Youthful skin

One of the main causes of skin aging is due to loss of energy in cells. Lots of factors can compromise the skin’s energy, but the primary and major causal factors are ageing and environmental factors. Those factors can lead skin cells to lose vigor and therefore, their ability to turnover resulting in dull and tired complexion. Sustaining the optimal level of skin cell energy, health and turnover, helps to counteract the appearance of visible signs, like expression lines on the forehead and nose and around the eyes and mouth.

It is in this context that Roelmi HPC has developed a biotechnological active ingredient for fueling the skin with youthful vigor: ‘Ener-GY plus’ (INCI: Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate).

It is a microbiota-friendly cell energiser, designed to optimise mitochondrial activation. It is developed by enzymatic technology, where only upcycled biologically active waters, rich in the phytochemical characteristics of the native fruit, are involved. Thanks to its specific efficacy in supporting mitochondrial biochemical pathways, ‘Ener-GY plus’ provides positive conditions for metabolism and trophic processes in cells by stimulating cell vitality.

The ingredient is part of the microbiome-friendly ingredients portfolio aiming at improving the skin ecosystem and to counteract skin discomforts, through topical applications.

From biotech, a series of ingredients have been developed:

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• An osmolyte (‘ÆCTive’) able to rebalance the skin environment suffering from external stresses like air pollution or salty/chlorinated water;
• A probiotic-derived ingredient (‘EquiBiotics LRh’) able to improve skin microbiota communities strengthen skin barrier;
• 2.0 Full Spectrum Hyaluronans (‘PrincipHYAL Line’) mimicking skin physiology by providing multiple skin benefits.

IN-VITRO BACKGROUND

Several in-vitro evaluation tests were performed to investigate the capability of Ener-GY plus to increase ATP content in human keratinocytes and to influence the mitochondrial activation.

The evaluation was carried out by determination of ATP amount after cell treatment, comparing: untreated cell culture (CTR-), cell culture treated with Glucose at 1% and cell culture treated with ‘Ener-GY plus’ at 1%.

As a result, ‘Ener-GY plus’ enhanced the increase of ATP amount in the cell system, by positively and significantly modulating the cell energising activity. It showed a significant energising activity, increasing ATP content (+38.3%) in human keratinocytes after 24 hours of contact, if compared to CTR-. 

Subsequently, the efficacy in activating the mitochondrial metabolism and in enhancing cell energising were evaluated by means of the capability to lead mitochondrial membrane potentials to activated state. 

The outcome confirmed that ‘Ener-GY plus’ enhanced mitochondrial energetic process, providing positive conditions for metabolism and trophic cell processes (until 54.9% active mitochondria after 24h).

IN-VIVO EFFICACY

An instrumental placebo-controlled study enrolling 24 healthy female subjects, aged over 18 years old, was performed to evaluate the improvement of skin parameters as skin moisturization, skin elasticity (R2, R0 and R9 parameters), skin radiance and skin microbiota composition. Material: ‘Corneometer CM 825’ (Courage+Khazaka, electronic GmbH), ‘Cutometer MPA580’ (Courage+Khazaka, electronic GmbH), spectrophotometer / colorimeter CM-700D (Konica-Minolta) and by means of 16S rRNA analysis, respectively. The study duration was 28 days and instrumental evaluations of the skin parameters were carried out at baseline (T0) and after 14 days (T14) and 28 days (T28) of products use (product application in the morning in half-face according to a previously defined randomization scheme).

Data are expressed as mean ± SEM obtained at each monitored check for the reported parameter under analysis for the two tested products. Above the error bar, the intragroup (white asterisks) and the intergroup (gray asterisks) statistical analysis are reported: * p<0.05; ** p<0.01; *** p<0.001.

The application of the active ingredient improved the facial skin profilometry measurably, visibly and noticeably after 4 weeks. Compared to market reference, ‘Ener-GY plus’ highlighted significant results:

• An increase of skin moisturization index, respectively by +5.6% at T14 and by +7.2% at T28 (data not shown)
• An increase of skin elasticity (R2 parameter), respectively by +2.7% at T14 and by +4.5% at T28. (data not shown)
• An improvement of skin firmness due to a decrease of R0 parameter (R0 parameter is inversely proportional to skin firmness), respectively by 4.2% at T14 and 7.5% at T28; which indicates an increase of skin firmness
• A decrease of R9 parameter (R9 parameter represents the tiring effects of the skin) by 6.0% at T28; that indicates a reduction of the tiring effects (Figure 1).

Further evaluations demonstrated also that ‘Ener-GY plus’ helps in maintaining the physiological balance in skin microbiota composition.

CONCLUSION

The ingredient has demonstrated to exert a positive mitochondrial activation, recharging the skin’s natural ecosystem. The skin looks more radiant and younger. In fact, the ingredient is able to make fibroblast mitochondria flower again, exerting beneficial effects on the multiple signs of aging and revealing a youthful-looking skin rejuvenation, with an increased elasticity and firmness skin effect. ‘Ener-GY plus’ demonstrates to promptly reply to the increasing demand for distinctive, sustainable experiences, walking the sustainable path and innovation road. At Roelmi HPC, we committed to this innovation to allow the development of microbiome- and environmental-friendly compounds to reach any whole ecosystem wellbeing, from the skin to the planet harmony.