Abstract
Vitamins A and E and coenzyme Q10 are common ingredients in anti-ageing cosmetic products. Within this study, we evaluated the quality of commercial cosmetics with vitamin A (35 products), vitamin E (49 products), and coenzyme Q10 (27 products) by using validated HPLC–UV methods. Vitamin A was determined as retinol, retinyl palmitate, retinyl propionate, β carotene, and hydroxypinacolone retinoate in concentrations ranging from 950 ng/g to 19 mg/g. Total vitamin A contents, expressed with retinol equivalents, ranged from 160 ng/g to 19 mg/g, and were above the maximum concentration recommended by the SCCS in six of the 35 tested cosmetics. The content-related quality control of 10 cosmetics with specified vitamin A content revealed significant deviations (between 0% and 400%) of the label claim. Vitamin E was determined as both tocopherol and tocopheryl acetate in concentrations between 8.5 µg/g and 16 mg/g. Coenzyme Q10 was determined as ubiquinone in 24 tested cosmetics, which labelled it, in concentrations between 4.2 µg/g and 100 µg/g. Labelling irregularities were observed in all three active compound groups, resulting in a significant share (42%) of improperly labelled cosmetic products. The results of this study reveal the need for stricter cosmetics regulation and highlight the importance of their quality control, especially by evaluating the contents of the active compounds, in their efficacy and safety assurance.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
A representative chromatogram of a standard mixture of retinol, retinyl acetate, and retinyl palmitate at 325 nm, β carotene standard solution at 450 nm, and standard mixture of tocopherol, tocopheryl acetate, and coenzyme Q10 at 280 nm, as well as some of the analyzed cosmetic products are provided in the Supplementary Materials (Figures S1–S7)
Within quality control of the tested cosmetics, we evaluated the accuracy of the labelling of vitamins A and E and coenzyme Q10
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The topical application of fat-soluble vitamins A and E and coenzyme Q10 has various beneficial effects on the skin. These three groups are important ingredients in the cosmetic industry [1,2]. The widespread use of vitamin E over the past several decades is mostly associated with its antioxidant activity [3]. Vitamin E is used in cosmetics as a cosmetically active ingredient (occlusive, humectant, emollient, and miscellaneous agent) [4] or as a stabilizer of other, unstable components of the cosmetic product [5,6]
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