The invention provides the use of at least one alkyl-phthalide or a plant extract comprising mainly said alkyl-phthalide for the topical cosmetic treatment of the skin and of the scalp, in particular an anti-dandruff treatment. According to the invention, a CO.sub.2 supercritical extract of Apium graveolens seeds consisting mainly of sedanenolide may be used.

Disclosed is an oral or topical composition comprising a nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 agonist and a liver X receptor agonist, wherein the amounts of each of the nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 agonist and the liver X receptor agonist produce a synergistic benefit of hair fibre growth, wherein the oral or topical composition comprises ≦9, preferably ≦8% w/w β-sitosterol, wherein when the oral or topical composition comprises a catechin, the oral or topical composition comprises 0.001 to 90, preferably 0.005 to 70, most preferably 0.01 to 50% w/w catechins, wherein the oral or topical composition excludes pregnenolone, 4, 5-dihydrofuranodiene-6-one, epoxy santamarin, hydroquinone, longistyline, monacolin K, protoanemonin, N-(2,2,2-tri-fluoro-ethyl)-N-[4-(2,2,2-tri-fluoro-1-hydroxy-1-trifluoromethyl-ethyl)-phenyl]-benzenesulfonamide, dihydronepetalactone, iridomyrmecin, and dihydroactinidiolide, wherein when the oral or topical composition comprises guggelsterone and epigallocatechin gallate, the oral or topical composition excludes a guggelsterone to epigallocatechin gallate weight ratio of 1 to 28, and wherein when the oral or topical composition comprises sodium dilauramide glutamide lysine, the oral or topical composition excludes 0.3% w/w sodium dilauramide glutamide lysine.

The present invention relates to the cosmetic and/or nutraceutical use of an extract of the Lythrum salicaria plant and/or of gallic acid and/or one of the gallic acid derivatives, in particular vescalagin and/or castalagin, more preferentially castalagin, for maintaining and/or increasing collagen expression in the skin and/or the mucous membranes for maintaining and/or increasing the firmness of the skin and/or the mucous membranes and/or for maintaining and/or increasing lipolysis in skin adipocytes for inducing a slimming effect onto the skin and/or for decreasing, preventing and/or treating the unaesthetic manifestations of cellulite, for example the orange peel appearance of the skin and/or the jodhpur thigh appearance.

Another subject of the invention relates to a cosmetic care process comprising the application, preferably topically, of the Lythrum salicaria extract according to the invention and/or of gallic acid and/or of one of the gallic acid derivatives, in particular vescalagin and/or castalagin, more preferentially castalagin, or of a cosmetic composition comprising it, for maintaining and/or increasing collagen expression in the skin and/or the mucous membranes for increasing the firmness of the skin and/or of the mucous membranes and/or maintaining and/or increasing lipolysis in skin adipocytes for inducing a slimming effect onto the skin and/or decreasing, preventing and/or treating the unaesthetic manifestations of cellulite, for example the orange peel appearance of the skin and/or the jodhpur thigh appearance.

A method for topically treating skin is disclosed. The method can include applying to skin a composition that includes tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Morus alba fruit extract, Acmella oleracea extract, and retinol, wherein topical application of the composition treats the skin.

Cosmetic oil-in-water emulsions that can provide a hydrophobic film to protect from excessive hydration are disclosed. In some aspects, a cosmetic oil-in-water emulsion can include water at a concentration of at least about 70% by total weight of the cosmetic oil-in-water emulsion, a plurality of water-in-oil emulsifiers, a base oil, an oil-in-water emulsifier, and a film-forming polymer. The base oil can have a wVTR of about 1.0 to 30 g/m.sup.2/hr and can be at a concentration of no more than about 15% by weight of the cosmetic oil-in water emulsion.

A use of Magnolia figo extract in the manufacture of a compound for reducing epidermal desquamation and promoting wound healing.

This invention relates to syndet-based compositions having pH of 4.5 to 5.5 wherein use of caprylic acid has been unexpectedly found to enhance bacterial kill.

Disclosed are stable, non-irritating, skin treatment active agents containing formulations and delivery systems for topical application to the skin. The disclosed topical formulations and delivery systems provide controlled, gentle release of the active agents into the skin for the treatment of amenable skin conditions as well as for improvement of aesthetic skin properties. Also provided are methods for the formulation, manufacture and use of the disclosed formulations and delivery systems.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for improving pigmentation. Compositions as described herein comprise one or more peptides.

A cosmetic composition for dyeing keratinous fibers is provided herein. The cosmetic composition includes water and from about 6 to about 12 wt % organic solvent relative to the weight of the composition. The organic solvent includes from about 80 to about 100 wt % propylene carbonate and from about 0 to about 20 wt % benzyl alcohol. The cosmetic composition has a pH value in the range from about 1.0 to about 5.5 and at least one acid directly absorbed dye.