PRISTINE MECHANICAL EXTRACTION
Active ingredients in Pure Guild Acne Treatment maintain their molecular integrity and full spectrum of biological activities because no solvents are used and no heat is applied to extract them.
Pure Guild employs only gentle mechanical compression over time to render highly effective compounds from potent raw materials. Although costly, this process yields a superior molecule, while other organic brands use chemical solvents like hexane or ether, which adulterate the final product, and heat distillation, which inhibits therapeutic properties.
Super-premium Pure Guild cosmeceuticals contain no sodium lauryl sulfate or other detergents. They are strictly hypoallergenic, non-irritating, and never tested on animals.
CLARITY FROM NATURAL SCIENCE
Indicated for oily, acne-prone skin, Pure Guild Acne Treatment suppresses inflammation gently and effectively because it contains no salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, which cause drying, itching, peeling, and other side effects. Pure Guild performs by rebalancing skin flora with Spiraea ulmaria (meadowsweet), a potent botanical regulator. In clinical studies, this extract activates the innate immune response to microbial invasion, inhibits the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus, and regulates the sebum that causes greasiness.
- Tested on human keratinocytes, S ulmaria stimulates a 130 percent increase in the synthesis of natural antimicrobial agents.
- Tested in vitro, the extract inhibits by 82–92 percent the proliferation of S aureus and P acnes, which infect acne-prone skin.
- Tested in vivo, volunteers enjoy a clear reduction in greasy seborrhea.
These results mean Pure Guild Acne Treatment can improve skin dramatically — fewer lesions, less inflammation and shine, and finer pores — without synthetic chemicals.
Volunteer before (left) and after 28 days of treatment with Spiraea ulmaria extract
Controlling Acne
The skin produces natural antibiotics that enable it to maintain the balance of its resident flora and to fight microbial invasion, an aggravating factor of acne. When the ecosystem is in peril, endogenous defenses are stimulated.
An extract of Spiraea ulmaria, commonly called meadowsweet, is rich in phenolic acids known for anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. S ulmaria extract boosts cellular synthesis of natural antibiotics called cathelicidins.
Spiraea ulmaria thus limits complications due to acne, regulates seborrhea, and improves skin grain.
BALANCING SKIN FLORA
Rich in phenolic acids, Spiraea ulmaria extract balances the cutaneous ecosystem by stimulating natural antibiotics, reducing the number of inflammatory lesions, and improving the state of oily skin.
Colonized by microorganisms such as yeasts, fungi, and primarily bacteria, skin maintains a resident flora. Zones for proliferation of microorganisms are those with elevated perspiration and sebum, both rich in nutrients. When flora reaches equilibrium, it ensures the barrier function by limiting growth of pathogenic bacteria. An alteration of environment, hygiene, or hormones can enable the stratum corneum to be contaminated by pathogens.
Sebaceous secretions favor the proliferation of bacteria, a major cause of acne, affected by pregnancy, breast feeding, a woman’s menstrual cycle, and heat. The principal factor is age. Adolescent hyperseborrhea is often associated with comedones (blackheads), and microcysts (whiteheads).
Obstruction of the pilosebaceous canal by hyperkeratinization combines with hyperseborrhea, both stimulated by androgens. Occlusions lead to formation of comedones where saprophytic microorganisms of the skin — Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Malassezia — enjoy ideal conditions to proliferate and trigger a reaction.
In acne, retention lesions are due to accumulation of sebum in the follicle. They lead to open comedones (blackheads) or closed microcysts (whiteheads). If bacteria cause an inflammatory reaction, the initial lesions can be transformed into papulae, pustules, or nodules, with risks of abscesses and permanent scars.
Such skin disorders involve all age groups, but are accentuated from 12 to 25 years of age. In 80 percent of teenagers, they cause oily skin with imperfections that are embarrassing and difficult to camouflage. Acne-prone skin causes both esthetic and psychological discomfort.
To combat microbial infection, skin is equipped with natural defenses. Certain epithelial cells including keratinocytes secrete peptides with antimicrobial activities, which limit proliferation of bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, fungi like Candida albicans, and viruses.
Molecules also induce an indirect immune response due to chemotactic properties, as well as their capacity to stimulate cytokines. Indispensable for homeostasis of the ecosystem, antimicrobial peptides can be over-expressed.
EQUILIBRIUM OF SKIN FLORA
Tested at 1% on human keratinocytes, Spiraea ulmaria extract stimulated the skin’s natural defenses by inducing a 130 percent increase in the synthesis of cathelicidins, which are natural antimicrobial agents.
