Cellex-C, renown for its commitment to anti-aging technology, cutting-edge
formulations and innovative ingredients is furthered with the introduction of Cellex-C
Advanced-C Serum. Available through physicians and skincare professionals only, Advanced-C
Serum contains free form L-ascorbic acid and hydrolyzed ascorbic acid.
Hydrolyzed ascorbic acid is an exciting development in
cosmetic chemistry because its chemical structure enables it to bypass the normal
conversion required by the skin to facilitate entry into the skin cell, where it is
utilized to promote collagen synthesis. Delivering superior antioxidant protection with
the addition of resveratrol, erothioneine and grape seed extract.
As the leader in topical vitamin C technology, Cellex-C Advanced-C
Serum uses the most advanced skin care ingredients that help the skin retain its youthful
look, while fighting the damaging effects of sun, pollution, stress and smoking. Passion
for anti-aging technology, partnered with innovative formulations and superior ingredients
have made Cellex-C the single most important skin saving product in an anti-aging regimen.
Below are some exceprts
from the Patent Abstract
on the Development of Advanced-C Cellex-C 17% Serum and its Benefits
SOURCE: The following information is based on a
clinical research paper by Dr. Steven S. Traikovich, "Use of Topical Vitamin C and
its effects on Photodamaged Skin Therapy". The paper is the recipient of the 1998
John Orlando Roe Award.
Chronic insults to the skin such
as ultraviolet light, ozone, cigarette smoke, pollutants and other natural and synthetic
environmental stimuli lead to cumulative damage, and can result in photoaging and
"heliodermatitis. Chronic ultraviolet sun exposure leads to clinical changes in the
skin such as laxity, roughness, dryness, sallowness, pigmentation, telangectasia and
wrinkles. Reactive oxygen species such as free radicals unquestionably produce oxidative
damage in skin. Ultraviolet light contributes directly to photodamage, not only by
generation of reactive oxygen species but also by depression of antioxidant levels.
Antioxidants are obviously necessary for neutralizing oxygen molecular species such as
oxygen free radicals, which damage and destroy skin. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has been
shown to have antioxidant effects as well as a role in collagen stimulation. Ascorbic acid
appears to influence production of collagen by post-translation and transcriptional
mechanisms. This is thought to occur by ascorbate stimulting collagen synthesis directly
and specifically activating collagen gene regulation, both by increasing transcription
rate and by stabilizing pro-collagen mRNA, therefore, genetically signaling collagen
synthesis. Another mechanism is initiation of lipid peroxidation, which leads to an
increase in a byproduct, malondialdehyde, which somehow stimulates collagen gene
expression.
Ultraviolet light exposure depletes up to two-thirds of cutaneous
Vitamin C stores. Cutaneous levels not obtainable by ingestion of Vitamin C can be reached
with topical application. Topical Vitamin C provides more than 20 times the amount of
Vitamin C found in normal skin. Ascorbic acid stereoisomers D-ascorbic acid and L-ascorbic
acid exist, but only the L-ascorbic form can be used by the body. This stable form of
L-ascorbate has allowed pharmacological levels of Vitamin C penetration targeted directly
into the skin by topical application to effect antioxidant and collagen stimulation.
Because topical Vitamin C does not absorb light in UVB/UVA range, it is not a sunscreen
but exerts its effects by neutralizing oxygen free radicals.
Skin inflamation, which is mediated by reactive oxygen species,
has been reported to be alleviated by topical use of Vitamin C on ultraviolet radiation-
induced erythema on porcine and human skin. This same study also showed a protective
effect on the inflammatory response when applied, even after sun exposure from ultraviolet
sunburn.
"Changes were gradual and became impressively more
evident as treatment continued. This study proves that a daily regimen of topical vitamin
C (Cellex-C) will lead to subjective as well as objective improvement, and will show an
enhanced and longer lasting effect on photodamage, prevention and aging."
