Souce:natural (safflower oil)
Vitamin F Forte contains polyunsaturated essential free fatty acids with a particularly high content of linoleic acid in its natural form (C18:2; 9cis 12cis). The product is derived from safflower oil, which is subjected to high-pressure ester cleavage, with subsequent fractionated vacuum distillation. Vitamin F forte is designed for application to dry, seborrhoic skin with disturbed lipid barrier.
Essential fatty acids are generally called Vitamin F, even though they do not correspond to the classical definition of vitamins.
Among the polyunsaturated fatty acids, apart from linolenic acid, particularly linoleic acid is of great importance. Linoleic acid is found in natural plant oils mostly as tryglycerides, namely with two non-conjugated double bonds in cis-9 and cis-12 formation. Rearrangement induced by oxidation may lead to formation of the conjugated 9,11 form with either cis-trans or trans-trans isomers.
Essential fatty acids have significant physiological functions, e.g. they influence the energy balance, synthesis of immunocompetent messengers, structure of the lipid barrier of the Stratum Corneum as well as the structure of the cell membranes.
Deficiency of essential fatty acids leads to a number of negative consequences which are a challenge for cosmetics:
These deficiency symptoms have been reviewed by Horrobin (J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. [1989], 20, 1045-1053) und Wright (Br. J. Dermatol. [1991], 125, 503-515).
Essential fatty acids, especially linoleic acid, are extremely important for maintaining an intact lipid barrier and its physiological functions. Wertz et al. (Arch. Dermatol. [1987], 123, 1381-1384) have shown in animal tests that nutritional deficiency of linoleic acid leads to dry, scaling skin with a disturbed lipid barrier, which finds its expression in an increased TEWL. Topical application of linoleic acid leads to restoration of the lipid barrier within a few days.
