Rigano Laboratories

Luigi Rigano
Rigano Laboratories

Luigi Rigano has a degree in industrial chemistry from the University of Milan, and since 1970 has worked at several multinational cosmetic companies such as Unilever, Intercos, Givaudan and Schering, as product development manager, technical director and in technical assistance. His fields of interest include toiletries, emulsions, makeup products and related raw materials.

Rigano teaches courses in cosmetic sciences at the University of Milan and Bari University, and is author of more than 80 scientific papers on evaluation and formulation strategy applied to cosmetic ingredients and products. He has served as Secretary of Scientific Affairs and General Secretary of the IFSCC. Since 1986, he has been an independent consultant and runs his own laboratory in Milan, involved in formulation of new cosmetic products, application studies on new raw materials and process development.

Since 1989, he has been the scientific director of the Institute of Skin and Product Evaluation, in Milan, concerned with safety, efficacy and sensorial evaluations applied to detergents, cosmetics and other consumer products.


Abstract:

Antioxidants and Their Role in Preventing Aging
Antioxidant mechanisms protect life and its skin envelope. Many molecules have been proposed for supplementing skin defenses submitted to environmental and aging stress. An ever-increasing amount of studies are focused on the action mechanisms of free radicals and how to inhibit them. Vegetal sources are becoming an increasingly important mine of active principles that are aimed at counteracting skin damage and keeping the homeostasis of oxygen species within the cells and the organisms.

When highly active radical reactions run out of control, the cells’ DNA structure, cholesterol and lipids functionality are impaired. Premature aging becomes one of the most visible consequences. New antioxidant ingredients in cosmetic treatments aim at fighting in a targeted way the unbalanced cell metabolic pathways involving electron transfers and free radical formation. Modern strategies to adopt for limiting unwanted oxidation reactions in the skin are discussed in this presentation, focusing on new and recently available vegetal actives.