Effects of Polyvinyl Alcohol and Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Combination on Physical Stability and Irritability of Gluthathione Peel-Off Masks

Glutathione is an antioxidant composed of cysteine containing-SH functional groups. Its concentration decreases with age, causing aging symptoms. Gluthathione has hydrophilic properties with a log P of-1.4, which requires a reverse micelle system by adding surfactants such as Tween 80 and Span 80 to adjusts the log P to 2-3 to aid the penetration of stratum corneum for dermal delivery. Anti-aging strategies involve cosmetics including peel-off masks, which require effective polymer for ease of application. This study combines polyvinyl alcohol (15,16,17%) and hidroxypropyl methylcellulose (3,4,5%) to create a suitable gel base for glutathione peel-off masks. This research aims to determine the influence of the PVA and HPMC combination as a base for glutathione peel-off masks in terms of real-time physical stability and irritation effects using the HET-CAM method. The glutathione preparation utilized the reverse micelle method, followed by the formulation of the peel-off mask with a base comprising an equivalent of 2% reverse micelle glutathione. The quality of the combination was assessed for stability, including organoleptic properties, pH, viscosity, spreading ability, and drying time. The HET-CAM irritation score was utilized for irritation testing. This study found that the concentration of gelling agents PVA and HPMC affects the physical stability (organoleptic, pH, drying time, spreading ability, and viscosity) of the glutathione peel-off mask. Additionally, the HET-CAM irritation test demonstrates that all three dosage forms (F1, F2, and F3) exhibit non-irritating characteristics, with scores within the non-irritating range of 0.0 to 0.