the prophylaxis or the cosmetic or dermatological treatment with aminoguanidine and / or derivatives and structural analogs thereof or with the cosmetic or topical dermatological preparations with an effective content of aminoguanidine and / or derivatives and structural analogs thereof takes place in the usual manner , namely by applying aminoguanidine and / or derivatives and structural analogs thereof or the cosmetic or topical dermatological preparations with an effective content of aminoguanidine and / or derivatives and structural analogs thereof to the affected areas of skin . it is a colorless substance which is soluble in water and alcohol , and insoluble in ether . aminoguanidine forms salts with many acids . it can react as hydrazine , guanidine and formamidine derivatives and can often be converted directly to heterocycles and is used essentially in the form of its sulfate and its hydrogencarbonate . aminoguanidine and / or derivatives and structural analogs thereof can advantageously be incorporated into customary cosmetic and dermatological preparations , which can exist in various forms . they can , for example , be a solution , an emulsion of the water - in - oil ( w / o ) type or of the oil - in - water ( o / w ) type , or a multiple emulsion , for example of the water - in - oil - in - water ( w / o / w ) type or oil - in - water - in - oil ( o / w / o ) type , a hydrodispersion or lipodispersion , a gel , a solid stick or an aerosol . for the purposes of the present invention , emulsions according to the invention in the form , for example , of a cream , a lotion or a cosmetic milk , are advantageous and contain , for example , fats , oils , waxes and / or other fatty substances , and water and one or more emulsifiers as are customarily used for this type of formulation . for the purposes of the present invention , it is also possible and advantageous to add aminoguanidine and / or derivatives and structural analogs thereof to aqueous systems or surfactant preparations for the cleansing of the skin and the hair . the person skilled in the art is of course aware that high - quality cosmetic compositions are in most cases inconceivable without the customary auxiliaries and additives . these include , for example , bodying agents , fillers , perfume , dyes , emulsifiers , additional active ingredients such as vitamins or proteins , light protection agents , stabilizers , insect repellents , alcohol , water , salts , antimicrobial , proteolytic or keratolytic substances , etc . corresponding requirements as to the formulation of medicinal formulations apply mutatis mutandis . for the purposes of the present invention , medicinal topical compositions generally contain one or more active ingredients in an effective concentration . for the sake of simplicity , in order to distinguish clearly between cosmetic and medicinal use and corresponding products , reference is made to the legal provisions in the federal republic of germany ( for example cosmetics regulation , foods and medicaments act ). it is also advantageous to add the active ingredient used according to the invention as additive to formulations which already contain other active ingredients for other purposes . accordingly , for the purposes of the present invention , cosmetic or topical dermatological compositions can , depending on their composition , be used for example as skin - protection cream , cleansing milk , sunscreen lotion , nutrient cream , day or night cream etc . in some instances , it is possible and advantageous to use the compositions according to the invention as a base for pharmaceutical formulations . in some instances , those cosmetic and dermatological formulations which exist in the form of a sunscreen are also favourable . in addition to aminoguanidine and / or derivatives and structural analogs thereof , these also preferably contain at least one uva filter substance and / or at least one uvb filter substance and / or at least one inorganic pigment . however , it is also advantageous for the purposes of the present invention to provide cosmetic and dermatological preparations whose main purpose is not protection against sunlight , but which nevertheless still comprise a content of uv protection substances . thus , for example , uv - a and uv - b filter substances are usually incorporated into day creams . preparations according to the invention can advantageously comprise substances which absorb uv radiation in the uvb region , the total amount of filter substances for example being from 0 . 1 % by weight to 30 % by weight , preferably from 0 . 