Use of a soothing Mentha piperita extract to improve the well being of irritated and sensitive skin

摘要

The notion of sensitive skin has assumed increasing importance for the past several years.Men and women often complain of feelings of discomfort,primarily of the face but also other areas of the body.The skin is constantly subjected to various types of aggressions,whether they environmental,biological or chemical.Each of these more or less inevitable factors in our modern life renders our skin more sensitive and more reactive towards external aggressions.We thus investigated the potential of an active ingredient from Mentha piperita to improve the comfort of irritated and sensitive skin.This Mentha piperita extract is able to improve the well being of sensitive skin by acting on the release of pro-inflammatory mediators (interleukin-lalpha and 8,prostaglandin E_2) and by stimulating the production of beta-endorphins,molecules involved in the control of pain.We also studied the benefit directly in vivo :we found that this Mentha piperita extract acts on the manifestations of irritation,i.e.heat and redness,by regulating skin micro-circulation (laser Doppler measurement) and decreasing the stinging sensations caused by lactic acid aggression.The Mentha piperita extract,tested against placebo,was finally recognized as a good after shaving by a consumer test on 129 men.71.8% found that the formula containing our active ingredient soothed discomfort after-shaving,and 64.1% of users significantly felt a pleasant sensation of freshness.