Consumers are conscientious of keeping their skin healthy for an assortment of reasons—both suppliers and manufacturers are doing their part to help create innovative products to further help with these beneficial goals.
Consumers care about aging gracefully, but this only represents one piece of the pie when it comes to skin health.
Acne for instance, is the most common skin condition in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Dermatology—it affects up to 50 million Americans each year, and although it can take place at any age, 85 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 24 experience at least minor acne.
In order for consumers to not only have the full beauty-from-within experience, but also provide the skin with the necessary nutrients, ingredient suppliers and manufacturers are doing their part to design the most effective products for the segment.
Popular Ingredients
A variety of ingredients in the field have proven effective for skin health, such as ceramides, which could potentially be more advantageous if their delivery systems are altered.
“Ceramides have been known as the most important lipid component of our epidermis for a long time, and as such has been incorporated in successful cosmetic brands,” explained Jocelyn Bérubé, MSc, executive vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, innoVactiv Inc. (Canada). “However, ceramides are not passively released between cells by our body. Rather, ceramides are produced and accumulated by keratinocytes as they migrate upward into the upper layers of our epidermis. While at it, our cells then organize ceramides in a delicate 3D structure of alternating lipophilic-hydrophilic environments. It is only when our keratinocytes undergo apoptosis to form our skin’s top layer that ceramides (in the correct 3D configuration) are then released outside the cells, forming an impermeable, almost impenetrable barrier that keeps moisture in, and the outside out.
“So, the cosmetic use of ceramides shows some limits, because within a cream, ceramides are not in that special 3D configuration, and also have an impact only at the local scale,” he continued. “The use of ingested ceramides offer[s] [many] more possibilities in that sense to soothe dry skin wherever it happens.”
Products featuring collagen and carotenoids—the latter being phytonutrients that can protect cells from the harmful effects of free radicals (as noted by the Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine)—are also positively impacting the skin health space.
“We’re seeing what’s driving the category growth are collagen and carotenoid-based products,” said Zev Ziegler, head of global brand and marketing, health, New Jersey-based Lycored. “The first is collagen. Rising consumer awareness of its benefits for skin elasticity and moisture has been one of the biggest recent success stories in the beauty and skin wellness space. In 2013, collagen was estimated to account for 1 percent of the U.S. beauty-from-within supplements market.
“By 2018, that figure had risen to 9 percent,” Ziegler added. “The other ingredient set trending are carotenoids—the ingestible skin health ingredients with most new research from the scientific community including new clinical research on leading natural astaxanthin, lutein, lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene-based ingredients.”
In regard to collagen’s impact in the U.S, Annie Vo, research and development specialist within Vinh Hoan Corporation’s Vinh Wellness Division in Vietnam, was in agreement with Ziegler.
Having the proper science to substantiate one’s claims can only serve as a boost to its popularity.
“When it comes to adding skin health ingredients to finished product [s],” she said, “the one ingredient that has been consistently trending in the U.S. is collagen. This is in part due to the abundance of scientific and clinical research proving its safety and efficacy. It is a well-recognized ingredient which has been popular in Asia for many years before making its debut in the U.S. Unlike collagen which has a reputation built on solid science, ingredients once popular such as hydroquinone, oxybenzone and avobenzone have increasingly vanished in the marketplace or even banned in some countries, states or territories.”
Innovative Formulations
innoVactiv developed Myoceram, which helps hydrate the skin for a beauty-from-within benefit. “innoVactiv is offering Myoceram to North American supplement companies,” Bérubé said. “Myoceram is a range of plant-derived ceramides from rice or corn. Research conducted by the manufacturer Nippon Flour Mills Co. Ltd. in Japan has showed that these ceramides can drastically increase skin moisture content by tightening up the barrier function of the skin (making skin more impermeable to loss of water).
“Unlike other ceramides,” he added, “Myoceram works at a considerably low daily dose of 20 to 40 mg per day. This is all due to the very unique mechanism of action of Myoceram. Our research shows that when stimulated by Myoceram, the skin will actually express higher levels of ceramide-producing enzymes, which in turn will enable our skin cells to produce higher levels of ceramides. The quality of the research behind Myoceram is such that two health claims have been issued by Health Canada for supporting skin barrier function and reducing the loss of water through the skin.”
In order to revolutionize its collagen, Vinh Hoan Corporation experimented with various tactics, which led the company to enzymatic hydrolysis.
“At Vinh Hoan Corp.,” Vo said, “innovation has been the goal in creating products since the beginning. To produce collagen, our engineers and researchers tested multiple machineries and ran countless pilot production trials to perfect the process. We opted to use an enzymatic hydrolysis to cut the collagen protein into easily absorbable peptides.”
And Lycored has received its inspiration directly from nature.