5 to 10 % by weight , in particular from 1 to 6 % by weight , based on the total weight of the preparations . the uvb filters can be oil - soluble or water - soluble . examples of oil - soluble substances are : 2 - phenylbenzimidazole - 5 - sulfonic acid and salts thereof , for example sodium , potassium or triethanolammonium salts , sulfonic acid derivatives of benzophenones , preferably 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxybenzophenone - 5 - sulfonic acid and its salts ; and sulfonic acid derivatives of 3 - benzylidenecamphor , such as , for example , 4 -( 2 - oxo - 3 - bornylidenemethyl ) benzenesulfonic acid , 2 - methyl - 5 -( 2 - oxo - 3 - bornylidenemethyl ) sulfonic acid and its salts . the list of given uvb filters which can be used according to the invention is of course not intended to be limiting . it can also be advantageous to use uva filters which are usually present in cosmetic and / or dermatological preparations in the preparations according to the invention . such filter substances are preferably derivatives of dibenzoylmethane , in particular 1 -( 4 ′- tert - butylphenyl )- 3 -( 4 ′- methoxyphenyl )- propane - 1 , 3 - dione and 1 - phenyl - 3 -( 4 ′- isopropylphenyl )- propane - 1 , 3 - dione . preparations which comprise these combinations also form part of the subject - matter of the invention . the same amounts of uva filter substances which were specified for uvb filter substances can be used . for the purposes of the present invention , cosmetic and / or dermatological preparations can also comprise inorganic pigments which are usually used in cosmetics for protecting the skin against uv radiation . these are oxides of titanium , zinc , iron , zirconium , silicon , manganese , aluminum , cerium and mixtures thereof , and modifications in which the oxides are the active agents . particular preference is given to pigments based on titanium dioxide . the quantities given for the above combinations can be used . the cosmetic and dermatological preparations according to the invention can comprise cosmetic active ingredients , auxiliaries and / or additives as are customarily used in such preparations , for example antioxidants , preservatives , bactericides , perfumes , antifoams , dyes , pigments which have a coloring effect , thickeners , surfactants , emulsifiers , emollients , moisturizers and / or humectants , fats , oils , waxes or other customary constituents of a cosmetic or dermatological formulation , such as alcohols , polyols , polymers , foam stabilizers , electrolytes , organic solvents or silicone derivatives . it is likewise advantageous to add conventional antioxidants to the preparations for the purposes of the present invention . according to the invention , favourable antioxidants can be any antioxidants which are customary or suitable for cosmetic and / or dermatological applications . the antioxidants are advantageously selected from the group consisting of amino acids ( for example glycine , histidine , tyrosine , tryptophan ) and derivatives thereof , imidazoles ( e . g . urocanic acid ) and derivatives thereof , peptides such as d , l - carnosine , d - carnosine , l - carnosine and derivatives thereof ( e . g . anserine ), carotenoids , carotenes ( e . g . α - carotene , βcarotene , lycopene ) and derivatives thereof , lipoic acid and derivatives thereof ( e . g . dihydrolipoic acid ), aurothioglucose , propylthiouracil and other thiols ( e . g . thioredoxin , glutathione , cysteine , cystine , cystamine and the glycosyl , n - acetyl , methyl , ethyl , propyl , amyl , butyl and lauryl , palmitoyl , oleyl , γ - linoleyl , cholesteryl and glyceryl esters thereof ) and salts thereof , dilauryl thiodipropionate , distearyl thiodipropionate , thiodipropionic acid and derivatives thereof ( esters , ethers , peptides , lipids , nucleotides , nucleosides and salts ) and sulfoximine compounds ( e . g . buthionine sulfoximines , homocysteine sulfoximine , buthionine sulfones , penta -, hexa -, heptathionine sulfoximine ) in very low tolerated doses ( e . g . pmol to μmol / kg ), also ( metal ) chelating agents ( e . g . α - hydroxy fatty acids , palmitic acid , phytic acid , lactoferrin ), α - hydroxy acids ( e . g . citric acid , lactic acid , malic acid ), humic acid , bile acid , bile extracts , bilirubin , biliverdin , edta , egta and derivatives thereof , unsaturated fatty acids and derivatives thereof ( e . g . γ - linolenic acid , linoleic acid , oleic acid ), folic acid and derivatives thereof , alaninediacetic acid , flavonoids , polyphenols , catechols , ubiquinone