The Germany-headquartered company, which traditionally specialised in delivery systems, launched an active ingredients line in April this year called Cellular Actives.
ProContour which the company claims fights the signs of cellulite is the second addition to the actives portfolio and follows the anti-ageing ingredient Aquafill.
Rovi’s business development manager Sarah Teichmüller told CosmeticsDesign how the ingredient works on the adipocyte (fat cell) to break down the fat stored within it.
ProContour stimulates the activation of the enzyme adenylate cyclase on the adipocyte membrane, she explained. This enzyme sets off a cascade of events which concludes by stimulating a second enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase (HSL).
It is the HSL that converts the fat, stored in the adipocyte as triglycerides, into glycerol and free fatty acids which can then be transported to other parts of the body, she explained.
In addition to stimulating the breakdown of the fat, ProContour also binds to the glycerol and fatty acids making them easier to transport to other cells.
This means there is less fat stored in the hypodermis (the lower skin layer) and therefore less fat available to migrate into the dermis causing cellulite, she said.
Liposome delivery system
Rovi’s knowledge in the delivery department has also been implicated in the development of the new ingredient as it is packaged in liposomes specifically designed to penetrate deep into the lower layers of the skin.
The liposomes in ProContour have one lipid bilayer which makes them smaller, and are composed of free fatty acids which gives a flexible membrane easing deeper skin penetration, she explained.
“The penetration of a slimming active is crucial as the active has to reach the hypodermis where the fat cells are located,” Teichmüller said.
When Rovi launched the actives line in April, Teichmüller told CosmeticsDesign that the company’s expertise in delivery systems would certainly benefit the creation of the active ingredients but that it would remain strictly in the background.
“With Cellular Actives we want to show our competence in the active ingredients field,” she said.