“We believe, and we’ve seen many times over the years, that careful and considerate observation results in the most surprising and exciting insights, said Ziegler. “Nature provides for us—it is not our job to disrupt it, but to listen and grow where it leads. This partnership is responsible for our holistic production methodology, our unique answer to vertical integration, as well as our biomass processing technology, which is a perfect expression of how we harness the power of phytonutrients on a daily basis. All of our skin health innovations are innovative by nature, because they are born of it. And we couldn’t be prouder. For example, we have created a propriety breed of tomatoes designed for the beauty space with higher concentrations of phytoene and phytofluene.”
Addressing Concerns
When creating these products for consumers, manufacturers try to tackle what they believe are the biggest concerns, especially physical ones, but there is a certain realism knowing that there is no magic bullet.
“To consumers, skin health encompasses anti-aging to appearance and feel,” Vo described. “Anti-aging includes natural as well as environmental aging, leading to wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity. Skin appearance and feel are concerns regarding skin tone, smoothness and radiance. Manufacturers of ingredients as well as skin care products try to address these concerns. With how complex each skin problem is, there really is no one miracle skincare product that can address all these concerns. Same as there is no single skin health ingredient that can claim to do all.”
Being able to properly hydrate the skin is crucial, as it can result in a plethora of additional benefits. Manufacturers also need to consider ease of use.
“Hydration is recognized as the most desirable skin endpoint, as it induces a range of skin benefits like increased softness, radiance and comfort, while it can reduce wrinkles and irritation,” Bérubé explained. “Another key element to consider is convenience. Skin being the largest organ of the body, several skin-health ingredients need large doses to produce an effect, and this is often seen as a limitation for optimal compliance.”
Interestingly enough, Ziegler noted that one’s definition of youth differs slightly depending on a consumer’s age. Customers are also realizing the direct relationship between nutrition and skin health, especially with the various delivery options at their disposal.
“The reasons people buy skin care products are deeply bound up in the way they think about beauty, health, gender and age. Looking younger is not a significant motivation for consumers, particularly in older age groups—feeling younger is more important,” he said. “A significant number of young male consumers believe that looking good is more important for men than for young women. Consumers are motivated more by a desire to be healthy and to feel good than to look attractive to others. Consumers have high awareness of the importance of nutrition for skin health. Ingestible skin care is seen as mainstream by most consumers and is particularly popular with Millennials. Millennials spend the most on skin care, are least likely to be happy with their current products. Millennials and men are the most likely to want to spend less time applying skin care products.”
Market Status
California-based AIDP, Inc., who offers branded ingredients in this field, has been observing an upward climb for the category.
According to the 2019 NBJ (Nutrition Business Journal) Supplement Report,” noted Samantha Ford, director of business development, “the beauty from within market is growing at a 9.5 percent CAGR (compound annual growth rate)—exceeding the industry as a whole and estimated to reach over $7 billion by 2023. There is huge opportunity for this space as manufacturers are looking for innovative ingredients that can be formulated in creative applications.
“AIDP focuses on two main ingredients for skin health,” she continued. “The first is collagen and the second is an emerging space of prebiotics for skin. Collagen could still be called an emerging market, because it’s still growing at an amazing pace. NBJ estimates growth for collagen at 32 percent in 2018 and the market is approaching the $200 million mark at $173 million. For perspective, it was a $131 million market the year before.”
The influence of Millennials has impacted the way manufacturers design their products; men are also making more of an impact as consumers.
“The global market for skin health products is in the midst of a revolution—there has been a 61 percent increase in beauty-positioned supplements in the U.S. from 2017 to 2018.1 The rise of Millennials as a powerful consumer group with new ideas about beauty and lifestyle has forced manufacturers to re-think old assumptions,” Ziegler pointed out. “The importance of men as consumers of skin care products has grown rapidly. And we have seen an explosion of innovative new products, particularly in the ingestible skin care category.”
Consumer education has also played a role in product development, as they are realizing the multiple roles that the skin truly plays.
“We are seeing tremendous growth in the interest of formulators for skin health supplements,” Bérubé observed. “I believe consumers are starting to realize that our skin is an organ just like any other, relying on its access to our bloodstream for oxygen, nutrients and to get rid of its wastes. In the past, this market was dominated by creams, pushed by large companies having huge marketing budgets and superstar spokespersons. Unfortunately, most of these products had very little scientific validity. The new generation of consumers is more educated than ever, and wants to make sure it is using products that have the science to backup their claims.”
For instance, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) has a variety of antioxidant properties, and can help lower inflammation, among other features.
Washington-based Bergstrom Nutrition produces OptiMSM, a branded form of MSM, which, according to Tim Hammond, vice president of marketing and sales, “has been shown to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin texture elasticity and provide overall support to the structural integrity of the skin.” The hair, skin and nails can also retain and regain a younger appearance.
