Slimming products and weight loss are contemporary issues and the cosmetic industry strives to research and develop innovative solutions with a proven effect. Slimming and keeping trim are an important concern for many women and men. As hypodermis, also called subcutaneous white adipose tissue, represents 15 to 25 % of a person’s weight, it is the primary target of slimming products.
Adipose tissue is mostly composed of mature adipocytes whose primary function is to store (lipogenesis) and to release (lipolysis) lipids according to the energy needs of the body. Adipose tissue is also composed of undifferentiated cells, mesenchymal stem cells and preadipocytes which can acquire the phenotype and functions of a mature adipocyte via a process called adipogenesis.
A cosmetic product or active ingredient can therefore directly or indirectly act on adipose tissue through different modes of action, such as:
- lipolysis activation (lipid release)
- lipogenesis inhibition (storage limitation and/or lipid neosynthesis)
- adipogenesis (adipocyte differentiation modulation)
