A novel approach to assess skin and hair protection

The balance between the production of free radicals and our natural antioxidant system to deal with it, is essential for the protection of the physiological homeostasis of skin and hair

Although human skin acts as a biological shield against pro-oxidative chemical and physical air pollutants, the prolonged or repetitive exposure to high levels of these pollutants might have profound negative effects on the skin. Understanding this balance induced the research on new markers of oxidative damage, using chemical or biological systems, to evaluate the efficacy of antioxidant cosmetic ingredients.

Among the most recent models, there is the evaluation of the RSF (Radical Status Factor) and the radical protection factor (RP – Radical protection). RSF characterises and measures all free radicals present in the skin. It is a universal factor that evaluates the redox state that is decisive for the initiation of functional and structural alterations of the skin. In this sense, it is possible to classify a cosmetic ingredient according to its ability to induce or inhibit the formation of free radicals (FRs)