7 minute read
Optimising vitamin D in cosmetics to achieve D-Skin
Vitamin D deficiency is a global problem affecting over 1 billion people.1 It urgently needs to be addressed to prevent morbidity, mortality and increased expenses related to treating associated chronic illnesses.2 The active ingredient Nectaria Lithops from Vytrus Biotech is proven to stimulate skin to produce and synthesise its own vitamin D to bridge the gap between vitamin D deficiency and achieving a healthy glow. By Ò Expósito, A Guirado, D Robustillo, A Gallego, M Mas, P Riera, D Luna, S Laplana, T Ruiz, S Ruiz and M Gibert of Vytrus Biotech
Described as ‘the sun vitamin’, vitamin D is a steroid with a hormone-like activity. It regulates the functions of over 1 000 genes and is essential for growth and development. Current research indicates that vitamin D deficiency is associated with several illnesses such as heart and autoimmune diseases, amongst others.3
Although there is clinical evidence that links the deficiency to different illnesses and physiological malfunctions, less is known about the role of vitamin D in the skin. As it is synthesised topically and distributed throughout the body, vitamin D has a direct effect on skin health and appearance. Vytrus Biotech has been deepening its R&D in this field and how to apply it to cosmetics.
D-SKIN – A NEW CONCEPT IN COSMETICS
Represented locally by Savannah Fine Chemicals, Vytrus Biotech proposes a new concept, known as D-Skin, which increases vitamin D and improves skin’s appearance. The results include:
• dewy skin
• D-lighted skin
• vitamin D-enriched skin
• skin-deep hydration
• a healthier D-approach to sun care Associated with well-being and health, a plump and luminous appearance of the skin not only favours, but also radiates youth. There are two factors that directly influence the optical properties of the skin and define a D-Skin to capture and radiate light: skin tone and the texture or quality of skin’s surface.
Did you know?
Up to 90% of vitamin D is produced by exposing our skin to sunshine and the remainder comes from diet. Natural diet, which most humans consume, contains little vitamin D.
NEW CELL NECTAR FOR A D-SKIN
Inspired by nature, Nectaria Lithops (INCI: Lithops Pseudotruncatella Callus Lysate) is a plant stem cell active ingredient that optimises skin’s microenvironment and stimulates vitamin D synthesis to strengthen, revitalise, volumise and improve the glow of faded skin to achieve D-Skin.
Thanks to its mechanism of action (see Figure 1), the active ingredient boosts vitamin D production by the epidermal cells to create an optimal skin environment, hydrate skin’s deepest layers, increase dewiness and cheek volume, and improve microcirculation and skin tone and texture. This innovative approach is based on improving the cutaneous structure, creating an adequate structural space for vitamin D production while boosting deep water reserves. This is possible thanks to the Lithops culture, which is rich in biomimetic glycocalyx-derived glycoconjugates, organic acids and polyphenols.
BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY
Several in vitro tests were performed to understand and demonstrate the mechanism of action of the active ingredient.
The product’s antioxidant effect was measured by an enzymatic DPPH assay. A solution of ascorbic acid at 16.5ppm was used as the positive control. It was demonstrated that Nectaria Lithops captured 42% of the free radical DPPH versus the untreated control, showing an antioxidant effect comparable to that of ascorbic acid (50%).
The enzymatic collagenase activity was measured in the absence or presence of the active ingredient. EDTA at 5mg/mℓ was used as the positive control. Nectaria Lithops inhibited the collagenase activity by 82% versus the untreated control, preventing collagen degradation. This activity was comparable to the effect of EDTA (89% inhibition).
Another enzymatic antioxidant effect was assessed, in this case to determine the product’s capacity to inhibit lipid peroxidation. Nectaria Lithops demonstrated an 82% inhibition versus the untreated control, comparable to a vitamin E derivative (31.25µ/mℓ), used as the positive control.
The regenerating effect of Nectaria Lithops was demonstrated in the time it took for the proliferation of fibroblasts. This was boosted by 17% at a dosage of 0.01%, reaching up to 26% at 1% dosage. This improvement of cell viability was observed in a suppressed medium (low in growth factors).
In the following in vitro tests, the active ingredient was applied to cell cultures of fibroblasts and keratinocytes in three different situations (see Figure 2) to ascertain its behaviour during non-irradiated (minimal exposure to light), irradiated (3 x 2mW/cm², equivalent to 20 minutes per day of sun exposure), and UV light + an SPF 50 sun cream (completely blocking UV, from 3 x 2mW/cm² to 0mW/cm²).
