What are the benefits of lycopene for cosmetics? Lycopene is a hydroxy carotenoid, molecular formula C40H56. It has a unique long-chain molecular structure, containing 11 conjugated double bonds, and two non-conjugated double bonds. Forethmore, the number of conjugated double bonds is more than the other. This specific molecular structure determines that lycopene has a strong ability to scavenge free radicals. Its super-strong ability to remove free radicals can prevent skin cells from being damaged by free radicals and reduce the production of wrinkles and freckles. As a kind of antioxidant, it can enhance the body's antioxidant capacity and the function of delaying old age. Lycopene keeps strong antioxidant properties, and the ability to quench singlet oxygen and eliminate free radicals make it as a new type of cosmetic raw material, it has the great potential to be used in various cosmetics such as sunscreen products and skincare products.
Here are the detailed benefits of Lycopene in Cosmetics:
1. Resist the skin light damage caused by ultraviolet rays
Skin photoaging refers to the premature aging of the skin caused by long-term exposure to sunlight and other rays. It is the product and result of long-term radiation in nature. About 90% of the photoaging of human skin is the result of ultraviolet rays. As a strong oxidant, lycopene plays an active and effective role in preventing the occurrence and development of photoaging.
There are two ways to remove oxygen free radicals, physical and chemical. The physical method transfers the activation energy from singlet oxygen to lycopene, producing ground state oxygen and activated triplet lycopene, and heats the excess energy. This is the main way that lycopene directly quenches singlet oxygen; the chemical method is that lycopene can interact with reactive oxygen fragments such as hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen dioxide. Studies have shown that it is not exposed to sunlight compared to or not, the lycopene content of sun-exposed skin can reduce by 31%-46%, so increasing the assay of lycopene in the skin can prevent or reduce the damage of ultraviolet rays to the skin.
2. Facial anti-oxidant whitening
The structural feature of lycopene is that it reacts easily with free radicals, and scavenges free radicals, playing an anti-oxidant effect. It is used in skincare products to prevent and delay skin aging and reduce wrinkles and freckles. The researchers quantitatively determined the lycopene in the skin of subjects and analyzed the structural relationship of the damaged skin. The results showed that high levels of antioxidants in the skin can effectively reduce the roughness of the skin.
