IFF carotenoid active ingredient, may becoming hot in Asia

Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, a cosmetic raw material company affiliated with IFF, believes that the company's pair of tomato-based brightening active ingredients has great potential in Asia.

 Lucas Meyer Cosmetics recently launched a pair of brightening active substances derived from colorless carotenoids in tomatoes, namely PhytoflORAL and IBR-TCLC. The company claims that these two ingredients brighten the complexion, make the skin shine, and fight free radicals.

IBR-TCLC is a raw material for external skin care products, while PhytoflORAL is a raw material for oral supplements. Both are based on colorless carotenoids-phytoene and phytoene. Lucas Meyer Cosmetics claims that its raw materials are all from Israel's non-GMO tomatoes.

Shlomo Krispin, the company’s IBR product line manager, explained that colorless carotenoids are present in all plants and are precursors to all colored carotenoids such as beta carotene or lycopene.

However, he pointed out that colorless carotenoids have a unique structure and are therefore better than their colored counterparts.

Crispin said: "They can absorb light in the ultraviolet spectrum, so there is no color. They can participate in the light protection of the skin, and they will not make cosmetic formulas or skin stains. They are more difficult to oxidize and can be better absorbed. The accumulation in the skin is also selective, so it can bring better skin care effects."

In fact, PhytoflORAL and IBR-TCLC were originally launched by Israel Biotechnology Research (IBR), after which the company was acquired by Israeli flavor and fragrance company Frutarom, and as Huachen merged into IFF, IBR has since been brought under IFF.

At the time of this re-release, Lucas Meyer Cosmetics cited the results of previous clinical studies to emphasize that IBR-TCLC has multiple effects, such as reducing dark skin. In addition, the company also clarified the mechanism of action of phytoene and hexahydrolycopene in an in vitro study in 2018.

"We found that phytoene and phytoene can promote the growth factors of keratinocytes, and these keratinocytes can guide melanocytes to reduce melanin production."

The company pointed out that in the past two or three years, dark yellow and dull words have emerged in the beauty market. Moreover, Asian consumers have a deeper understanding of "beauty from the inside", so the above two ingredients have great potential in this region. "They started to realize that although topical skin care products are important, oral supplements are just as important, just as you eat vitamins to improve health, it makes sense."