Nectaria Lithops increased the synthesis of vitamin D by 77% versus the untreated control, and even more so when the HDF were exposed to UV irradiation (112% versus the untreated control). An increase was also noted when the fibroblasts were UV irradiated and an SPF 50 sun cream was applied on top of the culture (119% versus the untreated control).
An increase in vitamin D synthesis in the keratinocytes (HaCaT) versus untreated controls was measured in all three conditions: 64% when non-irradiated; 63% when UV irradiated and 57% when UV irradiated with the application of an SPF 50 sun cream. In the untreated controls, the presence of lumisterol was not detected in any of the three situations.
Finally, an increase in the levels of lumisterol synthesis in keratinocytes (HaCaT) was measured in the three different conditions analysed. Again, in the untreated controls the presence of lumisterol was not detected in any of the three.
These assays on vitamin D and lumisterol synthesis boosting lead to an interesting conclusion: there is no need to choose between having skin protected from the sun by using sunscreen and bringing the beneficial properties to skin health by topically optimising the levels of vitamin D. This reveals a new opportunity for exploring biotechnology advances in the sun care market.
CLINICAL EVALUATION
Several clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy of Nectaria Lithops on the skin of volunteers.
The first in vivo test was performed on a panel of 40 volunteers aged between 20 and 64. The study was double-blind and placebocontrolled (half of the volunteers applied a placebo cream and the other half applied a cream containing Nectaria Lithops), twice daily for 56 days. The assay was carried out during the pandemic among volunteers with low levels of vitamin D. Several parameters were analysed to ascertain the performance of a cream containing 1.5% of the active ingredient.
The first marker analysed was skin dewiness, which represents the ratio between diffuse brightness (luminosity) and specular brightness (oiliness). Nectaria Lithops increased skin dewiness by 17% versus placebo, improving skin’s luminosity and reducing its oiliness (see Figure 3). This results in a skin perfecting and mattifying effect, enhancing skin’s tone and texture.
The volunteers’ cheek volume was measured by 3D volume face analysis, where the blue areas on Figure 4 indicate a gain in volume versus the initial time of the treatment.
After applying a cream containing 1.5% of the active, volunteers’ cheek volume significantly increased by 1.95cm³ (3%) and up to 3.5cm³ (4%), versus the placebo, providing a dermal filler-like effect (compared to hyaluronic acid dermal injections, which increase cheek volume by at least 5cm³).
Vitamin D deficiency is related to epidermal barrier dysfunction³. Subjects with low levels of vitamin D have drier skin, with lower water content. Furthermore, the assay was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hydration levels of volunteers, measured by corneometry, significantly decreased in all the placebo groups (p<0.001): 10% in full face; 7% in the front, and 11% in mask zone.
However, treatment with Nectaria Lithops prevented a decrease in skin hydration, significantly increasing the water retention capacity of the volunteers compared with the placebo (p<0.05) (see Figure 5).
In a panel consisting of 30 volunteers (aged 21 to 62 years old), half applied the placebo cream while the other half applied 1.5% of the active ingredient in a cream twice daily for 56 days. This assay was also performed during the pandemic. Once again, selecting volunteers with low vitamin D levels was a key aspect to analyse the efficacy of the active.
A hyperspectral camera, which permits the investigation of the deepest layer of the epidermis and the dermo-epidermal junction (1mm depth), was used to measure the tissue water index (TWI) to evaluate the deep skin hydration levels. As seen on Figure 6, the yellow, orange and red areas indicate higher TWI (higher deep hydration). These results show that Nectaria Lithops demonstrated a 17% TWI increase versus initial time compared with the placebo (full face measurement).
OXYGENATION AND MICROCIRCULATION
Skin vitamin D synthesis helps to maintain a healthy blood microcirculation.4 Subjects with low levels of vitamin D have worse microcirculation. Furthermore, the assay was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic.
StO2 (oxyhaemoglobin) analyses tissue oxygenation, which is an indirect way to check microcirculation (i.e. better microcirculation shows higher oxygenation of the tissue).
While the placebo significantly reduced the StO2 parameter, the treatment with the active ingredient did not significantly reduce StO2, and in fact showed a 34% increase versus the placebo treatment (see Figure 7 vol. 2).
The Tissue Haemoglobin Index (THI – total haemoglobin, O2 and CO2, i.e. oxyhaemoglobin plus deoxyhaemoglobin) indicates that when analysed together with the StO2 parameter, a balance between CO2 and O2 is achieved. Therefore, the active ingredient reduces the THI by 16% versus the placebo, confirming Nectaria Lithops’ improvement of the oxygenation and microcirculation of the skin (see Figure 7 vol. 3). •
Savannah Fine Chemicals – www.savannah.co.za Vytrus Biotech – www.vytrus.com
