WO2002080880A2

WO2002080880A2 - Anti-stretch mark preparation and method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2002080880A2
Application number: PCT/IT2002/000289
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maurizio Sirchi
Original assignee: Priscilla S.R.L. Unipersonale
Priority date: 2002-05-02
Filing date: 2002-05-02
Publication date: 2002-10-17
Also published as: WO2002080880A3

Abstract

An anti-stretch preparation, comprising a composition of substances for local use aimed at reducing visibility and treating skin stretch marks, and an active principle having an half-permanent pigmenting capability.

Description

ANTI- STRETCH MARK PREPARATION AND METHOD THEREOF

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a preparation for local use aimed at reducing the visibility of skin stretch marks and at treating the latter. As it is known, skin stretch marks, more properly called striae atrophicae, form from a laceration of collagen and elastic fibres of skin and are substantially similar to scars.

At first, stretch marks show themselves in form of elongated bands with substantially rectilinear development separated by parts of sound skin. The specific appearance, and the colour in particular, of stretch marks depends upon the evolutional stage thereof. In particular, in the initial phase, commonly called active phase, the stretch mark is rather short, thin and usually slightly turned red, the colour varying anyway from rose to violet or bluish red. Then, in the so-called cicatricial phase, stretch marks become longer and nearer and they stabilize as whitish or pearly traces. Stretch marks may appear almost in any part of the body, except for hands, face, feet and scrotum.

Statistically, women are affected twice than men.

Even if the most affected periods are puberty and pregnancy, stretch marks may appear at any age. Causes may be hereditary, alimentary, hormonal and even linked to the particular played sport. Furthermore, there are some behaviours which may promote the formation of stretch marks, such as for example wearing very tight clothes, trousers in particular, utilizing corticosteroid-based creams, taking cortisone-or hormon-based drugs such as anabolic substances and the contraceptive pill. Often, stretch marks appear without being noted and escape observation, by developing very slowly during time.

At present, anti- stretch mark preparations, e.g. in form of creams, gels or lotions, are very widespread, which are manually smeared at the area involved by the stretch mark itself. Such products have the inconvenience that they require a rather long application period before appreciable results from an aesthetic point of view are reached, i.e. before stretch marks result sufficiently reduced to be less visible.

The technical problem underlying the present invention is to provide an anti- stretch mark preparation and a treatment method of stretch marks themselves enabling to obviate to the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the known art, and in particular to treat the stretch mark from the dermo-cosmetologic point of view and simultaneously to treat the stretch mark itself from a purely aesthetic point of view. Such problem is solved by an anti- stretch mark preparation comprising, in combination:

- a composition of substances apt to the reducing treatment of skin stretch marks; and - an active principle having a pigmenting capability for inducing a substantially amber half-permanent colouration to the stretch marks. The invention also relates to the use of any active principle having an half-permanent pigmenting capability apt to induce a substantially amber and durable colouration to the stretch marks in the manufacture of an anti- stretch mark preparation. According to a further aspect, the invention also provides a method for the topical treatment of a skin stretch mark, comprising a step of applying a preparation comprising an active principle having an half-permanent pigmenting capability on the stretch mark itself. The invention further provides an anti- stretch mark product comprising a dispenser and a preparation according to any one of the preceding claims received in said dispenser.

The present invention provides the advantage of allowing the reaching of an immediate and durable aesthetic result, as the colouration obtained is half-permanent and it can not be eliminated by washing, persisting until the superficial layers of the corneous layer due to skin exfoliation are eliminated.

In particular, as far as the preparation of the invention is concerned, since the first application it carries out an half-permanent colouring action on the stretch mark, which makes the stretch mark itself considerably less visible, making it uniform to the natural colour of the skin and camouflaging it with respect to the surrounding skin. Furthermore, if applied with continuity, the preparation exerts on the stretch mark the conventional action of actual reduction the inaesthetism, typically based upon an elasticization of the involved tissues.

Other advantages, features and application modes of the present invention will be evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of example and not for limitative purposes.

The preparation of said preferred embodiment comprises, according to the invention, two kinds of ingredients, and precisely a first group of ingrediends implementing a composition apt to the reducing treatment of the stretch marks and to the prevention of an additional atrophic alteration thereof, and an active principle capable of an half- permanent pigmenting action apt to react with the skin superficial epithelial layers, inducing an amber colouration of the stretch marks themselves, colouration which persists for few days, which can not be eliminated with a simple washing and which does not dirty clothes.

In particular, the above-mentioned composition can provide any group of anti- stretch mark ingredients of known art apt to carry out an elasticizing, hydrating and/or cicatrizing activity for the protection and the reinforcement of the elastine fibres and of the collagene fibres of the skin tissues.

