Novel fullerene developed for powder cosmetic use

The most common form of fullerene is known by the chemical name C60 and is a polyhedron consisting of 60 carbon atoms. The diameter of a C60 molecule is approximately 0.7 nm, and its structure resembles that of a truncated icosahedron (see structure in Fig 1). Fullerene is not a covalently bonded crystal such as those of diamond or graphite but is a single molecule.

A number of researchers have focused on the characteristic structure of fullerene, which is shaped like a soccer ball, and various studies have been performed on the material. At the Vitamin C60 BioResearch Corporation, we are developing cosmetic ingredients based on fullerene while focusing on its chemical properties such as its antioxidation characteristics instead of its molecular shape. 

Numerous studies have reported the antioxidation properties of fullerene. The antioxidant potential of a material is often expressed in the form of multiples of that of vitamin C. For instance, the antioxidant potential of fullerene has been reported to be 172-fold (beta-carotene bleaching method) or 250-fold (copper reduction method)1 that of vitamin C.