Colorless Carotenoids boost actives, study shows

The company's range of Colorless Carotenoids has already been demonstrated to protect against UV rays and possible damage to the skin, reduce inflammation, pigmentation and free radical damage as well as inhibit the degradation of collagen.

However, the latest study shows that the ingredient range can also stabilise and boost the activity of other key ingredients used in anti-ageing and skin care products, especially ones that help protect the skin.

Helps stabilise active ingredients

The company says that the study has so far shown that Colorless Carotenoids can help to boost actives such as retinol, omega 3 oils, pigmented carotenoids, and sun screens such as Titanium Dioxide (Ti02) and Zinc Dioxide (Zn02), to name a few.

One example of this has been demonstrated in a Ti02-based sunscreen formulation, where the combination of phytoene and phytofluene enhanced the SPF value.

But as well as increasing sunscreen protection, the research also discovered that the inclusion of the carotenoids helped to reduce damage derived from free radical formation, specifically when Ti02 is irradiated with UV light.

Likewise, the inclusion of the carotenoids in the formulation also helped to stabilise retinol after it was exposed to UV light.

Helps boost anti-ageing properties On the anti-ageing front, the study also showed that carotenoids helped to stabilize and enhance the activity for the key ingredient CoQ10 - a natural vitamin-like compound found in skin cells.

Other ingredients that were tested and showed increased stabilisation and activity included omega 3 oils, squalene, DHAs and vitamin C, together with the company's own anti-aging ingredient, IBR-Dormin.

The Colorless Carotenoid range has been marketed by Germany-based Symrise since March 2006.

The range includes two products - one derived from algae and one derived from tomato.

Both have been developed using a method that allows coloured carotenoids to be developed without the colour.

IBR-TCLC is based on colourless cartenoids in tomatoes.

The trick to making the ingredient colourless is to extract the carotene precursors - phytotene and phytofluene - before the tomatoes ripen and turn them into red pigment.

Likewise, the ingredient IBR-CLC is based on a similar colourless extraction method, only using algae.