Preparation of functional cosmetics containing β-carotene derived from recombinant Escherichia coli and evaluation of anti-wrinkle efficacy by clinical testing

Abstract

This paper described the formulation of functional cosmetics and evaluation of anti-wrinkle effi-cacy in clinical test. Cosmetics were formulated with highly purified β-carotene obtained from the culture broth of recombinant E.coli cells. Edible oil for solubilizing β-carotene, vitamine E for long-term storage, detergent/stabilizer (2.0%) for the complete formation of oil/water emulsion, dimethicone (0.35%) for good skin care, and sorbitol for skin moisturizer were also added as ingredients. Physical or chemical degradation of formulated products stored at 0°C, 25°C, or 40°C was not observed for 60-day testing period. In clinical test, 68% of applicants observed wrinkle decrease after 8-week treatment. This result indicates that newly formulated cosmetics have strong potential for improving wrinkle skin care.