Polymers can keep you smelling fresh as the summer heats up

Researchers at L’Oreal and the Compiègne University of Technology have incorporated molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) into a cosmetic product to help fight body odours

The culprits behind body odours are certain skin bacteria. These transform some of the secreted, odourless chemicals of sweat into molecules that smell, reported Scientific American.

MIPs, dubbed ‘plastic antibodies’, are synthetic antibody mimics capable of specific molecular recognition, such as the molecules that make sweat smell, according to the ‘Plastic Antibodies for Cosmetics: Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Scavenge Precursors of Malodors’ report produced by the researchers.

The report said that MIPs are more stable, easy to tailor for a given application and less expensive than antibodies.

In a dermo-cosmetic formulation, the MIPs are able to selectively capture the precursors of foul-smelling compounds, amidst a multitude of other molecules present in human sweat, according to the report.

Karsten Haupt, a researcher from the Compiègne University of Technology, said to American Scientific: “What is remarkable is the selectivity of the MIP towards the target molecules, despite the presence of a multitude of other molecules in human sweat.

“By trapping the precursors of malodours in the MIP, these are inaccessible for hydrolysis by enzymes in the skin bacteria and thus odorous molecules will not be formed.”

He continued: “This is the first application of MIPs as the active principle in a cosmetic product.”

These results pave the way to the fabrication of a novel generation of MIPs that should be applicable to biotechnological and biomedical areas as well, according to the report.