Skin not only protects internal organs but also defends the body against microbial aggression by launching the immune response. Keratinocytes, immune cells, and neutrophils synthesize antimicrobial peptides with a broad spectrum of activities against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Two major families have been identified, cathelicidins and β-defensins.
Produced by keratinocytes, cathelicidins are present abundantly in neutrophils and are over-expressed by keratinocytes in response to inflammation or infection. Cathelicidins are also produced by eccrine glands and secreted via perspiration. They are synthesized in the form of a precursor, hCAP18, stored in intracellular granules and lamellar bodies. Under the influence of serine proteases (proteinases-3, kallikreins, and tryptases), the precursors generate active antimicrobial peptides.
When activated, cathelicidins disorganize bacterial membranes by rendering them permeable. Cathelicidins can inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. They can neutralize endotoxins and act as chemotactic agents, attracting neutrophils, monocytes, and T-cells, inducing indirect defenses.
BACTERIAL PROLIFERATION
Tested in vitro at 5%, Spiraea ulmaria extract inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus by 82 percent and led to a 92 percent reduction in proliferation of Propionibacterium acnes, the principal bacterial species in disorders of acne-prone skin.
The skin is colonized by resident Staphylococci and Propionibacteria. They produce bactericides, degrade toxins, and prevent adherence of pathogenic bacteria by occupying cell receptors.
Pathogens can induce stimulation of phagocytosis and production of antibodies, cytokines, and interferons. P acnes also releases a lipase that degrades sebaceous lipids into unsaturated fatty acids, thus acidifying the environment and inhibiting growth of some bacteria.
The number of microorganisms in the cutaneous ecosystem reaches its maximum in young adults. The density of Propionibacteria in skin with acne is around 85,800 cells/cm2 in people 16–20 years of age, whereas typical skin has only 588 cells/cm2. Seborrhea, also common in teens, favors proliferation of P acnes, which plays a key role in the inflammatory process of acne.
Rupture of the barrier or the equilibrium of the cutaneous ecosystem may cause infection. S aureus, responsible for 30–50 percent of skin infections, stimulates synthesis of cytokines (interleukin-6 and interleukin-8) by keratinocytes. The process mobilizes neutrophils, causing an inflammatory reaction. ANTI-SEBORRHEIC EFFECT
Tested in vivo at 4%, Spiraea ulmaria extract reduced the lipid index by 12 percent in 71 percent of volunteers after 28 days of twice-daily treatment. Sebum forms from the disintegration of glandular-cell lipids. Size and density of sebaceous glands is not the same everywhere. The face and shoulders contain 400–900/cm2, while the rest of the body has only 100/cm2, and they are totally lacking on palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Secretion involves three steps:
- Production of sebum in the gland by central differentiated cells,
- Migration of differentiated cells loaded with lipids into the lumen of the gland’s neck, and storage of lipids in a reservoir called the infundibulum, and
- Distribution of sebum onto the skin’s surface via the follicular pore.
Sebum is made primarily of lipids — triglycerides, waxes, squalene, sterols — and of mature sebaceous cells. Triglycerides are the most abundant, at 58 percent. They are partially hydrolyzed by lipases secreted by bacteria of the resident flora, in particular Propionibacterium acnes, releasing free fatty acids, which play a pathogenic role by facilitating comedones and inflammatory phenomena.
Sebaceous secretion is hormone-dependent, and hyperseborrhea is associated with androgens. It is seen at the end of pregnancy and while breastfeeding. During the menstrual cycle, some researchers believe that secretion is maximal at ovulation, while others believe it occurs premenstrually. Other factors are environmental, genetic, age, etc.
The manifestations of hyperseborrhea are primarily physiological: shininess, irritation, and discomfort. Excess sebum also encourages acne and the proliferation of P acnes, responsible for inflammation.
Facial sebum before (left) and after application of Spiraea ulmaria extract for 28 days
EFFICACY
EFFECT ON CATHELICIDINS
Tested at 1% on normal human keratinocytes, Spiraea ulmaria boosted by 130 percent the mRNA-synthesis coding for cathelicidins. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of S ulmaria extract on mRNA-expression coding for cathelicidins, which are antimicrobial peptides synthesized by keratinocytes, essential for defense against skin infections. The study was performed on normal human keratinocytes by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Day 0: Keratinocytes were inoculated in petri dishes. The cells were then placed in a 37°C incubator containing 5% CO2.
Day 1 and Day 4: The medium was changed.
