Wounds affect skin integrity and can result in the imperfect, although normal, end point of tissue repair, namely, skin scarring. Scars can range from a fine line to a variety of abnormal scars, including hypertrophic and keloid scars and are mainly composed of collagen tissue. Collagen tissue is tough and difficult to enter, thus blocking access to the body’s fibroblast cells, which are used for tissue remodelling and recycling — leaving visible scar tissue.

Pracaxi oil, derived from the seeds of the Pentaclethra macroloba tree indigenous to the Amazon, has several medicinal applications including the treatment of ulcers, stretch marks, bacterial infections, and snake bites. Pracaxi oil contains high amounts of oleic, linoleic, and behenic fatty acids, which are frequently utilized in the cosmetic industry and have been shown to enhance wound closure and improve healing in several wound models. Fatty acids are integral to the formation and maintenance of cell membranes within the stratum corneum, the layer of the skin that provides a barrier to the environment and regulates permeability. In addition, fatty acids have lubricant, emollient, and anti-inflammatory properties, which help to restore the natural oils of the skin and protect the skin from environmental damage. The enhanced permeation of the skin also allows the body’s fibroblast skin cells to penetrate the scar more deeply and recycle scar collagen, the main component of scars.

Our over-the-counter ScarFix cream is a topical anhydrous silicone base that can be used alone or with various medications. Application of an anhydrous silicone base containing Pracaxi oil alone or in combination with other active substances has been shown to produce considerable improvements in wound healing and scar attributes and is a potentially useful option in the treatment of surgical, traumatic, or burn wounds and scars.

Some additional medicinal ingredients which can be added to ScarFix with a prescription also include:

-Tranilast, which helps to stop collagen synthesis (rapidly produced dense collagen are the key component of injury scars)
-Caffeine, which helps to increase blood flow to the scar injury area.
-Aloe, which can produce a cooling and soothing sensation to the area.
-Verapamil, which can block Calcium, the key nutrient used by fibroblasts which produce collagen in scars, thus also increasing comparative concentration of collagenase, the enzyme that breaks down collagen.
-Sodium Hyaluronate, which helps fibroblast cell migration (cell responsible for collagen synthesis)

Application to the scar twice a day yields superior results. Time for noticeable difference depends on age and depth of scar tissue.

If you’ve suffered any type of burn and are searching for scar reduction and collagen restoration, we offer several over-the-counter remedies. Our custom burn relief compounds can be used for temporary coverage of partial thickness burns, and offer pain reduction, faster healing, and better scar appearances. The gel base of our burn compounds are derived from organic meadowsweet extract (an antibacterial), and easy to work with in burn cleansing and debridement. The compounds are adherent, and provide occlusion to maintain a moist environment at the wound/dressing interface — further facilitating the healing process.

For further information please refer to the following studies: