Evaluation of oily hair and skin, development and clinical efficacy of cosmetic formulations containing guarana extract

Abstract

Skin oiliness, also called seborrhea, is a condition that negatively affects the self-perception and directly influences in the quality of life. The excess of oiliness can cause skin changes such as acne and seborrheic dermatitis, and compromise the cutaneous physiology, affecting not only the skin, but also the hair. Although there are studies reported in the literature regarding oily skin, few evaluate changes in hair resulting from seborrhea in the scalp, and studies that assess hair and skin at the same time, are even scarcer, which hinders the development of effective products. At the same time, the search for innovative and effective cosmetic products that can control the excessive production of oil in the skin and hair without compromising the normal skin conditions and the hair fiber are a challenge in the Research and Development (R&D) field. In this context, the use of guarana (Paullinia cupana) plant extract, due to its rich composition with caffeine, cathequines and other bioactive compounds, presents a potential for application in skin and hair care formulations, to the treatment of oily hair and skin without compromising the normal skin conditions. This way, the objective of the present study is to evaluate the skin and hair alterations due to the excessive production of sebum and to develop and evaluate cosmetic formulations added with guaraná extract in the control of the excess amount of sebum, using biophysical and imaging techniques. The results obtained in the evaluation of the skin and hair changes will be used as basis for the research and development of cosmetic formulations with proven clinical efficacy in the improvement of the skin and hair conditions. (AU)