a provitamin B3 with unprecedented detox performance
A NEW GENERATION OF PROVITAMIN B3
The demand for vitamin B3 today is on an uprising curve due to the growing demand for antioxidant and detox cosmetic applications. Largely anticipating the current trend, Gabriele Segalla, head researcher of the Italian-based company Multichem R&D, was the first cosmetic scientist to explore the potential benefits of vitamin B3 with the intent of developing an active ingredient for skin and hair care formulations. In 1992 Dr Segalla identified a method to produce the first few grams of a new molecule derived from the esterification of natural menthol and niacin (this latter one also known as nicotinic acid, vitamin B3 or vitamin PP). Nicomenthyl was the trade name assigned to it and its registered INCI denomination menthyl nicotinate.
Since then, Multichem R&D filed different patents on the menthyl nicotinate synthesis process and, in January 2020, announced a further breakthrough with a new generation of ultra-purified odorless menthyl nicotinate called Nicomenthyl 20.
SUPERIOR DETOX PERFORMANCE
Full scale in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated menthyl nicotinate’s fast penetration kinetics through the skin, and how its subsequent hydrolysis effectively releases pure niacin in the area of application.
The latest battery of tests focused on how menthyl nicotinate can protect skin from damage afflicted by the whole spectrum of UV radiation (UVA/UVB including blue light), urban dust, synthetic smoke, oxidant agents.
A VAST ARRAY OF BENEFITS
Gabriele Segalla says his company is strongly involved in promoting the numerous benefits of vitamin B3 for maintaining skin health and boosting skin recovery after aggressions from external agents.
“Several scientific studies have demonstrated the high value of vitamin B3 for skin health. However, it has not yet been fully exploited in the field of cosmetics due to its low level of skin penetration – says Segalla – but fortunately this problem has been completely solved with Nicomenthyl 20’s high transcutaneous niacin delivery, eight time more than the common niacinamide, even in cosmetic compositions containing it at concentrations up to 3-5%”.
In his opinion, “these new discoveries place Nicomenthyl 20 at the cutting edge of the science of Cosmetics and open new horizons over a broad scenario of innovative and powerful applications, aiming at the achievement of the most basic and important cosmetic claim: skin barrier integrity, recovery and enhancement.”
Nicomenthyl 20 will be presented in the INNOVATION ZONE at in-cosmetics global (Barcelona)
