Biomimetic ingredient offers formulation benefits

 Ethylhexyl olivate (INCI nomenclature) brings clinical benefits for numerous parameters and rheology advantages to the formulation. One single application of a formulation containing 3% ethylhexyl olivate was shown to significantly increase skin hydration (+12.2%, p<0.05), barrier function (+16.7%, p<0.05), visco-elastic properties (+6.7%, p<0.05) and skin surface profilometry (+11.2%, p<0.05) for up to eight hours. In another experiment, ethylhexyl olivate was compared to 10 different oil/emollients and ranked third for the viscosity enhancement and second for spreadability index on skin. Thanks to its molecular composition, ethylhexyl olivate creates a subtle veil naturally integrating itself within the hydrolipidic film and significantly improving skin sensorial properties. Ethylhexyl olivate stands as a key tool for formulation chemists while positively acting on skin physiological features as well as on sensorial properties.

The skin is externally located and thus serves as a sheath separating internal organs from a direct contact with the environment. The main roles of the skin are: protection from UV radiation (melanogenesis), immune defence and a barrier function preventing the penetration of foreign particles. Perhaps of greater importance, skin – especially the stratum corneum layer – is dynamically involved in the management of internal water levels.1 The first skin layer facing the external environment is the stratum corneum; the outermost layer of the epidermis. This histological section is predominantly represented by keratinocytes. The epidermis is constantly renewed through an upward flow of keratinocytes originating from epidermal basal layers up to the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum accounts for most of the permeability barrier that is mainly provided by the organised embedding of keratinocytes into a lipid-rich extracellular matrix. Chemical analyses have shown that the intercellular lipids of the stratum corneum are mainly composed of ceramides, cholesterol, cholesterol esters and fatty acids themselves synthesised by the keratinocytes. In addition to the intercellular lipid lamellae, other classes of lipids originating from the skin surface also play important roles in the stratum corneum. The thin sheet formed by those lipids is called the hydrolipidic film and contains fatty acids.2 While secreted at the outer surface of the epidermis, hydrolipidic film lipids may also be importantly involved in the maintenance of the integrity of the lipid configuration of much deeper layers of the stratum corneum. Numerous studies have demonstrated that, depending upon the category of lipids, a gradient of skin surface lipids is detected across the stratum corneum.3-8 It is also proposed that lipids from the hydrolipidc film penetrate within the stratum corneum intermixing with the lipid matrix (cholesterol, ceramides and fatty acids) into which keratinocytes are embedded. This would improve the skin barrier integrity supporting better skin texture and enhanced skin hydration and visco-elastic properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the dermatological compatibility and clinical efficacy of a technology based on a skin-like, naturally-occurring, fatty acid composition. The ingredient used in this study, ethylhexyl olivate, is a complex combination of fatty acids, chemically similar – biomimetic – to the hydrolipidic film. This ingredient was shown to bring benefits for the skin barrier function. In turn, the pro-barrier action of ethylhexyl olivate demonstrated positive effects for skin hydration, skin elasticity and skin surface topography.

Materials and methods