient’s tensor effect as well as trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) and desquamation reducing effects. Tensor effect, evidence of improved skin cell adhesion and smoothness, and reduced TEWL and desquamation, evidence of skin’s better ability to hold water as a result of stronger cell cohesion which reduces skin permeability. Altogether these are directly correlated with improved skin integrity and the skin’s healthy and vital appearance.

  Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is a shrub native to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts of Arizona, California, and Mexico. It is the sole species of the family Simmondsiaceae, placed in the order Caryophyllales. Jojoba is commonly grown commercially for its oil, a liquid wax ester, present in the seeds. Unlike jojoba oil, IBR-Gapture is an aqueous extract of the jojoba leaf. Sourced from this well adapted desert plant, able to maintain itself effectively in extremely warm and dry environments, IBR-Gapture (now referred to as ‘the jojoba leaf extract’) captures these unique abilities via delicate and natural extraction. Jojoba plants reserve the scarce water supply of the harsh desert, acting as a drop of vitality in the arid scenery. IBR’s jojoba leaf extract is a natural heir to the jojoba plant’s ability to moisturise, protect and beautify. The skin serves numerous functions, but its primary purpose is to act as a protective layer or barrier to our body. The most important role of our skin is to maintain the water-rich internal organs hydrated and protect them from chemical, microbial and physical insults. Skin is a structurally complex thick membrane. The water impermeability function of the skin resides in the upper thinnest layer (approximately 10 to 20 in humans) of stratum corneum (SC), having about three magnitudes of order higher water resistance compared to other membranes of living organisms. The stratum corneum’s hydration state is important for its barrier function as well as for the healthy and firm appearance of the skin. SC hydration and trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) are two key indices used for SC characterisation, typically showing an inverse relationship. Low TEWL values, a marker of healthy skin barrier function, are frequently correlated with high hydration of the SC. Disrupted barrier function can result from, for example, skin cleansing with soaps and detergents, dryness of the skin, reduced expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) like collagen and fibronectin or diseased skin, e.g. lesional atopic dermatitis – showing high TEWL values. It is suggested that disturbed skin barrier function leads to changes in epidermal differentiation. Tissue integrity is highly dependent on proper cell to cell adhesion, performed by cell-to-cell junctions. Cell-to-cell junctions are complexes of transmembrane adhesive proteins, and their forms and distribution may vary according to the tissue type. In the skin the prominent junctions are desmosomes, tight junctions, and gap junctions. Desmosomes are intercellular junctions that tightly link adjacent cells. Desmoplakin is an obligatory component of functional desmosomes, which anchors intermediate filaments to desmosomal plaques being connected to cytokeratin on the other side within the cell. Gap junctions are organised collections of protein channels in cell membranes that allow ions and small molecules to pass between adjacent cells. The promotion of barrier function and subsequent maintenance of skin integrity are important for improving skin appearance and health. The jojoba leaf extract is IBR’s natural solution for wholesome, stronger, firmer, impermeable and hydrated skin, based on the capture of gap (junctions) and subsequent improvement of skin barrier functions, barrier repair, skin firmness and cohesion.

Studies and results