Fiflow®
Fiflow® products are anti-age, anti-cellulite and skin care actives. Due to their molecular weights and solubility, the Fiflow® products are able to penetrate the stratum corneum and move further into the epidermis and dermis. Their activity is based on the materials’ gas carrying capacity, omniphobicity and di-electricity.
Technical information
Fiflow® products are fully fluorinated Perfluorocarbons, which have a capacity to carry gases, notably Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide. Normally they contain air but they can be enriched with other gases. The most important gas for cosmetic applications is Oxygen.
The Fiflows® consist of di-electric materials and for this reason they are able to hinder the nerve impulses, which induce muscle contractions. Due to this di-electric property, Fiflows® are able to relax superficial muscles and therefore produce similar effects as Botox.
The physical structure of Fiflows® is such that there is always gases entrapped inside their molecular structure. These gases are released according to the laws of diffusion. Carbon Dioxide is more soluble in the Fiflows® than Oxygen so when Carbon Dioxide is present in the skin, it will automatically be taken up by the Fiflows® and the Oxygen from the Fiflows® will be released.
Fiflows® can function as a dermal fillers due to their hydrophobic and lipophobic nature, which results in the agglomeration of the material to minimize the contact they have with the waters and the lipids in the skin. This will result in a wrinkle filling effect.
Properties and application areas
Fiflow® products are inert materials. They are not oil soluble or water-soluble, and in emulsions they will enter into the interphase of oil and water phases creating a third phase. They can be used in other types of formulations as well, but as they are high-density liquids, they require a high enough viscosity to avoid the separation of the Fiflow® from the rest of the formulation. If Fiflows® separates, they do remix instantaneously by shaking or stirring.
Fiflow® products are volatile, but they are safe to use as Perflurocarbons have no flash point. They are fully inert and they do not interfere with any other cosmetic raw materials. Due to their high volatility, they must be added by very strong stirring into formulations in the end, after emulsification, when the emulsion has been cooled down to the room temperature or even cooler. There might appear bubbles in formulations with Fiflow®, as it always carries gases. This is a normal phenomena and it is not harmful to emulsion stability.
Fiflows®, which are enriched with gases are formulated in a similar way as the products without gas loading. The gas loading can be done just before formulating, or we can offer ready loaded Fiflows®, as well.
Products with Fiflows® always need to be packaged in airless pumps to avoid the diffusion of gases and to prevent the Fiflows® from evaporating.