JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE 280 instant semi-permanent or permanent results, effects that Wild Plum can mimic without the drawbacks of harsh chemicals or procedures (3,4). THE PROBLEM The luminous appearance of skin is associated with health and youth (5). Aging, sun exposure, habitual facial expressions, smoking, and poor hydration lead to skin wrin- kles (6). As skin ages, its normal level of fl uorescence decreases, coinciding with the decrease in elastin and collagen found in the skin’s surface layer. Fluorescence is a key factor directly related to the outward appearance of luster, smoothness, and glow com- monly associated with younger skin (5,7). Blue is the dominant autofl uorescence color found in the skin, but it begins to diminish as a person ages or as a result of excessive sun damage (5,7,8). This results in an outward appearance of dull, older skin, which lacks luster, smoothness, and glow. Therefore, fl uorescence can be used as a marker of photoaged skin. Current products range from basic foundations and powders to extremely invasive chem- ical peels and surgeries. Chemical peels and dermabrasion treatments are costly and painful, and can leave skin irritated and problem areas infl amed. Cosmetic surgeries are currently the most costly option, with facelifts and Botox® injections becoming more mainstream (13,14). The cosmetics industry also attempts to combat the appearance of aging by incorporating optically active particles that can interact with light in makeup formulations (9,10). Many are limited to tinted coverups that impart color only. Existing coverup products often cake onto skin, actually accentuating the presence of imperfec- tions in the skin by highlighting blemishes and unevenly collecting in enlarged pores and fi ne lines. Although they can provide uniform color coverage, they fall short of giv- ing skin a healthy glow. There is a need for a cosmetic adjuvant that can impart luminos- ity and diffuse refl ectance of light and fl uorescence, to achieve what makeup alone cannot. SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND CURRENT OPTICAL BRIGHTENERS Optical brighteners have permeated the cosmetics industry. Patent literature shows that coumarins, styryl, microspheres, and microcapsules are incorporated into cos- metic formulations for this purpose (11–13). Most optical brighteners are only UV active, and many fl uorescent dyes for cosmetics are water-soluble and will not fl uo- resce in the solid state. There are only a few substances on the market that can be used in cosmetics that fl uoresce in the solid state. For example, LipoLight OAP/PVA (10) fl uoresces blue, and other mineral powders fl uoresce in a wide range of colors, depend- ing on composition (9). Wild Plum is a new powder that can be synthesized in a one-pot synthesis with in- expensive starting materials (4). It is a blue fl uorescent solid, and the tunability of its organic synthesis allows for the broadening of applications to oil-and-water-based formulas.

WILD PLUM IN COSMETIC FORMULATIONS 281 FLUORESCENCE OF SKIN Fluorescence is observed when light is absorbed at one wavelength and then emitted at a longer wavelength. The glow associated with healthy and young skin results from the fl uorescence of skin. Typical wavelengths that are associated with young skin are the blue- light wavelengths of 390 nm for elastin and desmosine and 378 nm for collagen (5,7,8). In vivo fl uorescence methods (5,14) of normal versus sun-exposed skin demonstrate a dramatic decrease in blue and green fl uorescence, believed to be caused by UV light from the sun that inhibits cellular repair (15) and results in injury to skin connective tissue, thus causing a reduction in collagen and elastin (Figure 1) (7,16). Older skin and photo- damaged skin that has been exposed to sunlight over time shows a dramatic decrease in fl uorescence emission in the blue and green region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This paper presents the application of a new optical brightening agent named Wild Plum that improves the luster and visual appearance of skin. Wild Plum compensates for the reduced blue fl uorescence of aged skin, thereby neutral- izing imperfections and leaving a natural, luminous appearance. We formulated Wild Plum with talcum powder in order to take advantage of the “soft focus effect” (17,18) that also improves skin appearance by exploiting the diffuse refl ectance of light. METHODS AND PROCEDURES FORMULATION OF FOUNDATION, POWDERS, BLUSHES, CREAMS, ETC. The formulation was designed to achieve a subtle luminescent glow of the product. Com- mercial foundation or loose powder was formulated with Wild Plum using a procedure developed at Novel Chemical Solutions (4,19). The formulated products were characterized Figure 1. Fluorescence emission of sun-exposed skin (forehead) and non-sun-exposed skin (buttocks) dem- onstrating the dramatic decrease of elastin, desmosine, and collagen fl uorescence after sun exposure (at λem = 278 nm, 390 nm, and shoulder at 429 nm). The fl uorescence of the skin was induced by a helium-cadmium laser and collected via a fi beroptic probe. (Reprinted with permission from the American Medical Associa- tion, Archives of Dermatology, 1988, 124, 1514–1518).