Recent developments of cosmetic products, along with functional cosmetic materials, reflect consumers' tastes of beauty, health and the current trends of "well-being". Fine chemistry, molecular biology, fermentation technology, and purification technology for natural products resulted in a variety of valuable functional compounds that could be used as cosmeceuticals. However, enabling the compounds to be absorbed into the skin is another problem yet to be solved. Functional cosmetic materials such as anti-oxidants and whitening agents lose their activities in the skin environment. Due to their physicochemical properties, the absorption rates are considerably low, resulting in application over-doses if not made into liposome or microparticles.
Anti-oxidants, whitening cares, and skin lighteners contain functional ingredients such as SOD, catalase, peroxidase, vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione (anti-oxidation effect), and kojic acid or albutin (tyrosinase inhibitors). The low heat stability and solubility of the ingredients make it hard to cross the skin layers without losing their activities. An ideal ingredient should have both hydrophobicity for penetrating the skin tissues and hydrophilicity to be dissolved in water.
  Vitamin C is hydrophilic and its anti-oxidation activity is known to facilitate collagen synthesis in vivo as a prolinehydroxylase cofactor. A number of vitamin C derivatives such as ascorbic acid 6-palmitic acid and 6-stearic acid are currently in use. However, although they may be chemically stable in vitro, they are easily degraded in vivo. Therefore, vitamin C derivatives that have both stability and in vivo activity are in need.
  Peptron has successfully developed an ingredient by conjugating vitamin C with a carrier peptide (collagen pentapeptide). The test results of this ascorbate-pentapeptide in vitro and in vivo, safety and toxicity tests in animals and clinical tests have shown that this novel ingredient has whitening effect as well as anti-wrinkle effect. Peptron holds all IP and has applied to the Korean FDA for approval as functional cosmetic ingredient. The material is also listed in the novel materials of the CTFA.
  Peptron's portfolio products include palmityl-pentapeptide, a proven effective substance for anti-aging and anti-wrinkle; copper-peptide for skin replenishment, skin healing and anti-aging effect; and argireline with anti-wrinkle effects. These are being studied for further applications.