Daily Cosmetic Research Analysis
Analyzed 20 papers and selected 3 impactful papers.
Summary
Analyzed 20 papers and selected 3 impactful articles.
Selected Articles
1. A single-cell multi-omics atlas of human eyelid skin.
Using HT-scCAT-seq on four adult human eyelid samples, the authors profiled 10,065 single cells, delineating 13 distinct cell types with their transcriptional and chromatin-accessibility signatures. They mapped key gene regulatory networks enriched in each cell type, creating a publicly valuable resource for periorbital skin biology.
Impact: Provides the first integrated single-cell transcriptome–epigenome atlas of human eyelid skin, enabling mechanistic hypotheses on periorbital aging, barrier function, and wound healing.
Clinical Implications: Anchors cell-type–specific targets and regulatory programs that could inform periocular dermatologic diseases, scarring, and cosmetic interventions (e.g., targeted rejuvenation strategies).
Key Findings
- HT-scCAT-seq simultaneously profiled transcriptome and chromatin accessibility in 10,065 single cells from four adult human eyelid skin samples.
- Thirteen distinct cell types were defined with detailed molecular signatures.
- Key gene regulatory networks enriched in each cell type were identified, creating a reference atlas.
Methodological Strengths
- Integration of transcriptomic and epigenomic data at single-cell resolution (HT-scCAT-seq).
- Analysis across thousands of cells enabling robust cell-type delineation and regulatory inference.
Limitations
- Limited donor number (four adults) may constrain generalizability.
- Functional validation of inferred regulatory networks was not reported.
Future Directions: Expand donors across ages and conditions; validate regulatory circuits experimentally; integrate spatial multi-omics to map microanatomy and disease states.
The skin acts as the first barrier protecting the human body against the external environment. Transcriptional heterogeneity in human skin is widely confirmed, but the regulatory mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, we employed high-throughput single-cell chromatin accessibility and transcriptome sequencing (HT-scCAT-seq), a technique for simultaneous analysis of the transcriptome and epigenome. We used HT-scCAT-seq to analyze 10,065 cell profiles from four adult human eyelid skin and define 13 distinct cell types. In addition, we described detailed molecular signatures and identified key gene regulatory network enriched in each cell type. Our dataset is a valuable resource for further research in human skin biology.
2. Estimating the Human Skin Permeation of Neutral Organic Compounds Using Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography and Alternative Organic Solvent Modifiers.
The authors developed surrogate RPLC models using alternative organic modifiers to estimate human skin permeation of small neutral compounds. Systems with 70% acetone or 70% 1:1 THF:2-propanol on Kinetex C18 achieved the best predictive performance with ~0.18–0.25 log-unit error, supporting rapid, automatable screening.
Impact: Introduces a practical, high-throughput surrogate method to predict skin permeation, reducing reliance on labor-intensive Franz cell assays in topical drug and cosmetic development.
Clinical Implications: Enables early-stage screening of candidate actives and excipients for dermal products, potentially accelerating formulation optimization while reducing animal and human tissue use.
Key Findings
- Surrogate RPLC systems using 70% (v/v) acetone or 70% (v/v) 1:1 THF:2-propanol on Kinetex C18 best predicted human skin permeation.
- Prediction errors were 0.180–0.231 and 0.214–0.254 log units, respectively.
- The approach is rapid and amenable to automation compared with Franz cell assays.
Methodological Strengths
- Systematic evaluation of multiple solvent modifiers with a defined stationary phase (Kinetex C18).
- Quantitative reporting of prediction errors enabling objective model assessment.
Limitations
- Focused on small neutral organic compounds; applicability to ionizable or large molecules is unclear.
- Surrogate models do not replace confirmatory in vitro/in vivo permeation studies.
Future Directions: Extend models to ionizable and larger molecules, incorporate temperature and vehicle effects, and validate against diverse human skin datasets.
