Abstract
Retinol, one of the most powerful cosmetic materials for anti-aging supported by a solid scientific background, exhibits a wide range of type and severity of irritation while showing limited user compliance. The lack of understanding of the mechanism of retinol-induced irritation has been the main hurdle in the development of anti-irritation strategies. Here, we identified 30 genetic markers related to the susceptibility to retinol-induced irritation in the Korean population. Based on the genetic analysis, a novel formula against retinol-induced irritation was developed, which mitigated the molecular pathogenesis—as indicated by the genetic markers—of the retinol-induced irritation. In human tests, this formula effectively decreased retinol-induced irritation. Furthermore, a polygenic risk score model for irritation was constructed and validated. Our comprehensive approach for the analysis of retinol-induced irritation will not only aid the development of anti-irritation strategies to ensure higher user compliance but also contribute to improving the current knowledge about the biological effects of retinoids.
Highlights
Retinoids, a family of compounds derived from vitamin A that includes both synthetic and natural compounds, have been intensively studied and utilized in diverse biomedical applications such as cancer treatment, cervical neoplasia, and skin disorders in the past few decades
Among those with past irritation experiences, most individuals replied that basic cosmetics triggered irritation, which was followed by sunblock, cleanser, and cosmeceutical products (Figure 2c)
This result revealed that retinol-induced irritation tends to occur repeatedly depending on individuals, which supports the hypothesis that genetic factors might affect the sensitivity to retinol
Summary
A family of compounds derived from vitamin A that includes both synthetic and natural compounds, have been intensively studied and utilized in diverse biomedical applications such as cancer treatment (acute myeloid leukemia), cervical neoplasia, and skin disorders in the past few decades. Since retinoids were first used for the treatment of acne in the 1940s, its therapeutic efficacy against skin disorders such as actinic keratosis, psoriasis, and ichthyosis is reported [6]. As many scientific studies and clinical studies demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of tretinoin (all-trans retinoic acid) on photoaging, the development of retinoid derivatives for use as cosmetic ingredients was triggered. Cosmetic retinoids, which include retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, retinol, and retinal have been intensively investigated in the commercial market since retinoic acid was prohibited in cosmetic products by global regulations such as Annex II 375
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