ReportA topical antioxidant solution containing vitamins C and E stabilized by ferulic acid provides protection for human skin against damage caused by ultraviolet irradiation
Section snippets
Experimental protocol
Studies were conducted at with the approval of our institutional review board. Nine adults with Fitzpatrick skin type II or III (white skin with the ability to tan slightly to moderately in response to UV irradiation) were entered into the protocol. Two solutions were applied (2 mg/cm2) daily for 4 days to separate patches of back skin. Subjects were instructed not to wash the area for at least 2 hours. One solution was an aqueous solution containing 15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% dl-α tocopherol, and
Erythema
CEFer provided substantial protection against UV-induced erythema when compared with vehicle-treated skin (Fig 1, Fig 2). At 2 to 6× MED irradiance, colorimeter readings for vehicle versus CEFer revealed significant (P < .01) protection by CEFer at all irradiance levels (Fig 2). Moreover, CEFer provided significant protection (P < .01) at 8× MED and 10× MED irradiances when compared with 6× MED-irradiated vehicle-treated skin.
Sunburn cells
Sunburn cell enumeration (Fig 3) of 6× MED-irradiated skin when
Discussion
This study demonstrates that a combination of physiologic antioxidant vitamins C and E stabilized by a powerful plant antioxidant, ferulic acid, can be applied topically to skin and supplement the skin's own antioxidant pool to protect against UV-induced oxidative damage. In addition to protecting the skin against erythema and apoptosis associated with cellular damage, protection was also provided against UV-induced DNA mutations that have been demonstrated to be associated with skin cancer.
UV
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Supported by a grant from SkinCeuticals-L'Oreal, New York, NY.
Disclosure: Dr Pinnell is a consultant for SkinCeuticals-L'Oreal. Dr Murray, Mr Burch, Mr Streilein, Ms Iannacchione, and Dr Hall have no conflicts of interest to declare. C E Ferulic is a patented formulation, US Patent No. 7,179,841 issued to SkinCeuticals.