GABA acid – power against wrinkles

GABA is Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) is a neuroactive rejuvenating ingredient for immediate and long-lasting wrinkle reduction and collagen renewal, hydration and skin barrier. Let’s learn more about this revolutionary ingredient in Chantarelle cosmetics.

 

Fight against wrinkles

Skin ageing is a progressive physiological process that directly affects skin function and appearance. Its most visible sign is wrinkles. With an ageing population, the demand for anti-ageing products continues to grow. Researchers are constantly looking for new effective, safe and non-invasive methods to help slow down this process and be as close as possible to the natural mechanisms of the human body. The food and cosmetic industries are combining their efforts in this area. The latest proposal is gamma-aminobutyric acid, a safe, natural anti-wrinkle ingredient with visible results. Wrinkles are divided into mimic wrinkles, orthostatic wrinkles and gravity wrinkles. The first of these – mimic wrinkles are caused by facial muscles and occur on the forehead and at the corners of the eyes (so-called crow’s feet), among others. Orthostatic wrinkles are mainly formed on the skin of the neck and occur at birth. Gravity wrinkles, on the other hand, usually start to become apparent after the age of 40, mainly due to atrophy of the subcutaneous tissue and muscle contraction. The skin gradually loses elasticity and under the influence of gravity begins to sag unsightly, especially in the cheek area.

 

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

The latest offering among anti-ageing substances is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It is a non-protein amino acid naturally present in the human body, which plays a key role in the regulation of vital activity in plant and animal organisms. It can reduce neuronal reactivity, smooth wrinkles, have a calming effect, reduce stress and facilitate sleep. As the years go by, the production of this amino acid in the human body decreases, which can lead to stronger feelings of stress, more fatigue or sleep problems. The most visible sign of the effects of stress, fatigue and sleep problems on our appearance is the greying of the skin, the loss of radiance, elasticity and resilience, and the formation of wrinkles. Functional foods enriched with aminobutyric acid, such as tea, rice and dairy products, have become popular in Japan. It is credited with improving sleep quality and neurological and liver function, as well as lowering blood pressure. Both the skin and the human nervous system originate from the ectoderm of the embryo. Therefore, some receptors are common to skin cells and nerve cells, including the GABA rceptor. Ito et al. ^[1] showed that the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid is produced by human dermis fibroblasts. In the dermis, gamma-aminobutyric acid stimulates the synthesis of hyaluronic acid and collagen, protects fibroblasts from free radical damage and thus maintains elasticity and adequate hydration levels. In the superficial layers of the epidermis, according to Denda et al. ^[2] , GABA receptors are found in the keratinocytes of the dermis. The externally applied aqueous GABA solution induced a direct interaction between the GABA molecule and the GABA receptor (A). This interaction induced rapid restoration of the skin barrier and prevented hyperplasia of the dermis. These results suggest that gamma-aminobutyric acid and its receptor influence skin barrier homeostasis. An important advantage of gamma-aminobutyric acid is that, when delivered externally, it rapidly penetrates the skin. As a result, it relaxes muscles quickly and effectively, reducing facial wrinkles and crow’s feet. As a result, the skin looks younger and fresher shortly after its application.

 

GABA acid in cosmetics

Gamma-aminobutyric acid for cosmetic applications is obtained by a biotechnological method – through Lactobacillus fermentation and biotransformation processes. It acts on the GABA receptors of skin cells, activating them. The chlorine ion channel then opens and the permeability of chlorine ions across the cell membrane increases. This allows them to penetrate into the nerve cells, causing hyperpolarisation of the cell membrane and inhibition of the nerve cells. As a result, skin cells contract less and are more relaxed. Fine lines and wrinkles become less visible and the skin quickly begins to look younger. A short-term study involving 30 healthy volunteers aged 25-50 years showed that GABA acid applied at a concentration of more than 1% could effectively reduce the depth of wrinkles. The higher the concentration, the faster the substance worked and the more visible and long-lasting the effect was.

 

Anti-wrinkle effect of GABA acid

The first anti-wrinkle effect was observed after 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, it was already very visible. Crow’s feet and fine facial wrinkles on the cheeks were significantly reduced. This effect lasted for 8 hours. On average, wrinkles could be reduced by 6.3% in 30 minutes. A study of the long-term effects of GABA acid, involving 30 healthy volunteers aged 25-50 years, showed that the product applied at a concentration of 1-5% could effectively reduce the number of wrinkles and their depth. The longer the product was used and at the higher concentration, the more visible the effect. After 4 weeks, an average reduction in wrinkle depth of 12.34% was found. A study of the effects of GABA acid on the eye area, lasting 30 days, was conducted with 50 healthy volunteers aged 25-45 years. The study showed that users who used the eye cream showed a smoothing of wrinkles and increased skin elasticity. The skin appeared smoother and brighter. In summary, the addition of GABA acid to skincare products can have effects on two levels:

• Dermal: GABA acid molecules are very small and easily penetrate the skin. Because they interact with outer nerve cells and smooth muscle cells, GABA acid relaxes facial wrinkles and crow’s feet and brightens the complexion. In addition, it stimulates the synthesis of hyaluronic acid and collagen and protects fibroblasts. As a result, the skin is moisturised, elastic, smoothed but not puffy.
• Dermis: GABA acid interacts with its receptor, rebuilds the skin barrier, reduces roughness, moisturises and fills the skin. In this way, it prevents the formation of fine wrinkles and roughness of the skin.

 

Dr Marcin Wasylewski

CHANTARELLE Laboratory Derm Aesthetics expert

 

 

 

Literature

• Ito, K. Tanaka, Y. Nishibe, J. Hasegawa, H. Ueno. GABA-synthesizing enzyme, GAD67, from dermal fibroblasts: Evidence for a new skin function. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 2007, 1770(2): 291-296
• M. Denda, K. Inoue, S. Inomata, and S. Denda. γ-Aminobutyric Acid (A) Receptor Agonists Accelerate Cutaneous Barrier Recovery and Prevent Epidermal Hyperplasia Induced by Barrier Disruption. The Journal of investigative dermatology. 2002, 119(5): 1041-1047
• Internal materials from Bloomage Freda Biopharm Co. Ltd.