Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), for more than a hundred years, has been a recognized poisonous principle in spoiled food. As its chemical structure became unraveled, and as more knowledge was gained over its mechanism of toxicity, it became clear that BoNT had the potential to act therapeutically as a targeted toxin that could inactivate specific nerve populations, and thus achieve a therapeutic goal. BoNT has evolved over the past 25 years into a viable therapeutic, now being a first line treatment for dystonia, overtly altering the course of progression of this disorder. BoNT is used for hyperhidrosis and gustatory sweating syndrome, alleviation of pain, as a treatment for overactive bladder, achalasia and anal fissure; and it has gained popularity as a cosmetic aid. Many other possible uses are being explored. The greatest potential for BoNT may lie in its being a molecular Trojan Horse - able to carry a specific enzyme or specific drug to the inside of a cancer or other type of cell while bypassing other cells and thereby having little or no ill effect. BoNTs pharmaceutical potential is boundless.

Date: 2021-06-02 Level: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, 15 hp Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Alkhayyat Abdulmoaz (97/01/01), Stita Ayham (93/06/18) Title: Consumer Behavior towards green cosmetic products Tutor: Michela Cozza Keywords: Green products, purchase intention, eco-awareness, green cosmetic products, consumer behavior Research question: What are the factors influencing consumer purchasing choices when choosing green cosmetic products over synthetic cosmetic products? Purpose: To study the consumer behavior towards green products by analyzing the attitudes of customers choosing to purchase organic cosmetics and to further investigate the factors that affect their purchasing behavior. Method: This research followed a quantitative approach with a deductive reasoning, done by conducting a survey to collect primary data and interpret the results in order to reach a reasonable conclusion. Conclusion: It was found that green cosmetic products are important in reaching the various needs of customers as consent remaining environmentally friendly and sustainable is concerned. There are possible factors that impact consumer behavior, such as the social influences and eco-awareness, causing a change in buying behavior and attitudes.

This study explored whether women who have breast augmentation are more vulnerable to negative stereotypes about their intelligence and abilities than women who do not elect to have breast augmentation. Furthermore, whether the motivation for seeking such surgery contributes to stereotypes was also explored. Participants in this study read experimentally manipulated biographies of a fictitious female author, followed by her short story. The only manipulation was one line in the author's biography which varied the reason for the plastic surgery across 4 conditions (for herself, for her significant other, for medical reconstructive reasons, or no surgery). The participants were asked to read and evaluate the author and her work. The results of this study suggest that women who elect to have plastic surgery for herself or her husband are perceived as being less deep. The results also suggest that women who have previously elected to have plastic surgery judged the authors' fictional work more critically when she had plastic surgery for herself or for her husband.

