JP7678658B2 - Acne bacteria removal wipe - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wipe for removing acne bacteria that can efficiently remove acne bacteria present on the skin.

Acne, also known as common acne vulgaris, is a skin disease caused by hyperkeratinization, abnormal lipid metabolism, and proliferation of resident skin bacteria. Acne occurs when the balance of resident skin bacteria is disrupted, causing excessive proliferation of Cutibacterium acnes (hereafter referred to as "acne bacteria"). Lipase secreted by acne bacteria breaks down sebum that has clogged pores, and the excess free fatty acids that are produced are oxidized, causing inflammation.

Conventionally, it has been believed that a method of sterilizing acne bacteria present on the skin is effective in preventing or treating acne, and various topical preparations containing bactericides or antibacterial agents against acne bacteria have been reported. For example, Patent Document 1 reports that a skin cleanser containing an extract of the fruit of Sapindus trifoliatus is effective in reducing the proportion of acne bacteria. Patent Document 2 reports that cosmetics containing violacein can exert an anti-acne bacteria effect. Patent Document 3 reports that an extract of Solidago virgaurea has excellent antibacterial activity against acne bacteria, and is effective in preventing acne when added to a skin topical preparation.

However, topical preparations containing bactericides or antibacterial agents against acne bacteria may not be able to sufficiently reduce acne bacteria on skin where the bacteria have overgrown, and may not be able to restore a healthy balance of normal skin bacteria. Furthermore, long-term use of bactericides or antibacterial agents may result in the development of resistant bacteria, or side effects such as allergic symptoms and rashes may occur if the bactericide or antibacterial agent is not suitable for the patient's constitution. For this reason, there is a need for the development of a method to remove acne bacteria from the skin other than a method that kills the acne bacteria present on the skin.

JP 2017-7984 A JP 2015-105264 A JP 2013-35801 A

If it were possible to remove acne bacteria present on the skin by a simple procedure such as wiping, it would be effective in preventing or improving acne, but currently there are no known methods for removing acne bacteria present on the skin.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a wipe for removing acne bacteria that can efficiently remove acne bacteria present on the skin.

The inventors conducted extensive research to solve the above problems and discovered that acne bacteria present on the skin can be efficiently removed by impregnating a wiper such as cosmetic cotton with a liquid agent containing at least one selected from the group consisting of glycyrrhizinic acid, a salt of glycyrrhizinic acid, and aloe extract and wiping the skin with the liquid agent. The present invention was completed through further research based on this knowledge.

That is, the present invention provides the following aspects.
Item 1. A wipe for removing acne bacteria, which is used by impregnating a wiper,
A wipe for removing acne bacteria, comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of glycyrrhizic acid, a salt of glycyrrhizic acid, and aloe extract.
Item 2. The acne bacteria removing wipe according to Item 1, which contains glycyrrhizinic acid and/or a salt thereof, and aloe extract.
Item 3. The acne bacteria-removing wipe according to Item 1 or 2, further comprising a polyhydric alcohol.
Item 4. The acne bacteria-removing wipe according to any one of Items 1 to 3, further comprising a monohydric lower alcohol.
Item 5. The acne bacteria removing wipe according to any one of Items 1 to 4, wherein the wiping tool is a cosmetic cotton or a nonwoven fabric sheet.
Item 6. A wipe for removing acne bacteria, comprising a wipe impregnated with the wipe for removing acne bacteria according to any one of items 1 to 5.
Item 7. A method for removing acne bacteria, comprising wiping the skin with the acne bacteria removing wipe according to Item 6.

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently remove acne bacteria present on the skin by the simple operation of wiping, so that it is possible to inhibit the excessive proliferation of acne bacteria and to remove excessively proliferated acne bacteria to return the resident skin bacteria to a healthy state, thereby making it possible to effectively prevent or improve acne.

In Test Example 2, the total number of pimples on 11 subjects was measured before the start of the test, and 2 and 4 weeks after the start of the test. The results are shown below. In Test Example 2, photographs of the acne site of one subject taken before the start of the test and 4 weeks after the start of the test are shown.

The wiper for removing acne bacteria of the present invention is characterized in that it contains at least one selected from the group consisting of glycyrrhizinic acid, a salt of glycyrrhizinic acid, and aloe extract, and is used by being impregnated into a wiper. The wiper for removing acne bacteria of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[Ingredients included]
The acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention contains at least one selected from the group consisting of glycyrrhizic acid, a salt of glycyrrhizic acid, and aloe extract. By wiping the skin with a wiper impregnated with these ingredients, it becomes possible to efficiently remove acne bacteria present on the skin.

