Repair skin barrier - learn about these two plant oils

The repairing effect of PPAR-α on skin

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, also known as liposome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), has three subtypes in the field of molecular biology: α, δ (β) and γ, a group of nuclear receptor proteins that function as transcription factors to regulate gene expression.

PPAR plays an important role in the repair of skin damage, inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases. The three subtypes play different roles in different stages of skin diseases. Among them, PPAR-α is attracting more and more attention in skin care because it can regulate the proliferation of skin keratinocytes and accelerate the repair of skin barrier.

PPAR-alpha activator: linoleic acid

Linoleic acid is a classic PPAR-α activator. Some studies have found that the introduction of linoleic acid significantly improved barrier development in mouse skin explants through activation of PPAR-α. There are also some studies showing that, as a PPAR-α activator, linoleic acid can promote the maturation of the epidermal barrier in rat embryos, reduce transepidermal water loss and increase epidermal differentiation.

Sunflower seed oil

The linoleic acid content in sunflower oil can be as high as 74%. Sunflower oil has been shown to maintain the integrity of the skin's stratum corneum and improve hydration of adult skin without causing erythema. It is used clinically for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and skin care of newborns.

Wheat germ oil

The linoleic acid content in wheat germ oil is 50-59%. There are reports in the literature that creams and ointments added with 10%-20% wheat germ oil have a better healing effect on back wounds in mice than creams and ointments without wheat germ oil.

(Raghda Zakaria, Raad J. Musa, Jabar Faraj, Zead H. Mahmoud Abudayeh and Hamdoon A. Mohammed, 2021. Evaluation of the Wheat Germ Oil Topical Formulations for Wound Healing Activity in Rats. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 24: 706- 715.)

PPAR plays an important role in skin damage repair and inflammatory diseases. In particular, PPAR-α can promote the repair of skin barrier. Sunflower seed oil and wheat germ oil both contain high concentrations of the PPAR-alpha activator linoleic acid, which can improve skin barrier function. Therefore, adding an appropriate amount of sunflower oil or wheat germ oil to skin care products can help enhance the product's ability to moisturize and repair the skin barrier. However, it is also important to note that excessive use of these vegetable oils may cause the skin to be overly oily. Therefore, in actual application, it is also necessary to consider the skin type and specific skin care purposes, and add an appropriate amount.