and ubiquinol and derivatives thereof , vitamin c and derivatives ( e . g . ascorbyl palmitate , mg ascorbyl phosphate , ascorbyl acetate ), tocopherols and derivatives ( e . g . vitamin e acetate ), and coniferyl benzoate of benzoin , rutinic acid and derivatives thereof , ferulic acid and derivatives thereof , butylhydroxytoluene , butylhydroxyanisole , nordihydroguaiac resin acid , nordihydroguaiaretic acid , trihydroxybutyrophenone , uric acid and derivatives thereof , mannose and derivatives thereof , zinc and derivatives thereof ( e . g . zno , znso 4 ), selenium and derivatives thereof ( e . g . selenomethionine ), stilbenes and derivatives thereof ( e . g . stilbene oxide , trans - stilbene oxide ) and the derivatives of said active ingredients which are suitable according to the invention ( salts , esters , ethers , sugars , nucleotides , nucleosides , peptides and lipids ). the amount of antioxidants ( one or more compounds ) in the preparations is preferably from 0 . 001 to 30 % by weight , particularly preferably 0 . 05 - 20 % by weight , in particular from 1 to 10 % by weight , based on the total weight of the formulation . if vitamin e and / or derivatives thereof are used as the antioxidant ( s ), it is advantageous to choose their respective concentrations from the range 0 . 001 - 10 % by weight , based on the total weight of the formulation . for the purposes of the present invention , if the cosmetic or dermatological formulation is a solution or emulsion or dispersion , the solvent used can be : oils , such as triglycerides of capric or caprylic acid , but preferably castor oil ; fats , waxes and other natural and synthetic fatty substances , preferably esters of fatty acids with alcohols of low carbon number , for example with isopropanol , propylene glycol or glycerol , or esters of fatty alcohols with alkanoic acids of low carbon number or with fatty acids ; and alcohols , diols or polyols of low carbon number , and ethers thereof , preferably ethanol , isopropanol , propylene glycol , glycerol , ethylene glycol , ethylene glycol monoethyl or monobutyl ether , propylene glycol monomethyl , monoethyl or monobutyl ether , diethylene glycol monomethyl or monoethyl ether and analogous products . in particular , mixtures of the aforementioned solvents are used . in the case of alcoholic solvents , water can be a further constituent . the oil phase of the emulsions , oleogels or hydrodispersions or lipodispersions for the purposes of the present invention is advantageously selected from the group of esters of saturated and / or unsaturated , branched and / or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids having a chain length of from 3 to 30 carbon atoms , and saturated and / or unsaturated , branched and / or unbranched alcohols having a chain length of from 3 to 30 carbon atoms , from the group of esters of aromatic carboxylic acids and saturated and / or unsaturated , branched and / or unbranched alcohols having a chain length of from 3 to 30 carbon atoms . such ester oils can then advantageously be selected from the group consisting of isopropyl myristate , isopropyl palmitate , isopropyl stearate , isopropyl oleate , n - butyl stearate , n - hexyl laurate , n - decyl oleate , isooctyl stearate , isononyl stearate , isononyl isononanoate , 2 - ethylhexyl palmitate , 2 - ethylhexyl laurate , 2 - hexyldecyl stearate , 2 - octyldodecyl palmitate , oleyl oleate , oleyl erucate , erucyl oleate , erucyl erucate and synthetic , semi - synthetic and natural mixtures of such esters , e . g . jojoba oil . in addition , the oil phase can advantageously be selected from the group consisting of branched and unbranched hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon waxes , silicone oils , dialkyl ethers , the group of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alcohols , and fatty acid triglycerides , namely the triglycerol esters of saturated and / or unsaturated , branched and / or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids having a chain length of from 8 to 24 , in particular 12 to 18 carbon atoms . the fatty acid triglycerides can for example be advantageously selected from the group consisting of synthetic , semi - synthetic and natural oils , e . g . olive oil , sunflower oil , soybean oil , groundnut oil , rapeseed oil , almond oil , palm oil , coconut oil , palm kernel oil and the like . any desired mixtures of such oil and wax components can also advantageously be used for the purposes of the present invention . in some instances , it may also be advantageous to use waxes , for