Glycyrrhizic acid is a known drug that is known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. In addition, salts of glycyrrhizic acid are not particularly limited as long as they are pharma- ceutical or cosmetically acceptable, but examples include alkali metal salts such as sodium salts and potassium salts; ammonium salts, etc. Among these salts, potassium salts (i.e., dipotassium glycyrrhizinate) are preferred.

Aloe extract is an ingredient obtained by extracting aloe. The type of aloe used as the raw material for extracting aloe extract is not particularly limited, but examples include Aloe arborescens, Aloe vera, Aloe eru, Aloe cameronii, Aloe kedongensis, Aloe ferox, Aloe africana, Aloe andongensis, and Aloe tomentosa, as well as improved and hybrid varieties thereof. Among these, Aloe arborescens is preferred from the viewpoint of further improving the action of removing acne bacteria.

The aloe used in the extraction process may be the whole aloe plant, leaves (including the outer skin and mesophyll), leaf outer skin, mesophyll, etc., but from the viewpoint of ease of preparation, the whole plant or leaves are preferred. The aloe used in the extraction process may be undried, dried, or frozen, and may be chopped or crushed to increase the extraction efficiency.

Extraction solvents used in the extraction process of aloe extract include water, organic solvents, and mixed solvents thereof. As the organic solvent, hydrophilic organic solvents are preferred, and examples thereof include monohydric alcohols having 1 to 5 carbon atoms (ethanol, methanol, propanol, isopropanol, etc.), polyhydric alcohols having 2 to 5 carbon atoms (glycerin, isopropylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, etc.), esters (methyl acetate, etc.), ketones (acetone, etc.), etc. These organic solvents may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these extraction solvents, from the viewpoint of safety and extraction efficiency of active ingredients, water, ethanol, 1,3-butylene glycol, and mixed solvents thereof are preferred, more preferably water, a mixed solvent of water and ethanol, and a mixed solvent of water and 1,3-butylene glycol, and particularly preferably water.

When a mixed solvent of water and ethanol is used as the extraction solvent, the ethanol content in the mixed solvent is, for example, about 0.1 to 99.5% by weight, preferably about 5 to 95% by weight, more preferably about 50 to 90% by weight, and particularly preferably about 60 to 80% by weight.

When a mixed solvent of water and 1,3-butylene glycol is used as the extraction solvent, the content of 1,3-butylene glycol in the mixed solvent is, for example, about 0.1 to 70% by weight, preferably about 5 to 60% by weight, and more preferably about 10 to 50% by weight.

The extraction method for the extraction process of aloe extract is not particularly limited, and may be any common extraction method used in the production of plant extracts. Examples include a method in which the raw herb is immersed in an extraction solvent by cold or hot immersion, and stirred as necessary; a percolation method; steam distillation, ultrasonic extraction, etc.

The aloe extract can be recovered by removing solid matter from the extract obtained by the extraction process, if necessary, by filtration, centrifugation, etc.

In the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention, the liquid aloe extract obtained by the extraction process may be used as is, or, if necessary, may be used as a concentrated liquid or dried product (dried extract) after removing a part or all of the solvent. In addition, these concentrated liquids or dried products (dried extracts) may be further subjected to a purification process, and may be dissolved or suspended in an appropriate solvent before use.

In the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention, one component selected from glycyrrhizinic acid, a salt of glycyrrhizinic acid, and aloe extract may be used alone, or two or more components may be used in combination. Among these, from the viewpoint of further improving the acne bacteria removing effect, preferred is a combination of glycyrrhizinic acid and/or a salt thereof, or glycyrrhizinic acid and/or a salt thereof with aloe extract.

When glycyrrhizinic acid and/or its salts are used in combination with aloe extract, the ratio between them is, for example, 0.01 to 100 parts by weight, preferably 0.1 to 50 parts by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 20 parts by weight, and particularly preferably 0.5 to 10 parts by weight of aloe extract per 100 parts by weight of glycyrrhizinic acid and/or its salts, calculated on a dry weight basis.

