Heterosides of Centella Asiatica is a highly purified extract, titrated in Madecassoside and Asiaticoside. It is an easy-to-formulate powder: water-soluble, this active ingredient does not add color to formulas and is heat and oxidation stable.
Heterosides of Centella Asiatica is widely recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties as well as its protective and stimulating action on dermal components.
To fight against dry and dehydrated skin, it is essential to fully protect the epidermis against the external aggressions to which it is subject daily. And, above all, it is vital to maintain its integrity and basic resources. H2O is the most important resource due to the role it plays in all of our body’s functions: H2O represents nearly 75% of our total weight.
In the skin, H2O content (~75% in the dermis) diminishes during the keratinization process (basal layer of keratinocytes ~ 32%; horny layer ~13%). The prevention of cutaneous dryness is traditionally focused on moisturizing the epidermis and replenishing the essential nutrients it lacks.
Heterosides of Centella Asiatica helps maintain intrinsic epidermal properties in optimal conditions. Company recently disclosed new data concerning the stimulation of ceramides in human keratinocytes.
Based on a lipidomic approach, ceramides represent nearly 50% of the lipids in the stratum corneum. Based on a functional approach, ceramides play different roles particularly that of physical barrier through waterretention thanks to the classic « brick-and-mortar » organizational structure (corneocytes/ceramides). There is also a link between the level of ceramides and/or their composition in certain cutaneous dysfunctions (dry skin, psoriasis, atopic skin, sensitive skin).
Hence, the stimulation of ceramides has a positive effect on the formation of the stratum corneum and keratinization process.
Additional information on this active ingredient’s effects in terms of its positive influence on the skin barrier:
Tight junctions reinforcement for cell cohesion: decreases permeability between the adjacent cells in the granular layer
Involucrin stimulation for normalization of keratinocyte differentiation: stimulated within the spinous layer, involucrin is responsible for the formation of a hydrophobic barrier in the stratum corneum.
Activation of the deeper layers of the living epidermis with Aquaporin-3 stimulation: 80% of water in the epidermis is recycled by AQP-3. More generally, AQP-3 helps recycle other biological elements involved in epidermal homeostasis, including glycerol.
All of this data has paved the way to new applications for this active ingredient concerning epidermal H2O management with a view to maintaining epidermal homeostasis.