STUDIES ON AN ANTI-AGING FORMULATION PREPARED USING ALOE VERA BLENDED COLLAGEN AND CHITOSAN

Photochemoprotection has nowadays become inevitable to combat aging. Exposure to Ultraviolet radiations accelerates skin aging which eventually culminates in wrinkles, laxity, dyspigmentation, roughness and dryness. Though many active synthetic topicals have been used since years, the present era of treating an aged skin has been diverted towards natural biomaterials as these synthetic topicals pose health and safety risk on human health. In an effort to produce a promising natural anti-aging agent in contemporary cosmetics, this study has been aimed to formulate an anti-aging gel by blending three biopolymers namely Collagen (COL) 3%w/v, Chitosan (CS) 1.5% w/v and Aloe vera (AV) gel 0.21% w/v. The AV blended COL-CS gel was characterized by spreadability and moisture uptake test, which indicated good spreadability and increased hydrophyllicity of the gel. Cell culture studies on NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts cells were carried out using senescence- associated-β-gal [SA-β-gal] as a biomarker. The fibroblasts cells on incubation with AV blended COL-CS gel showed increased proliferation rate and the absence of blue stain indicated that the process of senesce has been reversed. In conclusion, the prepared AV blended COL-CS gel helps in regeneration and rejuvenation of the skin and therefore can be used as a promising anti-aging gel.