[pt] Os surfactantes derivados de aminoácidos são moléculas que apresentam interesse tanto acadêmico quanto industrial por apresentarem características como baixa toxicidade e alta biodegradabilidade. Dentro dessa classe destaca-se o N-Lauril Sarcosinato de Sódio que vem sendo cada vez mais utilizado para substituir surfactantes aniônicos, como o dodecil sulfato de sódio, principalmente na área de cosméticos. Entretanto, estudos sobre seu comportamento de fases ainda são escassos, principalmente envolvendo a sua interação com outras moléculas, como o caso dos polímeros. Polímeros e surfactantes são utilizados juntos em diversos processos industriais, e conhecer o resultado de suas interações é de extrema importância para controlar as propriedades da mistura, já que se diferem totalmente das propriedades individuais de seus componentes. Neste trabalho, realizou-se o estudo das estruturas e termodinâmica de autoassociação de sistemas contendo o N-Lauril Sarcosinato de Sódio (LS) e polímeros com diferentes naturezas químicas: (PEG), (PSS), (PAA) e (PDADMAC). utilizando-se as técnicas de calorimetria, tensiometria, titulação calorimétrica isotérmica (ITC), espalhamento de luz dinâmico (DLS) e de raios X a baixos ângulos (SAXS). Os resultados mostraram que a micelização do LS ocorre na faixa de 10 a 14,6 nm a 298 K, tendo seu valor dependente da sensibilidade da técnica utilizada para sua determinação. A caracterização da estrutura das micelas em água indicou que elas possuem formato elipsoide e se alongam com o aumento da concentração, mas são muito dependentes do pH do meio. Além disso, este surfactante não apresentou formação de fases líquido-cristalinas na faixa de concentração estudada. Os polímeros PEG e PSS não afetam significativamente a termodinâmica de micelização do LS. Enquanto o PEG não apresentou indícios de interação alguma com LS, o PSS pode atuar como um sal levando ao crescimento unidimensional das micelas. O PAA pode ou não interagir fortemente com o LS dependendo do pH da solução, e inclusive induzir a formação de agregados em concentrações inferiores à concentração micelar crítica (CMC). Já o PDAMAC, que apresenta carga oposta ao LS, apresenta uma forte atração eletrostática com o surfactante, levando à separação de fases, em concentrações muito menores do que a CMC. O precipitado formado apresentou a mesma estrutura encontrada para altas concentrações de surfactante puro. Este estudo mostra como a natureza química de diferentes polímeros – neutro, aniônico e catiônico – influencia nas interações com o N-Lauril Sarcosinato de Sódio e, consequentemente, nos seus processos de micelização e estruturas de autoassociação. Portanto, permite uma melhor previsão e maior controle das propriedades de formulações em que se deseja combinar polímeros e surfactantes. / [en] Surfactants derived from amino acids are molecules that exhibit a great interest in academic and industrial research, as they present characteristics such as low toxicity and high biodegradability. Within this class, N-Lauryl Sarcosinate stands out as an anionic surfactant whose application has been increasingly used to replace other anionic surfactants, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, mainly in cosmetics. However, studies on its behavior are still scarce, mainly involving its interaction with other molecules, such as polymers. Polymers and surfactants are used together in several industrial processes and, knowing the result of their interactions is extremely important to control the properties of the mixture since they totally differ from the individual properties of its components. In this work, the study of the structures and thermodynamics of self-assembly of systems containing N-Lauryl Sarcosinate (LS) and polymers with different chemical nature: (PEG), (PSS), (PAA) and (PDADMAC) was performed using the techniques of calorimetry, tensiometry, isothermal calorimetric titration (ITC), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS).The results showed that the micellization of the LS occurs in the range from 10 to 14.6 nm to 298 K, with its value being dependent on the sensitivity of the technique used for its determination. The characterization of the micelle structure in water indicated that they have an ellipsoid shape and elongate with increasing concentration, but are very dependent on the pH of the medium. Also, this surfactant showed no signs of liquid-crystalline phases formation in the studied concentration range. The polymers PEG and PSS do not significantly affect the LS micellization thermodynamics. While PEG showed no evidence of any interaction with LS, PSS can act as a salt leading to the unidimensional growth of micelles. PAA may or may not interact strongly with LS depending on the solution s pH, and even induce the formation of aggregates at concentrations below the critical micellar concentration (CMC). PDADMAC, which has a charge opposite to LS, has a strong electrostatic attraction with the surfactant, leading to phase separation, in much lower concentrations than CMC. The precipitate formed had the same structure found for high concentrations of pure surfactant. This study shows how the chemical nature of different polymers - neutral, anionic, and cationic - influences interactions with N-Lauryl Sarcosinate and, consequently, in their micellization processes and self-assembly structures. Therefore, it allows a better forecast and greater control of formulations properties in which it is desired to combine polymers and surfactants.

This study examined the effects of viewing sexually explicit media on men's body image, body change behaviors, and esteem in a randomized experimental study. The purpose was to determine if a cause and effect relationship exists between viewing sexually explicit media and body image dissatisfaction in men. Participants were randomized to one of four conditions. They were asked to view a short media clip and then answer a series of questionnaires assessing their current body change strategies (e.g., pathogenic weight control practices), interest in risky body behaviors (e.g., cosmetic surgery), esteem (i.e., genital, sexual, and self-esteem), and overall body image satisfaction. It was hypothesized that men exposed to the sexually explicit media condition would evidence more dissatisfaction with their bodies, utilize more body change strategies, and have more interest in risky body change behaviors. It was also hypothesized that men exposed to the sexually explicit condition would evidence poorer self-esteem, sexual esteem, and genital esteem relative to participants in the other conditions. The hypotheses were not supported. There were no significant differences among any of the conditions, including a more specific analysis between the control and sexually explicit conditions. As this differs from findings of similar studies with female participants, it is important for future studies to further examine this topic and to identify protective factors that may exist for men who view sexually explicit materials.

