PURPOSE: A humectant for human skin is produced by the residue which is obtained by inoculating lactobacillus in a culture medium mainly composed of an alkaline cow milk treated with protease, culturing the bacterium and removing inactive substance from the culture mixture, thus being used by adding to cosmetics.
CONSTITUTION: Cow milk is adjusted in pH to 8W10 and treated with protease and the product is used as a culture medium. Preferably, saccharides promoting the propagation of lactobacillus such as glucose or sucrose and other substances are added thereto and lactobacillus is inoculated and cultured. The culture mixture is centrifuged to remove the precipitate which is almost composed of cell bodies and collect the clear supernatant. When the resultant humectant is used in cosmetics, ointments or other forms, the content is preferably 0.05W1wt% in the solid base.
HIRAKI YOSHIO
SUZUKI HIROO
