Combined retinol-lactose-glycolic acid effects on photoaged skin: a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of the combination of retinol, lactose and glycolic acid applied topically on photodamaged skin. Forty female volunteers were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical study. A cream containing retinol, lactose and glycolic acid was applied on one side of the face and a placebo cream on the other side, twice daily for 12 weeks. Skin photoageing signs were assessed clinically, whereas skin microrelief and moisturization were measured instrumentally. Both the clinical assessment and the objective instrumental measurements revealed that the active-treated side was significantly improved at the end of the study compared with baseline and control-treated side. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that topical application of a combination of retinol, lactose and glycolic acid has significantly improved the appearance of photodamaged skin.

A double-blind evaluation of the activity of an anti-cellulite product containing retinol, caffeine, and ruscogenine by a combination of several non-invasive methods.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted with 46 healthy female volunteers in order to test an anti-cellulite product containing retinol, caffeine and ruscogenine. An evaluation of different parameters related to cellulite appearance, i.e., the skin macrorelief, the dermal and hypodermal structures, the skin mechanical characteristics, and the cutaneous flowmetry was assessed using several non-invasive methods. This combination of different evaluation methods resulted in the demonstration of significant activity of the anti-cellulite product versus baseline and showed its superiority versus the placebo in skin macrorelief (decrease of the "orange peel" effect) and an increase in cutaneous microcirculation. By using a combination of methods, it was possible to detail the activity of an anti-cellulite product and to show superiority of the product in comparison with the placebo.

Some limiting factors of the ion-exchange equilibrium method for determining apparent formation constants of mononuclear complexes.

Some limiting analytical conditions of the ion-exchange equilibrium method are discussed. The most reliable apparent formation constants are obtained when the range of the experimental complexant concentration brackets the reciprocal value of the stability constant for ML-type complexes. This working range will ensure significant analytical differences in the total metal remaining in solution for successive experiments with increasing complexant concentrations. For accurate determination of stepwise formation constants for ML(2)-type complexes, the intermediate complex species ML(+) must not be exchanged by the resin to any extent. Otherwise Schubert's equations are no longer valid, and the partition ratios of all cationic species present should be taken into account.

Extraction and determination of molybdenum with tributyl phosphate Application to analysis of copper-molybdenum ores.

A differential spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of molybdenum by means of solvent extraction with tributylphosphate of the peroxymolybdate complex formed with H(2)O(2) in 3.5N H(2)SO(4). The extraction parameters are studied, and the behaviour of some other ions is reported. The method is used for ore analysis.