Topical Vitamin C has also been
used as a printing agent as well as a postoperative agent in laser resurfacing erythema
treatment. Furthermore, the introduction of stable preparation of L-ascorbic acid is
now available that can penetrate the skin, delivering L-ascorbate to the epidermis and
dermis. It is anticipated that this enhanced delivery technology utilizing a unique
formulation of L-ascorbic, zinc sulfate and L-tyrosine, will show an enhanced and longer -
lasting effect on photodamage, prevention and aging.
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The central
hypothesis of this study is that a daily regimen of topical Vitamin C will lead to
subjective as well as objective improvement in human facial photoaging / photodamage.
Optical profilometry is an objective method for quantification of
facial wrinkles. Skin replica analysis of photodamaged skin was well described and
utlilized in previous studies with the use of tretinoin. No previous studies have utilized
this technology with the use of topical Vitamin C.
"Double Blind Study Proves Scientific
Results"
Pre-study data revealed: 63% of
patients had a previous history of smoking, 52% utilized sunscreens on a regular basis,
52% admitted to excessive lifetime sun exposure. Side effects were mild and usually
resolved within the first two months of therapy. Side effects included, in decreasing
order of frequency: stinging (55%), erythema (24%), and dryness (.05%). All side effects
were easily treated with moisturization. In no case was topical required to topical study
regimen altered. The majority of initial improvement seen during this time period involved
tactile roughness/texture and skin hydration changes...
In this study, a 3 month daily regimen of topical Vitamin C was
shown to provide significant objective and subjective improvement of some of the changes
associated with photodamaged facial skin, These changes were gradual and became
progressively more evident as treatment continued. clinical assessment and patient
questionnaire / self-appraisal have been the traditional areas of evaluation. These
methods demonstrated significant differences from vehicle in fine wrinkling, tactile
roughness, coarse rhytids, skin laxity/tone, allowness/yellowing, and overall skin
improvement.
Clinical and patient self-appraisal showed an 84% correlation to
predicting active versus control. Stinging did not have any significant correlation with
active or control agents. The vehicle control agent (Cellex-C International, Toronto,
Canada) was matched for color, consistency, and pH to the active agent to ensure the
blindness of the study. Stinging discrepancies were probably associated with variations in
skin type and surface flora among subjects, as well as environmental exposure, cosmetic
use, local tissue reactivity, variations in serum application, and moisturizer use.
Photographic assessment did show significant improvement with
active greater than control but was found to have the least reliability (58%) in
predicting active and control sides. Inherent limitations in photography include
flucuations in lighting, head position, facial expression and asymmetries. Consequently,
the use of skin replica optical profilometry to complement subjective evaluations with an
objective method for the quantification of skin surface texture changes with minimal
variability or potential for bias was utilized.
Pre-and post-treatment comparison revealed significant imrovement
with active greater than control for Rz North-South (.032) and Shadows North-South (.032).
In the case of Rz North-South, the values approached significance (p=.084). Therefore,
overall active topical Vitamin C treated skin topography is smoother and less wrinkled
than vehicle-control. The fact that Rz and Shadows represent fine to intermediate depth
lines and that Rz is largely a measure of deep wrinkles, suggests that topical Vitamin C
therapy had a more dramatic effect on superficial topography and less of an effect with
major furrows and creases.
It should also be mentioned that there are an increased number of
Vitamin C based topical cosmetics available on the market, It appears that not all
preparations of topical Vitamin C are effective. Many of these products utilize
derivatives, esters and analogs of Vitamin C that are either unable to penetrate into the
skin, unable to be chemically converted to L-ascorbic acid (the only form that can be
utilized by the body), and/or unable to be delivered in adequate concentration to have an
effect. These ascorbic acid substitutes include ascorbyl palmitate, magnesium ascorbyl
phosphate, ascorbic acid magnesium phosphate, which are easily stabilized but must be
converted to L-ascorbate to be effectively useful. There is no direct evidence that
ascorbic acid derivatives enter the skin in appreciable amounts, and it appears that their
conversion to L-ascorbate is largely inefficient, therefore, precluding effective
concentration delivery. "This three-month study evaluated and did show topographic
improvement in facial photodamaged skin utilizing Cellex-C."
For a complete paper and list of
references, please contact: 800-235-5392.
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