Communication research has begun to assess the unique relationship between social comparison, social media, and body image (Lewallen & Behm-Morawitz, 2016), yet little research has been done to assess the unique connection between body dissatisfaction, social media filters, and cosmetic surgery (Beos et al., 2021). Studies have found that viewing edited body images on Instagram positively correlates with decreased body satisfaction and behaviors of body objectification (Tiggemann, & Barbato, 2018). This study used a series of scales to measure individuals' media exposure (MTUAS: Rosen et al., 2013) body area satisfaction (BASS; Brown et al., 1990), facial region satisfaction (FRSS; Guthrie et al., 2008), cosmetic surgery normative beliefs (ACSS; Henderson-King & Henderson-King, 2005), and Instagram appearance comparison (IACS; Di Gesto et al., 2020) in conjunction with eye-tracking, and social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954). Measures were used to assess characteristics in visual processing behavior among women at differing levels of IACS, BASS, FRSS, and ACSS, and if media exposure and Instagram comparison tendencies are connected to body area satisfaction and cosmetic surgery normative beliefs. A sample of 120 females 18 years of age and older who use social media completed the scales two weeks before being eye-tracked where they viewed three images of a female's face with and without makeup and one that had been digitally enhanced. Results revealed that media exposure was not connected to cosmetic surgery normative beliefs and that Instagram comparison tendencies were not linked to cosmetic surgery normative beliefs with visual attention, yet a positive trend was observed in that direction. Implications for social comparison theory and recommendations for future research relating to facial beauty filters are discussed.

