| The material of ultimate beauty, Fullerene, discovered in outer space will lead your flawless skincare life. | 日本語 ENGLISH 中文 한국어 |
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Vitamin C60 BioResearch Corporation
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Fullerene, like diamond, is a carbon allotrope (its molecules consist of a single element). It is a generic name for polyhedrons that consist of different number of carbon atoms, for example, C60, C70, etc. The diameter of fullerene C60 is 0.7 nm (1 nm = (1/1,000,000,000) m), and it has the unique shape of a minuscule soccer ball.
Fullerene has the same sp2 carbon framework structure as that of graphite. However, fullerene consists of edgeless, condensed-ring aromatic molecules, and possesses unique chemical properties not found in any other existing compounds. All the electrons in fullerene are delocalized and spread over the whole molecule periphery as clouds. These electrons demonstrate antioxidative potency when they react with free radicals and active oxygen.
Fullerene is a wonder raw material and its use is not restricted to the cosmetics industry but can be extended to many other industries. For this reason, governments and research institutions worldwide are investigating the potential applications of fullerene and its safety. We performed the following safety tests on fullerenes used in ingredients from which cosmetics are made.
We focused our research on one of the bioactivities of fullerene, that is, its antioxidant activities, to investigate the potential of using it as a cosmetic ingredient. However, it was difficult to blend it with cosmetics because it is insoluble in water. We developed a technique for stably dissolving fullerene in water by wrapping it in water-soluble polymers. Radical Sponge (patent no. 4326382) is the world’s first fullerene-based cosmetic ingredient developed using this technique, and was introduced to the markets in 2005. In 2009, LipoFullerene, containing highly dissolved fullerene, was launched as a cosmetic ingredient of oil solutions that were in great demand. Since Radical Sponge and LipoFullerene cater to both the water-based and oil-based formulae, they made it possible to blend fullerene with different types of cosmetics.
