Approximately 15 years ago, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to researchers who discovered hitherto unknown ways of moisture penetration into the skin and its redistribution in tissues. As it turned out, water can move not only along the intercellular spaces.
Special proteins on cell surfaces are also responsible for the distribution of water molecules. These membrane proteins are called aquaporins. Cosmetic manufacturers are very interested in finding ways to stimulate the synthesis of such proteins in order to improve skin hydration. How effective is such stimulation, was interested in estet-portal.com.
What is the role of aquaporins in maintaining skin hydration
The issue of skin hydration is very important in the practice of dermatologists and cosmetologists. In order for moisture to remain in the skin, the following conditions must be met:
• integrity of the epidermal barrier and lipid film;
• sufficiency and functionality of the natural moisturizing factor;
• The work of dermal components responsible for saturating the skin with water.
There is another factor responsible for skin moisture. We are talking about membrane proteins capable of forming structures like channels, or pores, through which water moves. They are called aquaporins.
Aquaporins conduct not only water, but also glycerol and urea, transporting them to various organs and tissues.
These proteins not only help water to penetrate into the cell to participate in the necessary processes of its life. They create a kind of conducting system between cells, thanks to which water molecules move deep into the tissues and provide them with the necessary moisture. Aquaporins supply water to the tissues of the eyes, brain, kidneys, organs of the digestive system, they are also found in the skin. Most of these proteins were found in the epidermal layers and the least – in the stratum corneum.
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Studies have shown that aquaporin deficiency may be due to a decrease in skin hydration and a deterioration in its elastic properties, a slow recovery of a damaged skin barrier. Patients with manifestations of eczema showed a lack of these proteins where intercellular edema was observed.
Thus, there was an assumption about the draining role of aquaporins, which do not allow water to accumulate in the tissues. Dryness of the skin in atopic dermatitis is also associated with an insufficient amount of these proteins.
Aquaporins in Marcel Etoile cosmeceuticals - the best solution for post-peel care
Scientists found a significant decrease in the number of aquaporins in those people who were regularly exposed to solar radiation, this was especially noticeable in unprotected areas of the skin.
At the same time, women over 40 suffered from this deficiency more than younger women. Thus, it was found that the synthesis of aquaporins decreases with age.
How can I increase the number of aquaporins in the skin
Scientists are actively studying the mechanisms of aquaporins, which are still not entirely clear, and are trying to find ways to increase their number in the skin. For dermatologists, this would help solve many problems of skin dryness in a number of diseases, cosmetologists – improve skin condition with signs of photoaging and age-related changes.
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A good effect in regulating the amount of aquaporins in the skin was shown by an extract on a water-alcohol basis from the grass of the Turkestan grass (Ajuga turkestanica) – a distant relative of sage and motherwort. Studies have shown that already 17 days after the application of this extract, the integrity and barrier functions of the epidermis are restored, thickening and clear differentiation of the stratum corneum.
The possibilities of synthetic peptides that can activate the synthesis of aquaporin proteins are being studied. Such an ingredient in cosmetics would be necessary to stimulate the regenerative abilities of aging skin, to treat its increased dryness.
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