In the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention, the content of glycyrrhizinic acid, a salt of glycyrrhizinic acid, and/or aloe extract may be appropriately set depending on the acne bacteria removing effect to be imparted. For example, in the case of glycyrrhizinic acid and/or a salt thereof, the content is 0.01 to 5% by weight, preferably 0.03 to 1% by weight, and more preferably 0.05 to 0.5% by weight; in the case of aloe extract, the content is 0.0001 to 5% by weight, preferably 0.0005 to 1% by weight, and more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1% by weight, calculated on a dry weight basis.

The acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention may contain an antibacterial or bactericidal agent against acne bacteria. When an antibacterial or bactericidal agent against acne bacteria is contained, in addition to the action of removing acne bacteria, it can have the action of killing acne bacteria, and the effect of preventing or improving acne can be further improved.

Specific examples of antibacterial or bactericidal agents against acne bacteria include isopropylmethylphenol, hinokitiol, chlorhexidine hydrochloride, chlorhexidine gluconate, triclosan, lysozyme chloride, sulfadiazine, benzalkonium chloride, dequalinium chloride, benzethonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, etc. These antibacterial or bactericidal agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Among these antibacterial or bactericidal agents, isopropyl methylphenol is preferred.

When an antibacterial or bactericidal agent is contained in the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention, the content is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.001 to 1% by weight, preferably 0.005 to 0.5% by weight, and more preferably 0.01 to 0.1% by weight.

The acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention may further contain a polyhydric alcohol. When a polyhydric alcohol is contained, it is possible to effectively remove acne bacteria while also exerting a moisturizing effect.

The polyhydric alcohol used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but examples include ethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, propylene glycol, isoprene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, glycerin, polyethylene glycol, etc. These polyhydric alcohols may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Among these polyhydric alcohols, at least one of propylene glycol, glycerin, and polyethylene glycol is preferred, and a combination of these three is even more preferred.

When the polyhydric alcohol is contained in the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention, the content thereof is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 1 to 30% by weight, preferably 3 to 25% by weight, and more preferably 5 to 20% by weight, based on the total amount of the polyhydric alcohol. More specifically, when the polyhydric alcohol is propylene glycol, glycerin, or polyethylene glycol, the preferred ranges of the contents thereof are as follows:
Propylene glycol content : preferably 0.3 to 10.0% by weight, more preferably 1.0 to 8.0% by weight, and particularly preferably 1.6 to 6.5% by weight.
Glycerin content : preferably 0.6 to 18.0% by weight, more preferably 1.8 to 15.2% by weight, and particularly preferably 3.0 to 12.0% by weight.
Polyethylene glycol content : preferably 0.1 to 2.0% by weight, more preferably 0.2 to 1.8% by weight, and particularly preferably 0.4 to 1.5% by weight.

The acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention may further contain a monohydric lower alcohol. When a monohydric lower alcohol is contained, it is possible to effectively remove acne bacteria while stably solubilizing or emulsifying the contained ingredients.

The monohydric lower alcohol is not particularly limited as long as it is pharma- ceutically or cosmetically acceptable, but examples thereof include monohydric alcohols having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, preferably ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, and more preferably ethanol. These monohydric lower alcohols may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

When a monohydric lower alcohol is contained in the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention, the content is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.5 to 20% by weight, preferably 1 to 20% by weight, and more preferably 3 to 15% by weight.

The acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention preferably contains water as a base to facilitate impregnation into a wipe. The content of water in the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention may be the remainder other than the ingredients to be blended, and may be, for example, 50 to 98% by weight, preferably 55 to 95% by weight, and more preferably 60 to 90% by weight.

The acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention may contain, in addition to the above-mentioned components, pharmacological components and additives used in compositions for external use as necessary.

Pharmacological ingredients that can be incorporated into the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention include, for example, antihistamines (chlorpheniramine maleate, etc.), local anesthetics (procaine, tetracaine, bupivacaine, mepipacaine, chloroprocaine, proparacaine, meprylcaine or salts thereof, orthocaine, oxethazaine, oxypolyethyleneoxydecane, Scotch extract, percaminpase, tesitdesitin, etc.), anti-inflammatory agents (glycyrrhetinic acid, allantoin, ε-aminocaproic acid, indomethacin, felbinac, diclofenac sodium, loxoprofen sodium, etc.), skin protective agents (collodion, castor oil, etc.), blood circulation promoting ingredients (vanillylamide nonylate, benzyl nicotinate, capsaicin, chili pepper extract, etc.), cooling agents (menthol, camphor, etc.), mucopolysaccharides (sodium chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, etc.), etc. These pharmacological ingredients may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When these pharmacological ingredients are contained, the content may be appropriately set depending on the type of pharmacological ingredient used, the expected effect, etc.

