Carotenoids, including
lycopene, are promising
antioxidants that sequester
free radicals and counterbalance oxidative stress, preventing
cardiovascular diseases,
cancer, photo-damage, and decelerating aging. Fabricating the
antioxidant effective and stable topical formulations with efficient skin penetration and preserving their activity by minimizing the oxidative damage due to ionization, pH extremes, high storage temperature, and
metal ions, has been challenging. Herein, we developed a
lycopene-based topical emulgel and investigated its impact on biophysical parameters of human skin using non-invasive in vivo techniques and sensory evaluation for consumer acceptability to bottleneck the demerits of conventional formulations. The results demonstrated that the designed formulation significantly enhanced the skin hydration and elasticity, p-value < 0.05, whereas
erythema,
melanin and sebum contents were considerably reduced, p-value < 0.05, when compared with placebo formulation over 12 weeks. These findings were attributed to the potent
antioxidant potential of
lycopene that was preserved in the stable formulation, halting the cascade of
free radical-related subsequent reactions in the skin. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report about the topical effects of
lycopene-based emulgel in human volunteers. Besides, the average scores by the volunteers concerning sensory evaluation at the end of the 12th week of the study indicated that the formulation will be commercially acceptable by the consumers. We believe that formulation will be valuable commercially in promoting the treatment of topical
infections, such as
acne, and oxidative stress-related skin disorders, and decelerating the aging process.