Copper Sulphate: Origin, Properties and Uses.

Profile: Copper Sulfate

Commonly known as: Copper sulfate, cupric sulfate, copper sulfide, copper tetraoxidosulfate, copper sulfite, blue stone, copper vitriol, Roman vitriol, blue copperas, vitriolated copper, Cyprus vitriol, deutoxide copper sulfate.

I.N.C.I. list name: Copper Sulphate.

Extraction process: Chemical stripping of copper using sulphuric acid.

Source: Chemical.

Botanical name: /

Family: /

Extracted part of the plant: /

Origin, provenance: Spain.

Chemical properties: Molecular mass: 159.61 g/mol; Soluble in water.

Properties: Emulsion, true aqueous solution.

Required dosage in cosmetic products: /

Function: Skin maintenance agent.

Specificities: Antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiseptic, fungicide.

Benefits: All skin types, especially those with blemishes.

Property

Antimicrobial: Eliminating bacteria and fungi on contact by inducing the formation of reactive oxygen species, mediated by the redox properties of copper, which cause cellular damage. This process disrupts the integrity of the membrane, fragments genomic and plasmid DNA, and targets metabolic enzymes involved in the normal functioning of microorganisms.

Contraindications, Usage Precautions

Copper sulfate is considered to be non-irritating and non-sensitising when used topically, although a few isolated cases of skin allergic reactions have been reported. A study involving the topical application of copper sulfate over 10 years with 10,936 patients revealed that 37 of them (or 0.34%) developed allergic dermatitis.

The use of copper by human civilisations dates back to the 5th and 6th millennia BC. The earliest recorded medical use of copper is mentioned in an Egyptian text written between 2600 and 2200 BC, where the effects of copper were documented for sterilising chest wounds and drinking water. It was also used for the treatment of certain ailments, such as headaches, burns, intestinal worms, and ear infections, as well as for general hygiene. In the field of cosmetics, different compound forms of this mineral are used to treat skin conditions of bacterial or fungal origin, including copper sulphate. Marketed in the form of bright blue crystals, it is an ionic chemical compound formed by the copper (II) cation (Cu2+) and the sulphate anion (SO42−) in identical proportions. Copper sulphate began to be used for its fungicidal properties to protect agricultural lands.