Skip to content

Apocynin, the well kept “secret”

Once upon a time apocynin wasn’t a secret. Apocynin was first described by a German pharmacologist, and in 1883 and was first isolated by Horace Finnemore. In fact, in the 1900s, the root of Canadian hemp, rich in apocynin, was used for its known effectiveness against edema and heart problems. But we tend to forget good things and re-discover them, and that’s OK.  In the meantime, scientists elucidate the mechanism of action of the herbal medicine and that’s fantastic because it means we can purify the active chemical and don’t have to worry about possible side effects by other chemicals present in the original plant material.

What do we know about apocynin?

Apocynin promotes the synthesis of a particular type of collagen, collagen 17, crucial for the anchoring of newly formed stem cells, and its end effect will be to accelerate healing, delay aging and promote skin health. When it comes to hair,  stem cells that make collagen 17 will keep producing hair, rather than becoming just one more skin cell (and there goes your hair!). We can expect that apocynin, by promoting collagen 17, will prevent hair loss. And we know that it should decrease oxidative stress and slow hair greying. Apocynin does even more: it also decreases inflammation, an enemy of our skin and hair.

You will find apocynin in the Advanced Ageless Skin Actives products.

Hydramist, Brown and Lash Serum, Collagen Serum, Hair Care Serum, Nail Serum, Ultimate Moisturizing Cream, Vitamin A Cream, and Eye Cream.

Apocynin and DIY (do it yourself)

Some actives are hard to dissolve, because they are practically insoluble in the most common solvents, like water and oils. What are your options?

  1. You give up and buy a ready-made product that contains the active you want. Why? Because the professional has solvents and equipment that is not practical for the DIY practitioner.
  2. You accept the limitations that Nature poses to you and say: “OK, this ingredient is a pain but I still want to use it”.  You then add it to a cream. A cream contains both water and oils and will have a better chance of dissolving the difficult ingredient. The resulting cream may feel a bit gritty. Heating it a bit may work (or not) but with time the active will dissolve as much as its chemical structure allows it. Your cream may not feel “professional” but it will give you the benefit of this active.

 

Reference

Stefanska J, Pawliczak R. Apocynin: molecular aptitudes. Mediators Inflamm. 2008;2008:106507. doi: 10.1155/2008/106507. Epub 2008 Dec 2. PMID: 19096513; PMCID: PMC2593395.

 

DISCLAIMER: These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.

Read more about apocynin here