When it comes to the two most promising ingredients for 2024, I personally think one is ergothionein and the other is PQQ.
PQQ, also known as pyrrorole quinoline quinone, is one of the most promising antioxidants and a coenzyme with similar physiological functions to vitamins.
It’s an ingredient that energizes cells. There are also more papers.
This ingredient, to be precise, can not be used in skin care products.
What we can use is its divalent sodium salt, pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium (PQQNa2).
And the highest concentration used in cosmetics is currently 0.08%.
Now there is a problem, PQQ and PQQNa2 are two components.
Many brands advertise PQQ, but they add PQQNa2.
Just as hydrochloric acid is neutralized to sodium chloride these are actually two chemical components.
And in this one, we’re looking at in vitro antioxidant data for different antioxidants
The reaction rates (ks) of reduced PQQH2 and water-soluble antioxidants from high to low are:
PQQH2 > vitamin C > > cysteine > uric acid Uric acid > glutathione > PQQNa2
At pH7.4, the ks value of PQQH2 is 7.4±0.2 times that of vitamin C.
Problem 1: PQQNa2 pulls the hip
On a single experiment PQQNa2 was the most crotch pulling.
Question 2: The vitamin C written in the experiment is not
This is a little awkward. First of all, vitamin C is soluble in water, so if it’s 5%, the pH should be 2.3.
When pH7.4, vitamin C has all become vitamin C sodium.
You PQQH2 and PQQNa2 are two things, vitamin C and vitamin C sodium properties can not be equal.
Problem 3: PQQH2 is not that strong
Remember L ‘Oreal True C Essence, L ‘Oreal says that vitamin C neutralization does not affect the antioxidant effect (although I don’t believe it, but I can’t argue with it).
We assume that the antioxidant effect of vitamin C is about vitamin C sodium.
Watching this experiment.
The rate of PQQH2 is 7.4 times that of vitamin C.
Make an unrigorous conversion. 1g of PQQH2≈7.4g of vitamin C sodium ≈7.4g of vitamin C.
But the problem is that PQQNa2 can only add no more than 0.08%.
Assuming that PQQNa2 enters the body and all becomes PQQN2, that is also 0.08% concentration, which is about 0.592% of vitamin C.
Well, this concentration of vitamin C has no effect on the face!
Let’s look at the data on ergothionein
L-Ergothioneine (L-EGT)
- The free radical scavenging ability is 60,000 times that of EV
- The free radical scavenging ability is 20 times that of coenzyme Q10
- The free radical scavenging ability is 6 times that of astaxanthin
- The free radical scavenging ability is twice that of glutathione
Ergothioneine is 60,000 times that of VE.
If you put the data in vitro, to tell the truth, PQQ is not attractive enough, PQQNa2 is pulling the hip!