Hammond broke the benefits down into three mechanisms:
1. As a source of sulfur, MSM supports cross-linking of proteoglycans and collagen, while also serving as a building block for keratin, the chief structural constituent of hair and nails. By maintaining healthy collagen, tissue “hardening” is inhibited, allowing for healthy skin function.
2. OptiMSM increases barrier function of the ECM (extra-cellular matrix), which enables a greater exchange of water and nutrients in the dermis. Pre-clinical results from a gene marker study also suggest MSM modifies genes associated with barrier function.
3. MSM’s antioxidant properties help reduce inflammation caused by skin damage and the degradation of the skin’s structural matrixes. MSM is also known to increase plasma glutathione levels in the body.
Lycored recently conducted research on the benefits of lycopene and other carotenoids and ultraviolet (UV) protection. This ultimately led to additional stages of research surrounding its Lycoderm ingredient.
“In 2016, Lycored commissioned new research from the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (Germany),” Ziegler said. “The double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study included 65 subjects. It found that lycopene-rich tomato nutrient complex can protect the skin from UV-induced upregulation of molecular markers associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and aging. The research was published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2017. Therefore, there is a body of research for the skin care benefits of natural carotenoids working synergistically. This helped and inspired Lycored first to create, and then to further develop, its flagship skin care product. Lycoderm is a proprietary blend of standardized natural tomato extract and rosemary leaf extract. Lycoderm is carefully calibrated to maximize the synergy between these natural ingredients. It contains the optimal concentrations of lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene, as well as natural vitamins from the tomato such as vitamin A and vitamin E. The tomato phytonutrients are combined with carnosic acid to help support skin health and appearance.
“The next stage of Lycored’s research was to test the effectiveness of Lycoderm through a well-controlled, full-scale, double-blind clinical study,” Ziegler added. “The research, commissioned and funded by Lycored, was conducted in Dusseldorf in Germany and Dundee in the U.K. The principal investigator was Professor Jean Krutmann, a leading researcher in the field. It has been published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Skin Pharmacology and Physiology. The aim of the study was to examine the bioavailability, safety and efficacy of Lycoderm, and to explore its potential in enhancing skin resilience and balancing skin response to UV challenge. Specifically, it sought to evaluate the effects of Lycoderm in a model of UV-induced photodamage in healthy subjects.”
To AIDP, the gut-skin connection is becoming more apparent. As a result, the company offers BeautyOLIGO, a prebiotic that through clinical studies, has been verified to have skin improvement effects.
“ … According to a recent study, certain dietary factors, coupled with an imbalanced microbiota, cause skin troubles such as atopy, acne, dryness and consequent development of wrinkles by promoting rapid absorption of intestinal toxins produced by intestinal bad bacteria and transferring them to the skin,” Ford described. “BeautyOLIGO helps to optimize the gut environment by stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria and hindering the growth of harmful bacteria. In turn, it helps strengthen the immune system, helps to eliminate toxins and inhibits the activation of collagen- and elastin-degrading enzymes. In human clinical research, BeautyOLIGO reduced the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with daily supplementation.”
The company also offers Naticol, a natural source of type I collagen peptides, which is produced from 100 percent fish skin and scales through both a safe and validated process in Europe, said Ford. In a clinical test with mature women that evaluated skin hydration and reduction of wrinkles at the four and eight-week marks, the study demonstrated an overall increase in skin hydration and tone.
Vinh Hoan Corp and its partners, Coast Beacon (California) and Nutrawell USA (California), are interested in continuing to understand and improve its flagship ingredient, LumiColl, which are hydrolyzed collagen peptides that similarly come from freshwater fish skin.
The Vietnam-based company stressed how vital not only proof of efficacy can be, but how it ought to be supported by various studies.
“The need for thorough evidence of efficacy has pushed research in skin health ingredients to dwell deeper,” Vo concluded. “Compared to 20 years ago when one clinical study providing proof of efficacy and safety was enough for consumer acceptance, a bona fide ingredient at present needs to be substantiated with multiple studies, often involving different population as well as locations around the world. In addition, consumers want to understand how these ingredients work to benefit the skin. This demand has propelled many ingredient manufacturers to pursue mechanistic studies, looking at how their ingredients function in the human body.” NIE
Reference:
1 www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2018/09/27/The-rise-of-beauty-supplements-in-the-US-in-charts#.
For More Information:
AIDP, Inc., www.aidp.com
Bergstrom Nutrition, www.bergstromnutrition.com
innoVactiv Inc., www.innovactiv.com
Lycored, www.lycored.com
Vinh Hoan Corporation (Vinh Wellness Division), www.vinhwellness.com
