The present invention concerns lyophilized native collagen sheets containing cosmetic formulations useful for the treatment of a skin aesthetic problem known as couperose. Couperose is a reddening condition of the face skin due to impaired venous cutaneous microcirculation. The conventional cosmetic treatments of couperose, even though functional, do not give results comparable to those obtained with the topical administration of specific substances lyophilized in the form of a sheet together with the native collagen.

The use of lyophilized native collagen is very common in cosmetics for the treatment of wrinkles, stretch marks or other aesthetic problems of the skin. It has now been found, and it is the object of the present invention, that lyophilized native collagen sheets containing special active ingredients can be advantageously used for the treatment of couperose. The active ingredients that can be used according to the present invention preferably include horse-chestnut extracts, goldenseal extracts, rutine, hirudine, ascorbic acid. However, other active principles of natural or synthetic origin can be used, endowed with properties equivalent or similar to those, of the mentioned substances, or having anyhow an activity which is considered useful for the treatment of couperose.

Horse-chestnut and goldenseal extracts are known

for their anti-essudative and anti-oedematous properties. Rutine is known for its anti-spasmodic and capillary-protecting activity. Hirudine, the anti¬ coagulant principle of leech's saliva (Hirudo edicinalis) exerts a regenerative and tonic action on the capillary walls, and it is endowed with anti- inflammatory properties. Nicotinamide is an essential element in many cellular processes, whereas ascorbic acid is known for its anti-oxidizing and anti-free radical properties. Finally, aescine is the active ingredient of horse-chestnut extract and it is known for its anti-oedematous and capillary-protective properties.

According to the invention, these substances will be used, preferably but not necessarily, in combination, in order to reach a special effectiveness of cosmetic treatment. The collagen sheet according to the invention can be obtained according to conventional techniques, by lyophilizing native collagen in the presence of said substances.

Native collagen sheets and their preparation are described in US 4412947, EP 0284789, FR 2328786.

The collagen sheets of the present invention can contain from about 0.1% to 20% in weight of the above mentioned substances; the collagen sheets will preferably contain from 0.1 to 5% of horse-chestnut of goldenseal extract, from 0.1 to 2% of rutine; from 1 to 10% of hirudine; from 0.1 to 3% of nicotinamide; from 0.1 to 5% of ascorbic acid; from 0.1 to 5% of aescine. More preferably, the collagen sheets according to the invention will contain from 1 to 3% of horse-chestnut

and goldenseal extract; from 0.2 to 1% of rutine; from 0.5 to 1.5% of aescine; from 0.5 to 2% of nicotinamide; from 1 to 3% of hirudine; from 0.5 to 2% of ascorbic acid. 5 The collagen sheets according to the invention, when applied daily in the form of a mask, or on alternate day for 10-15 consecutive days, allow a specific and functional treatment of couperose, allowing individual and objective results definitely

10 better than conventional treatments. A quantitative composition of a collagen sheet according to the present invention is reported hereinbelow by way of example.

EXAMPLE

15 Formulation native collagen collagen support hirudine polypeptides ascorbic acid

20 horse-chestnut glycole extract goldenseal fluid extract (ED = 1.25:1) rutine aescine

25 nicotinamide

Carrier

30 100.00