We are now seeing an increase in the production of agri-food waste, which is an essential resource for the recovery of bioactive compounds that may be employed as innovative natural ingredients in cosmetics. To date, the approach to cosmetics preservation has seen a significant shift in the search for biological components that give healthier alternatives for customers and help businesses operate in an environmentally friendly manner. To achieve this goal, we studied pomegranate extracts using the peel and, for the first time, extracts from the male flowers of a wide pomegranate variety cultivated in the Marche region, specifically, the Wonderful, Mollar de Elche, Parfianka, and less-studied G1 varieties. We studied the phenol compounds profile, antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity, and cell viability of the obtained pomegranate extracts. The identification and quantification of phenol compounds belonging to different classes, such as hydrolysable tannins, hydroxybenzoic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, dihydroflavonol, gallocatechin, and anthocyanins, were performed using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Punicalagin isomers and punicalin resulted in the most abundant polyphenols found in the peel and male flower extracts. Mollar de Elche 2020 peel extract revealed a high concentration of punicalagin A and B (7206.4 mg/kg and 5812.9), while the content of gallic acid revealed high results in the G1 and Parfianka varieties. All extracts were spectrophotometrically analysed to determine their total phenol content (TPC) using the Folin–Ciocalteu method and their antioxidant capacity (AC). In terms of the total phenol obtained by the Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric method, Mollar de Elche 2020 extracts reported the highest TPC content of 12.341 µmol GAE/g. Results revealed that the Mollar de Elche and Wonderful 2020 peel extracts demonstrated the highest TPC and AC. Furthermore, AC results indicated that the peel extracts displayed higher AC than the male flower extract due to the high punicalagin content detected by UPLC analysis. The antimicrobial activity testing revealed that the Wonderful and G1 2020 peel extracts resulted active against Escherichia coli, while all extracts exhibited promising anticandidal activity. Additionally, the cytocompatibility was evaluated in keratinocytes HaCaT cells by testing concentrations of pomegranate extracts ranging from 0.15 to 5.00 mg/mL. Extracts were non-toxic for the cells in the tested concentration range. The acquired results may help exploit pomegranate agri-food waste products provided by the Marche region’s short supply chain for their use as an antimicrobial and antioxidant booster in the formulation of cosmetic products.

Wine lees are sediments deposited on the walls and bottom of barrels resulting from wine fermentation and mainly consist of yeasts. Saccharomyces cerevisiae extracts, rich in beneficial components for the skin, have already been used in cosmesis, while wine lees have not been well exploited by the cosmetics industry yet. The aim of this work was the full characterization of the wine lees from Verdicchio’s wine, with the aim to exploit it as a beneficial ingredient in new cosmetic products. After mapping the microbial composition of the sample waste, the parameters for the sonication extraction process were optimized and the physicochemical properties of the extract were analyzed. The efficiency of the aqueous extraction—and in particular the yeast cell lysis necessary for the release of proteins from the cell—was assessed by evaluating cell shape and size, and protein release, under scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Bradford’s protein assays. Thus, the total phenol content and antioxidant capacity of the supernatant recovered from native and sonicated lees were determined by Folin–Ciocalteu’s and spectrophotometric assays, respectively. To quantify the heavy metals and highlight the presence of microelements beneficial for the skin, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied. In vitro metabolic activity and cytotoxicity were tested on both HaCat keratinocytes and human gingival fibroblasts, showing that wine lees are safe for skin’s cells. The results show that sonicated lees appear to be more interesting than native ones as a consequence of the release of the active ingredients from the cells. Due to the high antioxidant capacity, content of beneficial elements for skin and an appropriate microbiologic profile, wine lees were included in five new solid cosmetic products and tested for challenge test, compatibility with human skin, sensory analysis, trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) and sebometry.