Examples of additives that can be incorporated into the acne bacteria-removing wipe of the present invention include surfactants (nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants), preservatives (methylparaben, propylparaben, benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, etc.), flavoring agents (citral, 1,8-thioneal, citronellal, farnesol, etc.), colorants (tar dyes (Brown No. 201, Blue No. 201, Yellow No. 4, Yellow No. 403, etc.), cacao dyes, chlorophyll, aluminum oxide, etc.), thickeners (polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium alginate, ethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, xanthan gum, carrageenan, etc.). ), pH adjusters (phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, citric acid, sodium citrate, succinic acid, tartaric acid, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, triethanolamine, triisopropanolamine, etc.), wetting agents (sodium dl-pyrrolidone carboxylate solution, D-sorbitol solution, etc.), stabilizers (dibutylhydroxytoluene, butylhydroxyanisole, sodium edetate, sodium metaphosphate, L-arginine, L-aspartic acid, DL-alanine, glycine, sodium erythorbate, propyl gallate, sodium sulfite, sulfur dioxide, chlorogenic acid, catechin, rosemary extract, etc.), antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers, chelating agents, adhesives, buffers, solubilizers, and other additives. These additives may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of these additives can be appropriately set depending on the formulation, etc.

[Dosage Form]
Since the acne bacteria-removing wipe of the present invention is used by impregnating a wiping tool, it is preferably in a form that can be easily impregnated into the wiping tool, specifically, in a liquid or semi-solid form (gel, ointment, paste).

Specific examples of the formulation of the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention include liquids, emulsions, lotions, gels, ointments, creams, etc. Among these formulations, preferred are liquids, emulsions, and lotions.

[How to use]
The acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention is used by impregnating a wiper with an appropriate amount of the wipe and wiping the skin from which acne bacteria removal is desired.

The wipes to be impregnated with the acne bacteria removing wipes of the present invention may be any that can be used to wipe the skin, such as cosmetic cotton, cosmetic puffs, nonwoven fabric sheets, woven fabric sheets (such as gauze), sponges, etc. The materials from which these wipes are made are not particularly limited and may be, for example, natural fibers, regenerated fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, synthetic fibers, synthetic resins, etc., but from the viewpoint of improving the feeling of use when wiping while more effectively removing acne bacteria, natural fibers are preferred, and cotton is even more preferred.

Among these wiping implements, from the viewpoint of the feeling of use when wiping and the ability to remove acne bacteria, cosmetic cotton and nonwoven fabric sheets are preferred, and cosmetic cotton is even more preferred.

The skin to which the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention is applied may be any skin from which acne bacteria removal is desired, specifically, skin from which acne prevention or improvement is desired. The part of the skin to which the wipe is applied may be any part from which acne bacteria removal is desired, preferably the face.

By impregnating a wiper with the acne bacteria removing wipe of the present invention and wiping the skin, the acne bacteria are removed, making it possible to maintain or improve the skin in a healthy state and prevent or improve acne.

2. Wiping Tool for Removing Acne Bacteria The wiping tool for removing acne bacteria of the present invention is characterized in that the wiping tool is impregnated with the wiping agent for removing acne bacteria. The composition and formulation of the wiping agent for removing acne bacteria used in the wiping tool for removing acne bacteria of the present invention, the type and material of the wiping tool, etc. are as described in the above section "1. Wiping Agent for Removing Acne Bacteria."

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these examples.

Test Example 1
A wipe for removing acne bacteria (Example 1) having the composition shown in Table 1 was prepared, and used in the following test on a male (37 years old) prone to acne.

A cosmetic cotton pad (100% cotton, 7 cm x 5 cm, 4 layers) was soaked with 4 ml of the acne bacteria removing wipe to prepare a wipe for removing acne bacteria. The subject washed their face to thoroughly wash away sebum. The face was then wiped 3 to 4 times with the acne bacteria removing wipe. A total DNA extract was then obtained from the acne bacteria removing wipe after wiping using a DNA extraction kit (MORA-EXTRACT, Kyokuto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.).