Day 5: The cells were treated with Spiraea ulmaria extract at 0.2%, 0.4%, and 1.0% (v/v), and returned to the incubator.
Day 6: The cells were recovered and total RNA extracted.
The RNA was reverse transcripted, and the complementary DNA analyzed by quantitative PCR. The internal standard, β-actin mRNA, was analyzed in parallel with the mRNA of cathelicidins.
Fluorescence incorporation (SYBR green) was quantified using a Bio-Rad MyiQ iCycler thermal cycler, with analysis by software. Results are given in Table 1.
| Product Control S ulmaria extract 0.2% S ulmaria extract 0.4% S ulmaria extract 1.0% |
mRNA of cathelicidins 100% 112% 155% 230% |
Table 1. Effect of Spiraea ulmaria extract on the mRNA expression of cathelicidins
EFFECT ON BACTERIA
Tested at 5%, Spiraea ulmaria extract inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus by 82 percent and Propionibacterium acnes by 92 percent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the direct antimicrobial activity of Spiraea ulmaria by incubating the extract in a suspension of Staphylococcus aureus and one of Propionibacterium acnes.
Preparation: The strains were grown in TrypCase soybean broth (S aureus) and in Schaedler broth (P acnes). Enumeration was made by turbidity reading at 570 nm in a spectrophotometer. Density was adjusted to 107 cells/ml by dilution in the medium used for each strain. The number of cells was verified by inoculating in TrypCase soybean agar (S aureus) and in Schaedler agar (P acnes).
Incubation: Spiraea ulmaria extract at 2.5% and 5.0% was incubated with the microbial suspension at 107 cells/ml in the proportion of nine parts of product plus one part of suspension. Incubation was 30°C for 12 hours for S aureus and 30°C in anaerobic medium for seven days for P acnes.
Enumeration: Bacteria were enumerated after dilution in the corresponding broth and inoculation in the agar medium.
The numbers of bacteria in the suspensions treated with S ulmaria extract were compared to the numbers in the untreated suspensions. Results are shown in Table 2.
| Strength S ulmaria extract 2.5% S ulmaria extract 5.0% |
S aureus –61% –82% |
P acnes treated –58% –92% |
Table 2. Effect of Spiraea ulmaria extract on the proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes in a solution, compared to a control
DERMATOLOGICAL EVALUATION
After 28 days of twice-daily application, Spiraea ulmaria extract clearly attenuated the classic stigmata of acne-prone skin. Clinical evaluation showed a 20 percent reduction in number of lesions, 21 percent improvement in skin grain, 22 percent reduction in infiltration of lesions, and 40 percent reduction in number of macrocysts. The aim of this study was to determine in vivo the effect of S ulmaria extract formulated in an emulsion at 4% on skin with a tendency to acne. The study was conducted with 22 healthy volunteers 17 to 41 years of age. Photos were taken.
Clinical evaluations on Day 0 and Day 28 assigned scores for:
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- Seborrheic tendency (shininess),
- Retention lesions (comedones),
- Inflammatory lesions (papulae/pustules),
- Infiltration of lesions,
- Microcysts or abscesses,
- Pore dilatation, and
- Skin-grain homogeneity (smoothness).
For each criterion, possible grades were 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, using one questionnaire per product, analyzed with Scan’Bac software. Lesion counts began by taking high-resolution photographs of the face, made with a Fuji digital camera, Nikon 60 mm lens, and two Elinchrom 600S xenon flashes. Reproducibility was ensured by use of a photo bench.
Day 0
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- Volunteers came to the laboratory without applying any product to the face.
- Volunteers read and signed consent forms and received information sheets.
- Dermatological evaluations were done.
- Photos were taken.
- Products were distributed.
- Volunteers came to the laboratory without applying any product to the face.
- Photos were taken.
Clinical observations of the effects of S ulmaria extract and the placebo over the 28 days, including the enumeration of lesions in the photographs, were calculated using the predefined scale. Results are shown in Table 3 and Table 4.
Day 0 to Day 28: Product and placebo were applied twice daily. Day 28
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| Parameter Seborrheic tendency (shininess) Inflammatory lesions (papulae and pustules) Infiltration of lesions Pore dilatation Skin-grain homogeneity |
S ulmaria extract vs. placebo –3% –2% –20% –22% –40% –5% +21% |
Table 3. Clinical evaluation of the effect of Spiraea ulmaria extract on skin with a tendency to acne
| Product Placebo S ulmaria extract 4% |
Number of lesions 10 12 |
11 10 |
+10% -17% |
Table 4. Evaluation of the effect of Spiraea ulmaria on the mean number of lesions, compared to a placebo
ANTI-SEBORRHEIC PROPERTIES
After 28 days of twice-daily application, Spiraea ulmaria extract reduced the lipid index by 12 percent, compared to a placebo, and 71 percent of volunteers showed a decrease. S ulmaria extract led to a 10 percent decrease in the number of spots and 12 percent decrease in surface area.