example cetyl palmitate , as the sole lipid component of the oil phase . the oil phase is advantageously selected from the group consisting of 2 - ethylhexyl isostearate , octyldodecanol , isotridecyl isononanoate , isoeicosane , 2 - ethylhexyl cocoate , c 12 - 15 - alkyl benzoate , caprylic / capric triglyceride and dicaprylyl ether . mixtures of c 12 - 15 - alkyl benzoate and 2 - ethylhexyl isostearate , mixtures of c 12 - 15 - alkyl benzoate and isotridecyl isononanoate and mixtures of c 12 - 15 - alkyl benzoate , 2 - ethylhexyl isostearate and isotridecyl isononanoate are particularly advantageous . advantageous hydrocarbons for the purposes of the present invention are paraffin oil , squalane and squalene . in addition , the oil phase can advantageously contain cyclic or linear silicone oils or consist entirely of such oils , although it is preferred that an additional content of other oil phase components apart from the silicone oil or the silicone oils be used . cyclomethicone ( octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane ) is advantageously employed as the silicone oil to be used according to the invention . however , other silicone oils are also advantageous for the purposes of the present invention , for example hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane , polydimethylsiloxane , poly ( methylphenylsiloxane ). in addition , mixtures of cyclomethicone and isotridecyl isononanoate and of cyclomethicone and 2 - ethylhexyl isostearate are particularly advantageous . the aqueous phase of the preparations according to the invention optionally advantageously comprises alcohols , diols or polyols of low carbon number , and ethers thereof , preferably ethanol , isopropanol , propylene glycol , glycerol , ethylene glycol , ethylene glycol monoethyl or monobutyl ether , propylene glycol monomethyl , monoethyl or monobutyl ether , diethylene glycol monomethyl or monoethyl ether and analogous products , and also alcohols of low carbon number , e . g . ethanol , isopropanol , 1 , 2 - propanediol , glycerol , and , in particular , one or more thickeners which can be selected advantageously from the group consisting of silicon dioxide , aluminum silicates , polysaccharides or derivatives thereof , e . g . hyaluronic acid , xanthan gum , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , particularly advantageously from the group of polyacrylates , preferably a polyacrylate from the group of so - called carbopols , for example carbopol grades 980 , 981 , 1382 , 2984 , 5984 , in each case individually or in combination . gels used according to the invention usually comprise alcohols of low carbon number , e . g . ethanol , isopropanol , 1 , 2 - propanediol , glycerol and water or an oil mentioned above in the presence of a thickener , which , for oily - alcoholic gels , is preferably silicon dioxide or an aluminum silicate and , for aqueous - alcoholic or alcoholic gels , is preferably a polyacrylate . solid sticks comprise , for example , natural or synthetic waxes , fatty alcohols or fatty acid esters . usual base substances which are suitable for use as cosmetic sticks for the purposes of the present invention are liquid oils ( e . g . paraffin oils , castor oil , isopropyl myristate ), semisolid constituents ( e . g . vaseline , lanolin ), solid constituents ( e . g . beeswax , ceresin and microcrystalline waxes and ozokerite ) and high - melting waxes ( e . g . carnauba wax , candelilla wax ). for the purposes of the present invention , suitable propellants for cosmetic and / or dermatological preparations which can be sprayed from aerosol containers are the customary known , readily volatile , liquefied propellants , for example hydrocarbons ( propane , butane , isobutane ), which can be used on their own or in mixtures with one another . compressed air is also advantageous . the person skilled in the art of course knows that there are propellent gases which are non - toxic per se and would in principle be suitable for realizing the present invention in the form of aerosol preparations but which , because of their harmful effect on the environment or other accompanying circumstances , should be avoided , in particular hydrofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons ( cfcs ). for the purposes of the present invention , cosmetic preparations can also be in the form of gels which , in addition to an effective content of aminoquanidine and / or derivatives and structural analogs thereof and solvents which are usually used therefor , preferably water , also comprise organic thickeners , e . g . gum arabic , xanthan gum , sodium alginate , cellulose derivatives , preferably methylcellulose , hydroxymethylcellulose , hydroxyethylcellulose , hydroxypropylcellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose or inorganic thickeners , e . g . aluminum silicates , such as , for example , bentonites , or a mixture of polyethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol stearate or distearate . the thickener is present in the gel , e . g . in an amount between 0 . 