Efficacy of Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate (HSH) as a Water-Soluble Emollient

Abstract

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate (HSH) is a type of sugar alcohol produced from plant-derived raw materials such as corn. Compared to other sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and xylitol, it is less widely recognized and its utilization value has not been well researched. Against this background, we believe that hydrogenated starch hydrolysate HSH has potential in the field of cosmetics, and have conducted various studies on skin care cosmetics using two types of hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, HSH-1 and HSH-2 with different average molecular weights. In the present study, we conducted a test study using a model skin lotion containing surfactants; hydrogenated starch hydrolysate HSH-2 (average M.W. 1000), which has a large average molecular weight, was found to have decreasing effect on TEWL. While oily raw materials are typical emollients, it is very interesting that TEWL-decreasing effect can be adjusted by HSH with different molecular weights and that such an effect was confirmed with a water-soluble humectants such as hydrogenated starch hydrolysate HSH.