The aim of this study was to quantify in vivo with volunteers the anti-seborrheic efficacy of S ulmaria extract formulated at 4% in an emulsion, compared to a placebo. The study was conducted with 20 healthy volunteers 21 to 64 years of age.
Only volunteers with a sebum index higher than 190 (oily skin) were included. Index was determined with a Sebumeter SM 810. Visualization and quantification of lipids were conducted with Sebutape, which measures secretions.
Sebutape is composed of a hydrophobic and lipophilic polymer band sensitive to sebaceous secretions. The plastic film is translucent and mat (ground-glass type). It becomes transparent in proportion to the quantity of sebum on the skin. The Sebumeter then analyzes transparency. Results are displayed as micrograms of sebum/cm2 of skin. After removing oil from the skin with alcohol, a strip was applied for 30 minutes, then analyzed using software to determine the number and importance of spots.
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-
- Day 0
- Volunteers came to the laboratory without applying any product to the face.
- Volunteers read and signed consent forms and received information sheets.
- Two symmetrical zones on the forehead were determined, one treated with the study extract; the other with the placebo.
- Three measurements were taken.
- Oil was removed with alcohol.
- Sebutape was applied for 30 minutes.
Day 0 to Day 28: The active product and placebo were applied twice daily.
-
- Day 28
- Volunteers came to the laboratory without applying any product to the face.
- Three measurements were taken.
- Oil was removed with alcohol.
- Sebutape was applied for 30 minutes.
-
Data were calculated to determine the change after 28 days of treatment. Results are shown in Table 5.
| Product Placebo S ulmaria extract 4% |
Lipid index Day 0 254 263 |
Day 28 195 179 |
Change –23% –32% |
Table 5. Anti-seborrheic effect of Spiraea ulmaria extract on the lipid index, compared to a placebo
ASTRINGENT EFFECT
A single application of Spiraea ulmaria extract at 4% reduced the diameter of skin pores, compared to a placebo, observed on 75 percent of study volunteers. The aim of this study was to visualize in vivo the astringent effect of S ulmaria extract formulated at 4% in an emulsion. The study was conducted with 20 healthy volunteers 21 to 40 years of age.
Photographs of pores on the wings of the nostrils were made before and after a single application of extract or placebo. Images were captured with a UVA video microscope, a Visioscan VC 98.
Three skin pores were selected randomly within each zone. Diameters were quantified using Visiolab 2000 software.
Volunteers came to the laboratory without applying any product to the face. They read and signed consent forms and received information sheets.
-
-
- Minute 0
- Pores on the nostrils were identified, and images were captured.
- Fifteen microliters of Spiraea ulmaria extract or the placebo were applied.
- Minute 15: New images were captured.
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Data determined the change after 15 minutes from treatment with the extract or placebo. Results are shown in Table 6
| Product Placebo S ulmaria extract 4% |
Pore diameter Min. 35 u 38 u |
0Min. 35 u 36 u |
15 Change 0% –9% |
Table 6. Reduction effect of Spiraea ulmaria extract on the diameter of skin pores
Safety Tests
NON-IRRITANT, NON-TOXIC
| Tests Acute skin tolerance of a cosmetic Assessment of sensitizing potential Mutagenicity Phototoxicity Evaluation of irritant potential |
Results non-irritant non-irritant non-mutagenic non-phototoxic non-cytotoxic |
Safety Tests
NON-IRRITANT, NON-TOXIC
| Tests Acute skin tolerance of a cosmetic Assessment of sensitizing potential Mutagenicity Phototoxicity Evaluation of irritant potential |
Results non-irritant non-irritant non-mutagenic non-phototoxic non-cytotoxic |
Directions
Twice per day, after washing with a high-quality cleanser, gently pat dry and apply a pea-size amount on the entire face, avoiding the eye area. The morning application should be followed with a sunscreen.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Primary ingredient: Spiraea ulmaria extract Inactive ingredients: deionized water, arachidyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, pumpkin seed oil, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate (vegetable origin), phenoxyethanol