“Seta e Ciliegia” and “Narguilé” fragrances were mixed to form a binary blend with chemically stable, non-volatile, odourless, simple bases of different lipophilicity widely used in skin care and hair care formulations, such as caprylic-capric triglyceride, glycerine, paraffin, dimethicone, isopropyl myristate and butylene glycol, with the objective to verify how the olfactory performance of fragrances can be influenced by skin or hair care ingredients. The semiquantitative approach applied in this study aims in providing a practical solution to appropriately combine a fragrance with cosmetic ingredients. Pure fragrance and binary blends were analysed by solid phase microextraction gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS), based on the assumption that the solid phase microextraction is able to extract volatile compounds, mimicking the ability of the nose to capture similar volatile compounds. Fifty-seven and forty-four compounds were identified by SPME-GC/MS in pure fragrances “Seta e Ciliegia” and “Narguilé”, respectively. Once mixed with the bases, the analysis of the blends revealed that a qualitative modification in the chromatograms could occur according to the characteristics of the bases. In general, for both fragrances, blends with glycerin and butylene glycol, which are the most hydrophilic bases among the ones tested, were able to release most of the peaks, that were thus still present in the chromatograms. Differently, in the blends with caprylic-capric triglyceride, most of the peaks are lost. Blends with paraffine, dimethicone and isopropyl myristate showed an intermediate behaviour. These results were thus compared with the sensory evaluation made by an experienced perfumer, capable of assessing the different olfactory performances of pure fragrances and their different binary blends. The evaluation made by the perfumer fitted well with the analytical results, and in the blends where most of the peaks were revealed in the chromatogram, the perfumer found a similar olfactory profile for example with glycerin, butylene glycol, while a modification of the olfactory profile was highlighted when several peaks were not still present in the chromatogram, as it was the case with caprylic-capric triglyceride. Interestingly, when the most typical peaks of a fragrance were still observed in the blend, even if some of them were lost, the olfactory performance was not lost, as was the case of paraffin and isopropyl myristate. In the case of dimethicone, its high volatility was considered responsible for a certain decrease in the fragrance “volume”. The results achieved with this investigation can be used to hypothesize that the different compounds of a fragrance, characterized for the first time by different volatility and solubility, could be differently retained by the bases: the more lipophilic are strongly retained by the lipophilic bases with a consequently reduced volatility that limits the possibility of being appreciated by the nose and that corresponds to disappearance or a percentage reduction from the chromatogram. Therefore, in a more accurate and helpful view for a formulator, we could come to the conclusion that based on the results achieved by our investigation, the inclusion of a less lipophilic base can be more appropriate to exalt more lipophilic fragrances.

Squalene and squalane are widely used cosmetic ingredients valued for their emollient properties and excellent skin compatibility, yet sustainable sourcing remains a challenge. This study presents an integrated and eco-friendly strategy for valorizing wine lees as a renewable source of squalene and converting it into stable, high-performance squalane. Squalene was efficiently recovered from yeast-rich winery waste through optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction, followed by chromatographic purification. Green catalytic hydrogenation using palladium supported on natural clay minerals enabled the selective conversion of squalene into squalane under mild conditions. The functional evaluation via in vitro transport studies across an artificial membrane, using quercetin as a poorly permeable model antioxidant, demonstrated enhanced permeation compared with conventional vehicles, while accelerated aging experiments further confirmed the superior oxidative stability of squalane relative to native squalene. Overall, this work provides a proof of concept for upcycling winery by-products into multifunctional cosmetic ingredients that combine sustainability, stability, and functional performance, supporting circular economy principles and the growing demand for ethically sourced raw materials in the cosmetic industry.

Background/Objectives: Topical cosmetic actives are increasingly delivered through multi-step regimens intended to improve skin hydration, barrier function, biomechanical properties, and visible signs of aging. Because the performance of such systems cannot be fully captured by a single endpoint, multidimensional approaches are useful to describe skin responses across complementary instrumental and subjective endpoints. This exploratory study aimed to develop and apply an in vivo assessment framework for evaluating skin changes associated with use of a multi-product topical cosmetic regimen targeting signs of skin aging. Methods: A 30-day exploratory, open-label, uncontrolled study was conducted using a four-step facial routine comprising a serum, an eye contour treatment, a day cream, and a night cream as a model of sequential topical administration. The evaluation integrated instrumental and subjective endpoints, including transepidermal water loss for barrier function, superficial and deep hydration measurements, elastometry for skin elasticity, colorimetric analysis for brightness, Antera^® 3D-CS imaging for wrinkles and fine lines, roughness parameters for skin texture, and self-assessment questionnaires for perceived efficacy and cosmetic acceptability. Results: After 30 days of repeated application, statistically significant within-study changes from baseline were observed in transepidermal water loss, superficial hydration, brightness, deep hydration, elasticity, wrinkle length, wrinkle index, fine-line length, fine-line index, and surface roughness. Subject-reported outcomes were consistent with the instrumental results, particularly regarding perceived hydration, smoothness, and overall skin quality. Conclusions: The proposed uncontrolled exploratory multidimensional in vivo framework enabled the descriptive assessment of skin performance changes during repeated use of a multi-step cosmetic regimen. The combined instrumental and self-assessment approach supports a broader characterization of cosmetic-related skin changes in hydration, barrier function, elasticity, texture, and visible signs of aging.