Backhousia citriodora leaf extract: a new active solution to control hyper-seborrhea for multi-ethnic skins
Seborrhea is a common cosmetic issue that occurs when oversized sebaceous glands produce excessive amounts of sebum, giving the appearance of shiny and greasy skin. The balance between sebum secretion and the oxidation of its components (squalene, waxe, fatty acids…) has been described as a protective skin barrier against environmental stimuli (UVa, pollution) and dehydration.  Moreover, it was described that diet, age, climates or ethnicity interfere in this natural balance and induce hyper-seborrhea and skin inflammation. Convinced by the interest to rebalance both sebum quantity and quality, we developed Backhousia citriodora leaf extract, a new seboregulator agent effective on multi-ethnicities.
In tubo studies revealed the extract capacity to protect the squalene, a sebum component, against the oxidation by 18% and to decrease, in vitro the protein expression of the sebocyte differentiation marker, Epithelial Membrane Antigen, by 32%. The designed extract was also able to significantly decrease by 30% the lipid accumulation in sebocyte culture. These data were confirmed by clinical study conducted during 28 days with two daily applications of cream containing 2% of Backhousia citriodora leaf extract on 42 hyper seborrheic and multi-ethnic volunteers.  Sebumeter measurement showed the extract decreased significantly skin sebum quantity by 7% on all ethnicity. Moreover, sebum lipodomic profile analysis revealed the extract decreased squalene and glycerid contents by 15% and 23% on Caucasian, by 11% and 15% on Asian and by 46% and 44% on African-Americans. Finally, the extract permitted to reduce sebum shiny effect on Caucasians (1%), Asians (3.4%) and Africans-Americans (11%). In summary, we have proven that the Backhousia citriodora leaf extract rebalances sebum quality and secretion by acting simultaneously on the oxidation, the composition and the production of sebum, whatever the ethnicity. This extract is a new geocosmetic active to fight against oily and shiny skin.