1 and 30 % by weight , preferably between 0 . 5 and 15 % by weight . [ 0068 ] w / o cream % by weight paraffin oil ( dab 9 ) 10 . 00 petrolatum 4 . 00 wool wax alcohol 1 . 00 peg - 7 hydrogenated castor oil 3 . 00 aluminum stearate 0 . 40 glycerol 2 . 00 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . aminoguanidine 0 . 2 water to 100 . 00 [ 0069 ] w / o lotion % by weight paraffin oil ( dab 9 ) 20 . 00 petrolatum 4 . 00 glucose sesquiisostearate 2 . 00 aluminum stearate 0 . 40 phytoene 1 . 00 glycerol 5 . 00 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . aminoguanidine 2 . 50 water to 100 . 00 [ 0070 ] o / w lotion % by weight paraffin oil ( dab 9 ) 8 . 00 isopropyl palmitate 3 . 00 petrolatum 4 . 00 cetyistearyl alcohol 2 . 00 peg - 40 castor oil 0 . 50 sodium cetylstearyl sulfate 0 . 50 sodium carbomer 0 . 40 glycerol 3 . 00 α - glucosylrutin 0 . 20 octyl methoxycinnamate 5 . 00 butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane 1 . 00 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . aminoguanidine 0 . 02 water to 100 . 00 [ 0071 ] o / w cream % by weight paraffin oil ( dab 9 ) 7 . 00 avocado oil 4 . 00 glyceryl monostearate 2 . 00 sodium lactate 3 . 00 glycerol 3 . 00 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . aminoguanidine 0 . 40 water to 100 . 00 [ 0072 ] liposome - containing gel % by weight lecithin 6 . 00 shea butter 3 . 00 taurine 0 . 20 sodium citrate 0 . 50 glycine 0 . 20 urea 0 . 20 sodium pca 0 . 50 hydrolysed collagen 2 . 00 xanthan gum 1 . 40 sorbitol 3 . 00 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . aminoguanidine 1 . 20 water to 100 . 00 [ 0073 ] sunscreen emulsion % by weight cyclomethicone 2 . 00 cetyldimethicone copolyol 0 . 20 peg - 22 dodecyl copolymer 3 . 00 paraffin oil ( dab 9 ) 2 . 00 caprylic / capric triglyceride 5 . 80 octyl methoxycinnamate 5 . 80 butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane 4 . 00 aminoguanidine 0 . 50 d - biotin 0 . 50 znso 4 0 . 70 na 4 edta 0 . 30 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . water to 100 . 00 [ 0074 ] sunscreen emulsion % by weight cyclomethicone 2 . 00 cetyl stearyl alcohol + peg - 40 hydrogenated 2 . 50 castor oil + sodium cetyistearyl sulfate glyceryl lanolate 1 . 00 caprylic / capric triglyceride 0 . 10 laurylmethicone copolyol 2 . 00 octyl stearate 3 . 00 castor oil 4 . 00 glycerol 3 . 00 acrylamide / sodium acrylate copolymer 0 . 30 hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 0 . 30 octyl methoxycinnamate 5 . 00 butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane 0 . 50 aminoguanidine 0 . 20 α - tocopheryl acetate 1 . 00 na 3 hedta 1 . 50 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . water to 100 . 00 [ 0075 ] sunscreen emulsion % by weight cyclomethicone 2 . 00 cetylstearyl alcohol + peg - 40 hydrogenated 2 . 50 castor oil + sodium cetyistearyl sulfate glyceryl lanolate 1 . 00 caprylic / capric triglyceride 0 . 10 laurylmethicone copolyol 2 . 00 octyl stearate 3 . 00 castor oil 4 . 00 glycerol 3 . 00 acrylamide / sodium acrylate copolymer 0 . 30 hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 0 . 30 octyl methoxycinnamate 5 . 00 butylmethoxydibenzoyimethane 0 . 75 na 3 hedta 1 . 50 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . aminoguanidine 3 . 00 water to 100 . 00 [ 0076 ] spray formulation % by weight ubiquinone 10 0 . 10 aminoguanidine 0 . 80 ethanol 28 . 20 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . propane / butane 25 / 75 to 100 . 00 [ 0077 ] o / w creme % by weight paraffin oil ( dab 9 ) 7 . 00 soybean oil 4 . 00 glyceryl monostearate 2 . 00 sodium lactate 3 . 00 glycerol 8 . 00 preservatives , dyes , perfume q . s . aminoguanidine 0 . 08 water to 100 . 00
the invention is a cosmetic , dermatological or topical pharmaceutical preparation for use in treating undesired pigmentation of the skin comprising an effective content of one or more of aminoguanidine , derivatives thereof and structural analogs thereof . the invention also includes a method of applying the preparation to affected areas of the skin to treat undesired pigmentation of the skin .