Isaak Effendy
Are
Irritants Cosmetically Usefull ?
Department of Dermatology, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
Recently, a number of topical agents (perhaps better: cosmeceuticals) are available for treating of photoaged skin or for skin rejuvination. The active agents provide particularly vitamin A and fruit acids with their known irritant potential.
lt is therefore intriguing to determine whether or not other irritant substances may induce comparable skin changes compared to the established cosmeceuticals. Experimental studies an volunteers revealed that detergens sodiuml aurylsulfat (SLS) and vitamin D analogue (calcipotriole) as well are able to induce similar changes of epidermal functions as retinoic acid and glycolic acid did. Although it is known that the effects of all?trans?retinoic acid an the skin are mediated by their nuclear receptors (RAR and RXR families), the irritant potential of the other substances may explain the positive effects an the skin. Further studies are requested to determine whether SLS, vitamin D analogues, Tazaratone etc. will also produce a good clinical effect an photoaged skin.
