Apollo 11 landed on the moon 40 years ago. The space under our skin , on the other hand, was still a completely unknown universe at that time. In the 1960s, cosmetic researchers collected the first tiny chunks of knowledge about the structure and function of our outer shell. Only Marika Rökk smiled from the first color televisions, as if she already knew more: in a dance dress on a stage, swinging her leg above her hips. All for the benefit of a cream – “Hormocenta”. It contained what the name promised – hormones from the placenta – and that was sensational. Because before, purism reigned supreme in the pot: fat and water.
70er
With the first active ingredients things started animal-like.
With collagen from pork and beef, hyaluronic acid from cockscomb and beef eyes. Newly developed instruments for measuring the skin structure accompanied them on their way under the skin and attested the immense depth of collagen in particular. As proof, the beacons of hope were radioactively marked and the reports of success rolled over: After applying the cream, the skin glowed down to the lowest layers.
This should show that the collagen was working. Unfortunately, a few years later it turned out that only the radioactive label had migrated. The collagen molecules were far too large to cross the skin’s surface. But that wasn’t an issue in the 70s. Only belief in progress counted.
Even then, nature fans relied on the plant care of Weleda, Hildegard Braukmann and Dr. Hauschka, which flourished in a small niche far from the crowd. The order forms from Yves Rocher, which were enclosed with many magazines and triggered a veritable boom in samples, could not be overlooked. In the summer, the “Who’s the Brownest on the Beach” contest got everyone in the grill position. The term “premature skin aging” was not yet a killjoy. In addition to protection factors 2, 4, 6, Delial and Piz Buin delivered the scent of summer.
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80er
80er
In 1983, 27 casually dressed “Greens” moved into the Bundestag.
Sunflowers suddenly shone in Parliament and awareness of environmental and health issues grew. It was all about content – and creams were no longer uncritically smeared on the skin . In 1986, the first BSE scandal ended the heyday of animal-based active ingredients and they almost disappeared from the market. Clear the stage for an Englishwoman. The philosophy of the body shop founder Anita Roddick jumped over the channel from Brighton and then slowly developed into a global idea: as little chemicals as possible, no animal testing, fair trade.
In the 80s, the ex-women’s representative of the UN was one of the first to travel the world to revive old healing knowledge in new cosmetic products. She learned from locals which raw materials to clean, care for and protect – and built them into her products. While Anita Roddick discovered the moisturizing effect of honey and the cleansing power of pineapple, the majority of cosmetic researchers continued to look for the ideal cream in the laboratory.
New liposomes ensure better performance in the crucible: it was shown that the tiny hollow spheres made of lecithin have the same structure as the walls of our skin cells. Therefore, they are classified by the immune system as endogenous and are particularly well tolerated. Inside, liposomes transport z. B. Substances that would not penetrate the skin barrier on their own. Even active ingredients that interfere with each other in free form can now – encapsulated – develop optimally together in a cream pot. A popular passenger in the liposome taxis is hyaluronic acid, which has been synthetically produced since the mid-1980’s and has become known as a great moisturizer.
At the end of the 80s, the yuppies ruled the lifestyle. And that was stressful. Also for the skin, which immediately suffered from “oxidative stress”. The triggers were the newly discovered free radicals. Pollutants that are mainly released by UV rays and environmental toxins. The first antioxidants fought against them: vitamins C and E. When they react with the free radicals, they themselves convert into a free radical, which is relatively stable and therefore does not continue the chain reaction.
In the course of the 90s, the coenzyme Q 10 was added, which neutralized pollutants even better. The really big topic, however, were the alpha hydroxy acids, also called AHAs or fruit acids. Their task: loosen loose horny cells, stimulate cell division and smooth the skin. Most AHAs were natural substances found in sugar cane juice, unripe grapes (glycolic acid), apples, pears, citrus fruits, and figs. Due to their irritating effect on the skin, they only had a short heyday. Today they are used almost exclusively by dermatologists and in beauty institutes.
90er
90er
The successor to fruit acid was called retinol – vitamin A.
Since vitamin A, which is afraid of light and air, decomposes in a very short time, it was not possible to produce a long-lasting cream for a long time. The active ingredient was first used in a cream in 1976, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that retinol became more stable and therefore gentler on the skin through encapsulation.
Vitamin A stimulates the formation of new connective tissue fibers from collagen in the deeper skin layers. This was important for the new anti-aging trend. The skin has been declared a protected area. The gods in white preached the sun’s commandments and thus the end of Tyrolean nut oil and the Teuton grill. High UV protection became a must, mineral filters with light-reflecting pigments competed with chemical protective cartridges. For the first time, UV filters were also incorporated into day care and makeup products. However, not all skins took this well – and reacted with allergies.
The tendency towards sensitive skin increased. Animal testing for cosmetics has been officially banned in Germany since 1998. But the manufacturers were still able to switch to other countries. Now, at last, more than ten years later, an EU cosmetics directive closes the eye of the needle: by 2013 at the latest, cosmetic products that have been tested on animals may no longer be imported into the EU. And people are also being better protected: Since 1999, every cosmetic product in Germany has had a declaration of ingredients (INCI). From care cream to nail polish, the manufacturers must specify the raw materials in descending order – according to their concentration.
2000s
2000s
At the beginning of the millennium, researchers dived more and more into the world’s oceans and into the plant kingdom because they suspected that many beauty stars were still asleep there. To date, fewer than 10,000 of the estimated 250,000 plant and algal species on earth have been chemically fully decoded. Phytohormones from soy, red clover and yam started their career as wrinkle killers almost ten years ago. Almost every day, new beauty talents are added who control biological processes such as metabolism, growth and repair processes in plants and are supposed to support precisely these tasks in the skin cells.
A broad field for researchers are the aromatic compounds, the so-called polyphenols in plant extracts: they inhibit e.g. B. Key enzymes in inflammation and allergic reactions. Particularly sensitive skin prone to neurodermatitis or psoriasis benefits from this. Also of interest is resveratrol, which is extracted from grapes and can extend the life of cells. As high-tech molecules, peptides – special protein compounds – are causing a sensation. They consist of amino acids and some of them stimulate collagen formation, others are intended to prevent the transmission of nerve impulses: the muscle relaxes, the skin over it smoothes out – at least for a few hours.
And then there are peptides with hormone-like effects, e.g. B. the cytokines that activate cell functions, lengthen the life cycle of collagen and elastic fibers. A peptide is brand new that sends a signal to dormant skin stem cells and thus stimulates the production of fresh cells. Mature skin especially likes this. It’s taking center stage now because the ’80s yuppies are now 50+ and doing things to smooth out their wrinkles. Completely new methods such as nanotechnology should ensure that active ingredients reach the site of action in the skin faster and more directly.
The trend towards natural cosmetics can certainly also be explained by the increase in allergies as a result of growing pollution: 5 to 10 percent of the approximately 30 million allergy sufferers in Germany react to certain ingredients, especially synthetic colors and preservatives. Since January 2001, the Federal Association of German Industrial and Commercial Companies (BDIH) has been awarding the BDIH seal of approval to natural cosmetic products that meet certain ecological and social standards. The longing for naturalness is increasing and more and more “green” product lines are appearing on the shelves. At the same time, the demands on the effectiveness of cosmetics continue to grow. And that’s why the search for ultimate active ingredients is far from over.