The total DNA extract was used to elucidate the DNA sequence of the PCR product.
The copy numbers of the grpE gene (a gene specific to acne bacteria (Cutibacterium acnes)) and the gmk gene (a gene specific to resident bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis)) were quantified by real-time PCR (Takara Bio Inc.). In the real-time PCR, the primers for the grpE gene used were "P.acnes_grpE_F and P.acnes_grpE_R" manufactured by Techno Suruga Lab Co., Ltd., and the primers for the gmk gene used were "S.epi gmkF and S.epi gmkR" (see J Bacteriol. 2001 Dec;183(24):7094-101.). In addition, a calibration curve using a dilution series of bacterial suspensions of Cutibacterium acnes (JCM6425) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (NBRC100911) was used to quantify the copy numbers.

In addition, the V3-V4 region (341f-R806) of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene contained in the total DNA extract obtained above was amplified by PCR. Next, the DNA was sequenced by paired-end method using a next-generation sequencer (MiSeqTM, Illumina), and then analyzed using a database (Microorganism Identification Database DB-BA13.0 (TechnoSuruga Laboratony, Japan)) to analyze the type and proportion of bacteria contained in the acne bacteria removal wipes after wiping.

Table 2 shows the results of measuring the copy numbers of the grpE gene and gmk gene contained in the acne bacteria removal wipe after wiping. One copy of the grpE gene indicates that the number of acne bacteria (Cutibacterium acnes) is 1, and one copy of the gmk gene indicates that the number of normal bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis) is 1. Table 3 also shows the results of analyzing the bacterial groups contained in the acne bacteria removal wipe after wiping, using next-generation sequencing/amplicon analysis. These results confirmed that acne bacteria can be efficiently removed by wiping the skin using an acne bacteria removal wipe made of cosmetic cotton soaked in an acne bacteria removal wipe containing dipotassium glycyrrhizinate.

Test Example 2
A wipe for removing acne bacteria (Example 1) having the composition shown in Table 1 was prepared, and the following test was carried out on 11 women (aged 20 to 49 years) who were diagnosed by a doctor as having "rough skin" and "three or more pimples on the face."

The subjects were instructed to wipe their faces twice a day, morning and evening, after washing their faces for four weeks using a wiper made of cosmetic cotton (100% cotton, 5.5 cm x 7 cm, "Beauty Up Cotton F", Shiseido Co., Ltd.) soaked in approximately 4 ml of a wiper for removing acne bacteria. The number of pimples on the face was measured by a doctor before the start of the study, and two and four weeks after the start of the study.

Figure 1 shows the results of measuring the number of pimples, and Figure 2 shows a photograph of the area with acne on one subject. The number of pimples on the vertical axis in Figure 1 indicates the total number of pimples on the 11 subjects. As a result, it was confirmed that acne can be effectively prevented and improved by using an acne bacteria removal wipe made of cosmetic cotton soaked in an acne bacteria removal wipe containing dipotassium glycyrrhizinate.

Formulation Examples : Wipes for removing acne bacteria were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 4. These wipes for removing acne bacteria were evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and it was confirmed that they could efficiently remove acne bacteria from the face.

Claims (7)

A wiper for removing acne bacteria, which is impregnated into a wiper and used to remove acne bacteria by wiping off the acne bacteria present on the skin after washing the face ,
A wipe for removing acne bacteria, comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of glycyrrhizic acid and salts of glycyrrhizic acid (excluding, however, those containing Chinese herbal ingredients including [i] Sophora Root, Red Herb, Scutellaria Root, Xanthomonas Root, Aloe, Licorice Root, and Ice Peel, [ii] those containing salicylic acid, and [iii] those containing a fatty acid ester nonionic surfactant). The acne bacteria removing wipe according to claim 1 further contains aloe extract. The acne bacteria removing wipe according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a polyhydric alcohol. The acne bacteria removing wipe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a monohydric lower alcohol. The acne bacteria removing wipe according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wipe is a cosmetic cotton or a nonwoven fabric sheet. A wipe for removing acne bacteria, the wipe being impregnated with the wipe for removing acne bacteria according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A method for removing acne bacteria (excluding methods for treating humans), comprising wiping the skin after washing the face with the wipe for removing acne bacteria according to claim 6.