Piperine

Piperine is an alkaloid compound found in black pepper, Piper nigrum, along with some other Piper species. While black pepper oil is fragrant and irritating to skin, piperine has the opposite effect. Studies indicate that piperine, as with most plant-derived ingredients, has antioxidant properties. Research also demonstrates that piperine has skin-soothing abilities. One study found that piperine specifically defended skin against the negative effects of ultraviolet-B (UVB) damage. Perhaps most interestingly, piperine is being proposed as a potential treatment for vitiligo, an autoimmune condition where the immune system destroys melanocytes, cells responsible for producing pigment, resulting in white or milky-looking patches on skin. It does so by increasing levels of an enzyme that’s key in producing pigment. More tests are needed, but it’s an intriguing ingredient, and one we will be following. Suggested use levels of piperine in cosmetics are very low, ranging from 0.001% – 0.01%. One more note: clinical data from cosmetic suppliers of piperine show it’s also a penetration enhancer. As such, it has potential to make beneficial ingredients more effective. On the other hand, it could also make problematic ingredients (like denatured alcohol and fragrance) more likely to irritate or sensitize skin. How does it do this? Multiple methods are in play: temporary lipid (barrier) disruption, improving the solubility of key ingredients, inhibition of enzymes in skin that quickly metabolize ingredients, and changing the diffusion rate of ingredients.

Related ingredients: Piper Nigrum