Unicontrozon is a plant-based complex for protecting the skin from ozone and environmental pollutants.
Ozone is a significant component of air pollution and can rapidly deplete vitamins E and C in the skin. With reduced levels of these important antioxidants, the skin’s barrier lipids are damaged. This is why skin problems, such as atopic dermatitis, sensitivity, redness, and irritation are more prevalent in polluted urban environments. Long-term, increased oxidation speeds up aging. Ozone is also very damaging to hair and, in particular, to hair dyes.
Fumaria officinalis plant is rich in fumaric acid, which reacts with ozone to form harmless carboxylic acids and water before ozone can reach the skin. Another component is Lemon extract which provides enhanced antioxidant properties.
Active ingredients (or INCI)
The effects of ozone on the skin cannot be minimized or even eliminated by simple physical measures such as those used for ultraviolet light, such as e.g. shade-providing screens or adequate clothing. Consequently, there is an obvious need for a cosmetic skin protection system that protects the skin from ozone pollution by the ambient air.
Modern cosmetology prefers active ingredients of natural and particularly of vegetable origin, rather than synthetic active ingredients. Therefore a search was made specifically for a combination of vegetable active ingredients that would guarantee optimum protection from harmful effects on the skin due to ozone. Systematic tests led to a combination of active ingredients (Unicontrozon C-49 /BG-49) composed of a fumitory extract (Fumaria officinalis), lemon fruit extract (Citrus medica limonum), and fumaric acid which forms an efficient protective system against the harmful effect of ozone.
Fumitory is an annual plant widely distributed in Europe in particular but in other parts of the world too. An essential ingredient of the fumitory extract is fumaric acid. Fumaric acid is also an endogenous substance that is produced biogenically within the citric acid cycle and is present in nearly all body cells. It has high specific reactivity with ozone yet is very stable towards atmospheric oxygen and other oxidizing agents.
Fumaric acid reacts with ozone to form mainly three reaction products besides carbon dioxide, oxalic acid, glyoxalic acid, and mesoxalic acid. These three carboxylic acids are formed in very low concentrations and can be considered as toxicologically innocuous. Oxalic acid and glyoxalic acid are not newcomers in cosmetics; they are listed as cosmetic ingredients in the INCI index. Mesoxalic acid can be found naturally in alfalfa extract, which is also listed in the INCI index. Therefore, the formation of toxicologically questionable by-products by the reaction of ozone with fumaric acid can be excluded. The additional protective action of the lemon extract is probably due to the complex forming properties of its constituents.In combination with the fumitory extract, the constituents of the lemon extract develop an additional protective action. The carrier system for the Unicontrozon C-49 complex of active ingredients is based on water/propylene glycol and contains no preservatives. This active-ingredient complex is also available with butylene glycol instead of propylene glycol, under the name Unicontrozon BG-49.
Related ingredients
