Daily Cosmetic Research Analysis
Three impactful studies span cosmetic safety, surgical cosmesis, and anti-scarring therapeutics. A Korean exposure assessment quantifies population-specific dermal doses of parabens and antimicrobials from cosmetics/personal care products, identifying high-contributing product categories. A split-scar comparative study shows tissue adhesive performs as well as sutures for trunk/extremity closures with fewer track marks, and a preclinical study identifies cepharanthine as an anti-fibrotic candida
Summary
Three impactful studies span cosmetic safety, surgical cosmesis, and anti-scarring therapeutics. A Korean exposure assessment quantifies population-specific dermal doses of parabens and antimicrobials from cosmetics/personal care products, identifying high-contributing product categories. A split-scar comparative study shows tissue adhesive performs as well as sutures for trunk/extremity closures with fewer track marks, and a preclinical study identifies cepharanthine as an anti-fibrotic candidate that inhibits TGF-β/SMAD signaling to prevent hypertrophic scars.
Research Themes
- Cosmetic and personal care product chemical exposure and risk assessment
- Aesthetic outcomes in surgical wound closure
- Anti-scarring therapeutics and fibrosis signaling
Selected Articles
1. Comparison of 5-0 Polypropylene Suture and N-Butyl/2-Octyl Cyanoacrylate for Closure of Surgical Wounds on the Trunk and Extremities: A Split Scar Study.
In a split-scar comparison of 58 trunk/extremity wounds, cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive achieved overall cosmetic outcomes comparable to 5-0 polypropylene sutures, with fewer track marks in sutured halves and superior performance of adhesive on the chest. Blinded one-year assessments support adhesive as a viable option beyond the head/neck.
Impact: This study fills a key evidence gap for trunk and extremity closures, using a within-patient split-scar design and blinded assessment to show non-inferiority of tissue adhesive with context-specific advantages. It can directly inform wound-closure choices to optimize cosmetic outcomes and efficiency.
Clinical Implications: For trunk/chest closures, cyanoacrylate adhesive can be considered as a first-line option to reduce track marks and avoid suture removal while maintaining cosmetic outcomes. Surgeons should individualize by anatomical site, with adhesives favored on the chest and equivalence on arm/back.
Key Findings
- Mean SCAR scores at 1 year did not differ between 5-0 polypropylene suture and N-butyl/2-octyl cyanoacrylate (p=0.78).
- Sutured wounds had more track marks than adhesive-closed wounds (p=0.04).
- Adhesive performed significantly better on the chest than sutures (p=0.04), with no differences on the arm or back.
Methodological Strengths
- Within-patient split-scar design minimizes inter-individual confounding.
- Blinded assessment at 1 year using a validated SCAR scale by two Mohs surgeons.
Limitations
- Moderate sample size and single adhesive formulation; generalizability to other adhesives/suture types is uncertain.
- Study restricted to trunk and extremities; results may not extrapolate to other anatomical regions or high-tension closures.
Future Directions: Prospective randomized trials stratified by anatomical site and tension, cost-effectiveness analyses, and patient-reported outcomes could refine closure algorithms for different body regions.
2. Population-specific exposure risks from parabens and antimicrobials in cosmetics and personal care products: Insights from Korean usage patterns.
By combining measured chemical concentrations in 261 CPCPs with usage data from 2,042 Korean respondents, this study quantifies population-specific dermal doses of parabens and antimicrobials. Key contributors were skin care, sunscreens, and lotions; females and mothers had higher paraben and triclocarban exposure, and high-exposure scenarios increased doses 4–5-fold.
Impact: Provides realistic, population-specific exposure estimates directly tied to product categories, informing regulatory prioritization and risk mitigation for cosmetic and personal care ingredients.
Clinical Implications: Clinicians counseling pregnant women and high-use populations can recommend limiting high-contribution products (e.g., frequent use of skin care, sunscreens, lotions) and selecting lower-paraben formulations, while public health practitioners can target interventions by subgroup.
Key Findings
- Measured 13 parabens and 2 antimicrobials in 261 CPCPs; methylparaben and propylparaben were most prevalent.
- Estimated dermal paraben DEDs: males 11.4, females 25.8, mothers 25.1, infants 0.03 µg/kg/day; antimicrobial DEDs: males 0.20, females 0.28, mothers 0.98 µg/kg/day.
- Triclocarban frequently detected in rinse-off products; triclosan rarely detected, likely due to regulation.
- High-exposure scenarios raised DEDs by 4–5× versus general scenarios; skin care, sunscreens, body/hand lotions were major contributors.
Methodological Strengths
- Integration of product-level measured concentrations with large, population-specific usage data.
- Stratified exposure estimates across adults, teenagers, mothers, and infants with scenario analyses.
Limitations
- Cross-sectional exposure modeling without biomonitoring or health outcome linkage.
- Findings from Korea may not generalize to other regulatory or cultural settings; only two antimicrobials assessed.
Future Directions: Link exposure estimates to biomonitoring and endocrine outcomes, expand antimicrobial panels, and evaluate reformulation impacts on population exposures.
3. Cepharantine prevents hypertrophic scarring by regulating the TGF-β/SMAD pathway.
In a rabbit ear model and complementary in vitro fibrosis assays, cepharanthine reduced scar hypertrophy, collagen content, and ECM production while downregulating TGF-β/SMAD signaling and fibroblast proliferation/migration. These findings support drug repurposing of cepharanthine as an anti-scarring agent.
Impact: Identifies a mechanistically targeted, repurposable small molecule for hypertrophic scar prevention, an area with unmet clinical need, and elucidates TGF-β/SMAD pathway modulation as the mechanism.
Clinical Implications: Cepharanthine merits early-phase clinical testing for hypertrophic scar prevention or treatment, particularly in high-risk wounds. Mechanistic data suggest potential synergy with other anti-fibrotic strategies targeting TGF-β signaling.
Key Findings
- In rabbit ear scars, cepharanthine significantly reduced scar hypertrophy index and collagen content and improved fibroblast arrangement.
- In vitro, cepharanthine downregulated key TGF-β/SMAD pathway proteins, decreased ECM protein expression, and suppressed fibroblast proliferation and migration.
- Findings support prevention of hypertrophic scarring via reduced ECM deposition through TGF-β/SMAD signaling modulation.
Methodological Strengths
- Convergent in vivo (rabbit ear) and in vitro fibrosis models with concordant outcomes.
- Mechanistic interrogation of TGF-β/SMAD signaling alongside phenotypic scar metrics.
Limitations
- Preclinical model without human clinical data; dosing, safety, and formulation parameters require clinical validation.
- Sample sizes and duration in animal studies are not detailed in the abstract, limiting appraisal of effect robustness.
Future Directions: Phase I/II trials assessing topical cepharanthine for scar prevention in high-risk incisions/burns; dose-ranging, safety, PK/PD, and biomarker-guided studies focusing on TGF-β/SMAD activity.