Patent and Anti-wrinkle Cosmetics

In the 21st century, the development of cosmetics is led to pursue the high functionality of cosmetics with excellent effectiveness and safety. As Cosmetic Act took effect in 2000, functional cosmetics is provided in the law. As a result, the research and development of functional cosmetics has continually increased, and the number of patent applications in functional cosmetics has also rapidly increased as a plan for preoccupying in the functional cosmetics age. Now, the cosmetic industry has a great interest in developing anti-wrinkle cosmetics among functional cosmetics, because women's desire for having young resilient skin has increased since Korea entered an aging society thanks to the advanced medical technology. The patent application trends of anti-wrinkle cosmetics at home since 2000 particularly show the rapid increase in the applications in natural plant extracts. It may be because Korean consumers preference of vegetable cosmetics has resulted in the development of raw materials based on the traditional medicine. As for the existing preparation such as Retinoid or Ascorbic acid, the patent application itself will be an essential technical element in the future because patent applications are filed in the field of a preparation of cosmetics for stabilizing ingredients, reducing skin irritability or promoting absorbance, and in the field of cosmetic formulation technology. As there are many studies on the causes of skin wrinkles, it is expected that new raw materials of cosmetics can be developed due to new mechanisms, and that the number of patent applications in new technologies will increase due to a change in the thought of cosmetics accompanied by the integration of cosmetics with biotechnology using Genetic Engineering, including the practical application of the medicine previously used far treating skin diseases to an anti-wrinkle agent and the mass production of active ingredients of cosmetics.