[pt] O Sol é essencial para a vida na Terra e traz muitos benefícios ao homem, porém a sua incidência em excesso pode causar alguns distúrbios e doenças. A radiação solar afeta a pele, causando aumento do risco de câncer cutâneo, fotoenvelhecimento e exacerbação de dermatoses fotossensíveis. Para prevenir essas patologias, uma das opções é o uso de fotoprotetores, que geralmente são emulsões para uso tópico contendo filtros de radiação UV. Eles representam uma fatia importante do mercado de cosméticos e vêm se mostrando um segmento comercialmente promissor, além de ser um nicho relevante dentro da ciência cosmética para pesquisas e desenvolvimento tecnológico. A formulação de emulsões de fotoprotetores é complexa e pode envolver vários ingredientes como filtros orgânicos, filtros inorgânicos, emolientes, emulsionantes, umectantes, água e ainda conservantes, fragrâncias, ativos de tratamento, anti-oxidantes ou corantes, sendo cada um deles adicionado ou na fase aquosa ou na fase oleosa, a depender de sua polaridade. Dentre as substâncias que compõem a fase oleosa deste tipo de emulsão, podem-se destacar os emolientes e os filtros orgânicos. Diferentes classes de emolientes resultam em modificações físicoquímicas e sensoriais dos cosméticos, que são muito relevantes para uma boa aplicação. O objetivo deste projeto é estudar a influência de diferentes composições de fase oleosa, modificando-se os emolientes utilizados nas emulsões e comparando amostras com e sem filtros orgânicos, correlacionando as características dos emolientes com os resultados experimentais de caracterização das emulsões. Estas informações possibilitarão desenvolver estratégias para maior assertividade na escolha de emolientes a serem utilizados em emulsões para fotoproteção e controlar as propriedades do produto de acordo com as necessidades do consumidor e demandas de marketing das empresas cosméticas. A metodologia consiste em preparar duas versões de conjuntos de formulações, fixando-se o tipo e concentração de emulsionante e co-emulsionante, a concentração de fase oleosa e o método de preparação. A primeira versão é um conjunto de 7 amostras, em que se modifica a composição da fase oleosa alterando o emoliente utilizado. Já a segunda versão é outro conjunto de 7 amostras, porém com a adição de uma mistura de 3 filtros orgânicos comumente utilizados em fotoproteção. Após o preparo das amostras, são feitos testes de estabilidade e caracterização das propriedades físico-químicas através de análise visual, centrifugação, reologia, microscopia e difração de laser. Os resultados da caracterização indicam que a alteração da composição da fase oleosa por utilização de diferentes emolientes modifica o comportamento da emulsão formada. Foram encontrados diferentes perfis de distribuição de tamanhos de gota nas análises de microscopia e difração de laser, assim como diferenças nas curvas de fluxo, viscosidade e módulos de perda e armazenamento nas análises reológicas. A estabilidade preliminar também aponta que há dependência do emoliente utilizado com o tempo em que a emulsão permanece estável. Após a adição da mistura de filtros orgânicos, ocorrem mais alterações nas características das emulsões e as tendências de estabilidade são alteradas devido às interações entre os filtros orgânicos e os emolientes. Logo, o estudo permite maior previsibilidade e controle das propriedades de formulações de emulsões com ou sem filtros orgânicos. / [en] The Sun is essential for life on Earth and brings many benefits to the human beings, but its incidence in excess can cause some disorders and diseases. Solar radiation affects the skin, causing an increased risk of skin cancer, photoaging and exacerbation of photosensitive dermatoses. To prevent these pathologies, one of the options is the use of sunscreens, which are usually emulsions for topical use containing UV filters. They represent an important part of the cosmetics market and have shown to be a commercially promising segment, in addition to being a relevant niche within cosmetic science for research and technological development. The formulation of sunscreen emulsions is complex and may involve several ingredients such as organic filters, inorganic filters, emollients, emulsifiers, humectants, water and even preservatives, fragrances, treatment actives, anti-oxidants or dyes, each one being added or in the aqueous phase or in the oil phase, depending on its polarity. Among the substances comprising the oily phase of this type of emulsion, emollients and organic filters can be highlighted. Different classes of emollients result in changes of physicochemical and sensorial properties of cosmetics, which are very relevant for a good application. The objective of this project is to study the influence of different compositions of the oil phase, modifying the emollients used in the emulsions and comparing samples with and without organic filters, correlating the characteristics of the emollients with the experimental results of emulsion characterization. This information will allow developing strategies for greater assertiveness in the choice of emollients to be used in sunscreen emulsions and to control the properties of the product according to consumer needs and marketing demands of cosmetic companies. The methodology consists of preparing two versions of sets of formulas, fixing the type and concentration of emulsifier and co-emulsifier, the concentration of the oil phase and the method of preparation. The first version is a set of 7 samples, in which the composition of the oil phase is modified by changing the emollient used. The second version is another set of 7 samples, but with the addition of a mixture of 3 organic filters commonly used in sunscreens. After preparing the samples, stability tests and characterization of the physicochemical properties are performed through visual analysis, centrifugation, rheology, microscopy and laser diffraction. The characterization results indicate that changing the composition of the oil phase by using different emollients modifies the behavior of the emulsion formed. Different droplet size distribution profiles were found in laser diffraction analyses, as well as differences in flow curves, viscosity and loss and storage modulus in rheological analyses. Preliminary stability also indicates that the emollient used depends on the time the emulsion remains stable. After the addition of the mixture of organic filters, more changes in the emulsion properties and trends of stability occur. Therefore, the study allows greater predictability and control of the properties of emulsion formulations with or without organic filters.

Purpose - The purpose of this thesis is to explain the impacts of attitude, subjective normsand perceived behavioral control on Swedish consumers' intentions to purchase greencosmetics.Methodology - This thesis utilizes a multiple regression analysis based on an onlineself-completion questionnaire with respondents inside the sampling frame of SwedishMillennials and generation z consumers.Results - This thesis provides an understanding that Attitude, Subjective Norm and Perceivedbehavioral control can positively impact green cosmetic purchase intention.Originality / value - Testing the model of TPB as previously applied in green cosmeticconsumption research, in a greener highly competitive growing market of Swedish personalcare products.

