• Internal/External uses
• Increases epidermal turnover
• Maintains healthy skin hydration levels

Carnipure™ Crystalline is used as a nutritional supplement in several applications including weight management, promotion of heart health and enhancement of exercise recovery. Now this same highly purified molecule is available for use in skin and hair care applications. The proprietary and fully backward integrated Carnipure™ production process was invented by Lonza scientists in Switzerland. It directly produces the L-isomer of carnitine, the form found in nature.

Scalp skin is unique from that on the rest of the body, because it has a high density of terminal hair follicles. This gives rise to a much larger surface area that requires care in order to maintain a healthy balance. A critical aspect of scalp maintenance is proper skin turnover, which has shedding of skin cells (desquamation) as a final step.1 Just as with all other skin on the body, a personal care routine in combination with natural desquamation renews the scalp surface, removing dirt, excess oil, dead skin and the buildup from products, all the while helping to improve blood circulation. When scalp skin is out of balance, it can become dry, tight, flaky and uncomfortable. Until recently, cosmetic ingredients and personal care products focused on hair care, and did not address the unique needs of scalp skin.

Carnitine is naturally produced in the body and has also been used in health and nutrition for decades for muscle development, energy boosting, and heart and brain function.3 Research studies in vitro suggest that Carnitine’s role at the cellular level may also provide benefits to skin and hair.

In vivo Epidermal Turnover Study

An in vivo epidermal turnover study was conducted in order to determine the effect of Carnipure Crystalline on skin renewal.

Protocol

Site: Inner forearms of ten panelists

Exposure time: Product applied daily for 28 days

Test formulations

–None (Untreated skin)

–Emulsion base (Control)

–Emulsion base + 2% Carnipure™ Crystalline (Treated)

Procedure

All test sites were treated with 5% dansyl chloride in petrolatum. Test products above were applied to the test sites. Fluorescence was evaluated at baseline, 7, 10, 14, 18, 21, 25 and 28 days. Renewal time was defined as the number of days needed for the stratum corneum to show no fluorescence, due to a completed turnover/renewal of the skin layer.

Results

The untreated stratum corneum renewed in 25 days. Skin treated with 2% Carnipure™ Crystalline showed a statistically significant decrease in the mean epidermal renewal time (P= 0.048) from 20.6 days for the placebo formulation to 18.1 days for the test formulation (Fig. 1).

Carnitine’s effect on epidermal turnover

In vivo evaluation of epidermal turnover.

A healthy and balanced barrier absorbs and maintains moisture.4,5 Proper hydration supports normal skin function and ensures proper desquamation.

Corneometer Study

Corneocytes, in the outermost layer of the skin, are generated by the metabolically active cells of the inner layer and work as a trap for water molecules, thus providing the skin with moisture. A corneometer study was performed in order to examine the effect of Carnipure™ Crystalline on skin moisture levels.

Protocol

Site: Inner forearms of ten panelists

Exposure time: Product applied daily for 21 days

Test formulations:

None (Untreated skin)

Emulsion base (Control)

Emulsion base + 2% Carnipure™ Crystalline (Treated)

Procedure

Corneometer measurements of skin were taken at baseline, after baseline, 7, 14 and 21 days. All readings are taken 3-4 hours after formula application.

Results

At the start of the study, the hydration levels of the untreated, control and treated sites were very similar. After 21 days, skin treated with 2% Carnipure™ Crystalline shows a statistically significant increase (p=0.002) of 26.4% in skin hydration versus 12.5% with the placebo formulation (Fig. 2).

Carnitine’s hydrating power on skin

Stratum corneum hydration measurement in vivo.

Bring energy into your next scalp care formulation with Carnipure Crystalline by offering consumers a dual benefit of improved skin turnove and moisturization to improve the condition and vitality of their scalp.