Category Archives: Branches of Chemistry

Hyaluronic Acid – The new skincare regime

Hyaluronic acid(HA) has been around in the science community for quite a while, however, only recently gain recognition from the general public through its extraordinary performance in the beauty industry. Hyaluronic acid became trending in 2021, in the period where, because of Covid, skincare users have lots of time do our own research, thus learn about our skin type and what is right for our skin. Us beauty gurus comes to love HA for its affordability, great benefits, importantly, its suitability toward dry, oily, and even sensitive skin.

What is Hyaluronic acid (HA)? Commonly present in our household in the form of beauty products, eyedrops, topical medications, and more. HA is a glycosaminoglycan that is nonsulfated and non-protein, which can be found in our skin, eyes, joints… (1) Specifically, one HA molecule contains 2 unit of sugars, glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-glucosamine, connecting to another HA molecule creating a polymer. (3)

 

The nice thing about HA is its viscosity and elasticity, these two properties make HA a great lubricant, also, give it the ability to retain moisture and water. (2) In our daily life, HA’s moisture retention proves to be beneficial. Products such as moisturizers, skin/hair serum, toner (AHA/BHA), exfoliator, shampoo,… are various forms of hydrating treatments. In the medical field, HA is widely recommended by doctors and dermatologist for its great ability to heal tissues and regenerate new skin.

 

Aspartame Health Risk Claims Seem Artificial

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that replaces sugar in several food products, though it raises questions about whether consumption poses a potential threat to our health. The low-calorie sugar substitute is appealing with diabetes cases in Canada rising to 8.9% of the population. Canada approved the usage of aspartame in 1981, so why is there still a controversy?

Figure 1: Equal Sweetener                                                 Source: 怡口糖 by SoQ錫濛譙

People have accused aspartame of causing health issues related to toxicity, diabetes, cancer, seizures, and allergies. The reality is that most of these speculations are unsupported, and the government of Canada had to examine numerous research studies to allow Aspartame’s approval in the first place.

A study was done to review past cancer epidemiology investigations that claimed to present evidence for these suspicions. After evaluating them, they concluded that the results did not give reasons to believe there was a correlation between aspartame and cancer risk. Considerations going into this decision included how many experiments used diet soft drinks as their main sample source, which contain other compounds and sweeteners besides aspartame.

However, there are health risks that have been discovered in regards to aspartame. It metabolizes into methanol and aspartic acid, as well as phenylalanine, a compound that negatively impacts patients with the disorder phenylketonuria. Therefore companies are required to label products to caution people of phenylalanine content.

The uncertainty around aspartame encourages the need for continued studies to identify the definitive effects of long-term aspartame consumption. It will keep Canada informed to lower the discrepancy between the public view and make sure that the acceptable daily intake, currently 40 milligrams per kilogram body weight, is up to date with health safety precautions.

For now it seems aspartame is here to stay, and we can continue to enjoy the sweetener.