Comparative evaluation of synthetic and natural sourced caffeine (Bio-caffeine) percutaneous absorption for using in local anti-fatting and anti-cellulite products

Abstract

Introduction: Localized fat is one of the most common problems among people in different communities over the age of 25, which results from the accumulation of fat in the tissues of the hypodermis, especially in the abdomen, buttocks and thighs. Another common skin problem is cellulite. To treat these two skin diseases, various methods are used, one of which is the use of compounds with the ability to burn fat. Caffeine is one of the most widely used substances in this category. In recent years, much research has been done on the use of biocaffeine instead of synthetic caffeine to make topical fat-burning products, and it has been claimed that the absorption and effectiveness of this type of caffeine is much better than synthetic caffeine. Objective: To evaluate the skin absorption of pure synthetic caffeine and natural caffeine and to compare the two for the formulation of local anti-cellulite products. Methods: Coffee beans were used for this purpose. In the next step, standard solutions with specific concentrations of dry extracts were prepared and dermal absorption studies were performed using Franz diffusion cells. Results: In this study, the differences in skin penetration of caffeine from two different sources were investigated. Topical gel formulations prepared from coffee extract had a higher rate and extent of absorption than gels containing synthetic caffeine. The addition of transcutol as an absorption enhancer to formulations containing biocaffeine also increased caffeine penetration through rat skin. Conclusion: Using coffee extract as a source of caffeine, increases the penetration of caffeine through the skin. It has been hypothesized in similar studies that the use of biocaffeine, in addition to increasing skin absorption, can increase the effectiveness of caffeine in relieving the symptoms of cellulite.