By purely way of example, some possible ingredients of said composition are shown in the following table. The possible quantity of each ingredient in preferred embodiments of the preparation is shown by a respective weight percentage interval.

As it will be well known to a skilled in the art, the centella asiatica has been included in the French pharmacopeia since 1884 and it has been used for years as ingredient for cosmetic preparations, since independent studies have shown the topical efficacy of the centella use for treating the stretch marks. In particular, it was demonstrated that this ingredient has beneficial effects on the venous system, helping to reinforce capillars and promoting a better blood circulation, apart from having a positive effect on the connective tissue too, reinforcing the skin's tensile strength and improving the repair of the damaged tissue. Since the above-mentioned ingredients are well known to a skilled in the art as well as the anti- stretch mark efficacy thereof is known, one will not further dwell upon this aspect.

According to the invention, apart from the ingredients considered sofar, the preparation also comprises the above-mentioned active principle with half-permanent pigmenting capability. As said above, the latter has lasting colouring, and half- permanent in particular, properties on the skin and it is then apt to confer to the preparation a half-permanent colouring capability integrating the reducing properties of the stretch marks of the preparation itself. In particular, in the present embodiment the use of Dihydroxyacetone, in a weight percentage varying between 0.1 and 10, is provided. The Dihydroxyacetone, whose INCI name is Dihydroxyacetone, is included in the European Inventary of the Cosmetic Ingredients and, as it is known, it is a sugar with constitutional formula CH₂OHCOCH₂OH, also known as DHA in the abbreviation thereof, which, by means of the so-called Maillard chemical reaction, bonds to the amino acids of the skin corneal layer (cheratine) and it then induces the formation of substantially amber coloured compounds which get the skin dark and colour then the treated area. The reaction of the dihydroxyacetone with the skin follows this scheme: CH₂OH CHO upon amines or

I in the presence of amines | amino acids polymerization

C=0 → → → C=0 condensation cyclization

CH₂OH CH₃

Dihydroxyacetone pyruvic acid aldehyd I

COLOURED COMPOUNDS

According to the above-mentioned Maillard reaction, the dihydroxyacetone, in presence of amines, causes pyruvic acid and other hydroxycarbonylic compounds, which react with amino acids and aminic groups to produce the coloured compounds responsible for the typical amber colouration.

Then, in the present invention the Dihydroxyacetone is used to bring back, that is to conform, the stretch mark to the skin natural amber colour and camouflage it with respect to the surrounding skin. It will be understood that in other embodiments of the invention the Dihydroxyacetone can be replaced by any other active principle capable of inducing an amber colouration to the stretch mark thanks to its capability of pigmenting the skin half-permanently.

Such active principle produces a quantitative and qualitative aesthetical improvement of the real anti- stretch mark treatment, in synergy with the reducing action performed by the above-mentioned substance composition.

It will be appreciated that with the preferred ingredients mentioned sofar, the preparation of the invention is white.

It will also understood that the preparation described sofar can be provided to a final user in form of an anti- stretch mark product comprising any type of dispenser and of packaging, for example in tube or can. Furthermore, the preparation can be provided in any type of aggregation status whatsoever, for example in form of cream, lotion, gel or emulsion in general.

As also the processes for obtaining a desiderate state of aggregation and for the packaging of a preparation of this kind are well known for a person skilled in the art, one will not further dwell upon these aspects.

It will be also understood that the preparation of the invention can have cosmetic, herboristical, pharmacological, medical (that is Medical Device) nature and so on. The invention also provides a method for the local treatment of a skin stretch mark comprising a step of applying a preparation comprising an active principle having an half-permanent pigmenting capability as defined above on the stretch mark itself. Such method may have a cosmetic and/or a pharmacological nature. The present invention has been sofar described by referring to preferred embodiments. It is to be meant that other embodiments underlying the same inventive concept can exist, all however comprised within the protective scope of the herebelow reported claims.

Claims

1. An anti- stretch mark preparation, comprising, in combination:

- a composition of substances apt to the reducing treatment of skin stretch marks; and - an active principle having a pigmenting capability for inducing a substantially amber half-permanent colouration to the stretch marks.

2. The preparation according to claim 1, wherein said active principle is dihydroxyacetone.

3. The preparation according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the weight percentage of said active principle is about 0.1 up to 10 with respect to the total weight of said preparation.

4. The preparation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said composition comprises centella asiatica.

5. An anti- stretch mark product comprising a dispenser and a preparation according to any one of the preceding claims received in said dispenser.

6. Use of an active principle having a pigmenting capability for inducing a substantially amber half-permanent colouration to the stretch marks in the manufacture of an anti- stretch mark preparation.

7. A method for the topical cosmetic treatment of a skin stretch mark, comprising a step of applying a preparation comprising an active principle having an half- permanent pigmenting capability on the stretch mark itself.