All-trans-retinol (vitamin A) används ofta som en aktiv ingrediens i kosmetiska produkter på grund av dess kliniskt validerade anti-age-egenskaper. Däremot är användningen av all-trans-retinol i kosmetiska formuleringar begränsad till följd av den kemiska stabiliteten av all-trans-retinol som påverkas av värme, syre, ljus och syror. Både kompositionen av en kosmetisk formulering, samt lagringsförhållanden och förpackningen av produkten, kan påverka nedbrytningen av all-trans-retinol till mindre aktiva former.  I denna studie har stabilitetstestning genomförts under två månader i syfte att utvärdera inverkan som lagringstemperatur (21°C och 5°C) och produktförpackning (en luftfri behållare och en burk) kan ha på nedbrytningen av all-trans-retinol i en experimentell oljegel. All-trans-retinol extraherades med metanol innehållande 0.5 mg/mL butylhydroxytoluen (BHT) och analyserades med reversed-phase HPLC med 1% ammoniumacetat och metanol (12:88, v/v) som mobilfas. I HPLC-kromatogrammen upptäcktes en okänd nedbrytningsprodukt, vilket möjliggjorde stabilitetstestning av all-trans¬-retinol genom att undersöka förändringar i förhållandet mellan nedbrytningsprodukten och all-trans-retinol. Stabilitetstestningen av de experimentella oljegelerna resulterade i mindre än 4% nedbrytningsprodukt i förhållande till mängden all-trans-retinol efter 56 dagars lagring, oberoende av produktförpackning och lagringstemperatur, med den förslagna analysmetoden. Studien visade också att instabiliteten hos extraherad all-trans-retinol har en dominerande inverkan på resultaten som kan leda till en överskattning av nedbrytningsprodukten på grund av temperaturen under beredning och lagring av förberedda prover. Dessutom utvärderades stabiliteten av all-trans-retinol i metanol och metanol innehållande 0,5 mg/ml butylhydroxytoluen (BHT). Upp till 6% nedbrytning av all-trans-retinol i metanol med BHT kan förväntas om beredda proverna lagras i rumstemperatur, medan mindre än 1% nedbrytningsprodukt detekterades i prover som bevaras kylda under analysen. Av denna anledning har det föreslagits att förhållandena vid beredning, hantering och lagring av extraherad all-trans-retinol bör kontrolleras för att förhindra inverkan från omgivningen, såsom temperatur, ljus och syre. / All-trans-retinol, or vitamin A, is frequently used as an active ingredient in cosmetic products because of its clinically validated anti-aging properties. The use of all-trans-retinol in cosmetic formulations is limited by its susceptibility to heat, oxygen, light, and acids. In a cosmetic product, the composition, as well as the storage conditions and the type of packaging, may influence the degradation of all-trans-retinol into less active forms.  In this study, long-term stability testing was conducted with the purpose to evaluate the effect that storage temperature (21°C and 5°C) and product packaging (an airless container and a jar) may have on the degradation of all-trans-retinol in an experimental oil-gel during a 2-months period. All-trans-retinol was extracted with methanol containing 0.5 mg/mL butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) and was analysed with a reversed-phase HPLC system, using 1% ammonium acetate and methanol (12:88) as the solvent system. The HPLC chromatograms revealed an unknown degradation product, allowing stability testing of all-trans-retinol by detecting variations in the ratio between the degradation product and all-trans-retinol. The stability testing of the experimental oil-gels resulted in less than 4% degradation product in relation to all-trans-retinol after 56 days of storage, independent of the product packaging and storage temperature, with the proposed analytical method. It was also shown that the instability of extracted all-trans-retinol will have a predominant impact on the results causing an overestimation of the degradation product because of the temperature during sample preparation and storage. In addition, the stability of all-trans-retinol in methanol and methanol containing 0.5 mg/mL butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) was evaluated. It was concluded that up to 6% degradation of all-trans-retinol in methanol with BHT can be expected if prepared samples are stored in room temperature, while less than 1% degradation product will be present if prepared samples are kept cold during analysis. It has been proposed that the conditions during preparation, handling, and storage of extracted all-trans-retinol should be controlled to prevent interference of external conditions, such as temperature, light, and oxygen.

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