Determination of human skin permeation is necessary in drug development for topical treatments, the cosmetics sector, and occupational hazard evaluation applications. When compared to the in-vitro assay experiments based on Franz cells for the determination of human skin permeation, the estimation methods based on surrogate chromatographic models are less time-consuming and can be easily automated. In this work, we evaluated surrogate chromatographic alternative organic mobile modifiers, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, and 2-propanol, for the estimation of human skin permeation of small neutral organic compounds using surrogate chromatographic systems. Solvent systems comprising 70% (v/v) acetone and 70% (v/v) 1:1 tetrahydrofuran: 2-propanol on a Kinetex C18 stationary phase demonstrated the best results for the construction of surrogate chromatographic models with prediction errors of 0.180-0.231 and 0.214-0.254 log units, respectively. Proposed surrogate chromatographic models could be used as a rapid screening tool to estimate human skin permeation of small neutral organic compounds.
3. TPGS Modified Phospholipid-free and Cholesterol-free Ethosomes Enhance Chemical Stability and Transdermal Permeation Of Retinol.
A phospholipid- and cholesterol-free, TPGS-modified ethosome reduced retinol degradation, halved particle size by raising binary alcohol from 10% to 30%, and enhanced both transdermal permeation and skin retention without notable irritation in guinea pigs. Antioxidants further improved chemical stability.
Impact: Addresses long-standing instability and irritation barriers for retinol, proposing a scalable formulation strategy with improved delivery and tolerability.
Clinical Implications: Supports development of more stable, less irritating retinol topicals with improved bioavailability, potentially enhancing adherence and efficacy in cosmetic dermatology.
Key Findings
- TPGS-modified, phospholipid- and cholesterol-free ethosomes achieved sharp particle size reduction (∼100 to 50 nm) by increasing binary alcohol concentration from 10% to 30% without compromising loading.
- TPGS@Ret-ES markedly reduced retinol degradation at room temperature and maintained particle size stability; antioxidants (tocopheryl acetate, Irganox 1010) further enhanced stability.
- Enhanced transdermal permeation and skin retention were observed, with no significant irritation in guinea pigs after repeated application.
Methodological Strengths
- Comprehensive physicochemical characterization linking solvent composition to particle size and loading.
- In vivo irritation assessment in guinea pigs coupled with permeation/retention studies and stability testing with antioxidants.
Limitations
- Preclinical study without human clinical data; long-term safety and efficacy remain unknown.
- No head-to-head comparison with standard phospholipid-based ethosomes or marketed retinol formulations.
Future Directions: Conduct human PK/PD and tolerability studies, compare against current gold-standard formulations, and assess stability under real-world storage conditions.
Retinol has emerged as a star ingredient in the cosmetics industry owing to its remarkable skincare efficacy. However, its major limitations-high irritation potential and chemical instability-necessitate further improvement. We developed a liposome primarily composed of glyceryl monooleate and poloxamer (F127). By hybridizing this with a binary alcohol system comprising a 1:1 (v/v) mixture of propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol, an ethosome (ES) capable of efficiently encapsulating retinol was obtained. Retinol-loaded ES (Ret-ES) was further modified with D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS@Ret-ES), thereby optimizing particle size distribution and drug loading capacity. Increasing the binary alcohol concentration from 10 to 30% caused TPGS@Ret-ES hydrated particle size to sharply decrease from 100 to 50 nm, without significant changes in drug loading or encapsulation efficiency. Compared with retinol aqueous solutions, TPGS@Ret-ES substantially reduced degradation rates at room temperature while maintaining excellent particle size stability. Additionally, incorporating antioxidants tocopheryl acetate and Irganox 1010 further improved chemical stability. Notably, TPGS@Ret-ES simultaneously enhanced transdermal drug permeation and skin retention, with no significant irritation observed following repeated application to the same skin site in guinea pigs. In conclusion, ES represents a highly promising topical delivery carrier, and TPGS@Ret-ES shows considerable potential as a novel formulation for retinol.