Maintaining Youthful Skin ...Naturally

A milder, less costly and more natural alternative to surgery or injectables, topical and internal treatments using collagen and hyaluronic acid (HA) are a growing product category. Both serve to maintain and build collagen and HA, the foundational molecular ingredients that keep our skin elastic—and wrinkles at bay.

Collagen acts as the support structure for the skin; over time, this support structure weakens and the skin loses elasticity. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), what is used in creams, injections and dietary supplement form is purified collagen from cattle (bovine collagen). This fibrous elastic protein is kept supple by the HA molecule that holds moisture in the skin. A natural component of skin, HA gel holds the collagen and elastin of the skin together. Collagen and HA combined are considered by some to have fountain of youth qualities, helping people look as young as they feel.

The face of today’s collagen and HA consumer has grown to now include men and women—older and younger—who are interested in either halting or reversing the aging process. Boomers, especially women, want to reverse the telltale signs of aging on their visage. In a 2003 Internet survey of more than 2,000 American women, conducted by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), more than 69 percent of respondents were very or somewhat bothered by the visible signs of aging, particularly fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, facial hair and dryness. AAD noted as women age, these concerns increase, as well as the amount of time they spend each day on their skin care regimen. But the market is expanding and younger people are also now looking for ways to prevent those fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.

“U.S. demand for anti-aging products will rise 8.7 percent annually through 2009,” said Cherylanne DeVita, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Devita Natural Skin Care Systems.

It’s not just the boomers in your aisles, the market is expanding to 20-somethings wanting to preserve their youthful appearance. The younger generation is more educated than the older boomers were about prevention, and how and what products can be used to protect their skin from external damage. David Sandoval, president and CEO of Platinum Health Products, said another viable market is people trying to lose weight and firm up their skin, “When you lose weight, the skin becomes saggy, so these products appeal to those demographics.” Used as a preventive, maintenance or for age reversing, these products have a wider demographic appeal than ever before to firm, tone and smooth skin.

Remember these three “M”s of skin care: moisture, moisture, moisture. According to DeVita, “HA [cream] allows for a vital process that enables effective skin hydration, delivery of nutrients and removal of contaminants and other toxins. HA powder also facilitates turnover and regeneration of keratinocytes that decrease the appearance of wrinkles, lines, darkened spots and other signs of aging.” HA is an extreme moisturizer molecule must-have; applying a cream allows the consumer to focus the HA treatment directly to the trouble spot, offering a more immediate and localized effect. It is known to plump the skin and fill-in wrinkles. Darren Landis, product development coordinator at Hyalogic, said, “We feel the base ingredient in all topical applications should contain HA. Water is the most important thing to our body and to our tissue, and HA is a molecule that carries 1,000 times its own weight in water. The topical creams have become the mode of choice for HA as an alternative to cosmetic injectable forms of HA.” Creams do not offer the same extreme results as a needle injected filler applied by a dermatologist; but, the natural replenishing of applying HA on the surface offers a moisturizing and smoothing effect, is a safer, more natural and less expensive alternative.

Collagen gives our skin elasticity, and as we age elasticity decreases, our skin thins and dries out. A cream applied directly to the face acts as an effective barrier to protect and moisturize the skin. Topical treatments use bovine collagen, “which has a molecule too large to actually penetrate and absorb into the skin, but it does add a protective moisture matrix to the skin’s surface,” said Stephen Strassler, president and founder of Reviva Labs. After the age of 25, our collagen starts to break down, so keeping the facial skin moisturized with a collagen cream can prevent drying out and wrinkling, and it leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth.

Linda Miles, director of marketing and vice president at derma e®, said, “Collagen is the foundation to skin health. If you don’t have a good collagen base, any repetitive facial expressions, such as squinting, smoking or furrowing your brow, will lead to wrinkles.” This is driving companies to develop innovative ways to promote better collagen absorption into the skin, according to Suhail Ishaq, vice president at BioCell Technology. “The idea of hydrolyzing collagen is established in this industry and is preferred [for better absorption] ...otherwise it will stay on the surface of the skin as a sealant,” he said.

A great complement to external treatments, building health from within with a proper diet is important for maximum results. Collagen and HA supplements offer the raw materials to build a systemic and gradual increase over a longer period of time. According to DeVita,“We are working on formulations that I hope to see launched very soon. External and internally consumed collagen and HA do indeed work in synergy. Taken internally, these items help the body to restore its collagen base by providing highly absorbable collagen proteins that nourish the body. Oral supplementation of collagen provides a way in which the body can be provided vital amino acids and proteoglycans (specialized sugars in the body) important to maintenance of connective tissues.”

There are a variety of distinctive HA or collagen oral supplement products on the market today. BioCell offers Collagen II, a product that claims to inhibit HAdestroying enzymes, while also building collagen and providing an HA supplement. NeoCell offers several products, including Super Collagen Powder™, Super Collagen + C Tablets™, and PureH.A™. Hyalogic manufactures the patented product Synthovial Seven, one of the only liquid oral formulations of pure HA; it can be taken with a glass of water.

The benefits do not stop at skin care, as regular supplementation of collagen and HA also nourishes the hair, nails, ligaments and gum tissue. Organic by Nature offers Hair Skin & Nail, a nutrient combination for internal collagen production. Research is finding many new ways collagen supplements can benefit and speed up the skin’s healing process.

Given the expanded target demographic, options for product placement are growing—collagen/HA creams and supplements are not necessarily restricted to “anti-aging” sections. Ahmed Alkayali, CEO of NeoCell, said these products “should be in the supplement section and have a cross reference in the cosmetic section.” Other options include the beauty product category, antioxidant section, women’s and now even the men’s product section.

According to Landis, the target market for collagen/HA is “20 percent antiaging/ skin care and 70 percent for joint health.” Retailers know their customers, and now they have more choices to where they want to have these products positioned to better facilitate their consumers search for the right product for the individual’s purpose.

“We [retailers] need to give consumers information and education as to why these are really good ingredients for their specific problem/condition/concern,” Miles said. Consumers are seeking personal consultation and product expertise. DeVita noted, “Natural products retailers in the past have had their pulse on their customer. Now it is more important than ever before to possess a detailed understanding of the nature of their target market demographics. The average shopper believes and treats all staff personnel in a natural products store like they do the pharmacists in the drug department of their store.”

Brad Buchanan, research and development manager at Emerita, added, “It is also important for retailers to abolish any misconception of what a product does. For example, the consumer has only one point of reference, that topical collagen does the same thing as an injectable collagen. And this is an unreasonable expectation that the retailer definitely has to play a role in. The retailer should be cognizant of not selling a bill of goods that the consumer has one set of expectations without helping them understand the real benefit of the product.”

Strassler suggested retailers merchandise topical and internal supplements together with shelf extenders or displays, utilizing manufacturer literature to maximize educational efforts. “It is important that retailers in the health industry continue to be educated and to, in turn, educate their customer.”

“As more anti-aging treatments are introduced, I expect the amount of consumer confusion will continue to increase in direct proportion to the number of treatment options for aging skin,” said dermatologist Arielle N.B. Kauvar, M.D., Clinical Association of Dermatology, New York School of Medicine.

Desolving Damage, Boosting Beauty

“Time marches on, and, sooner or later, you realize it’s marchin’ across your face.”—Dolly Parton in “Steel Magnolias” Wrinkles are not caused by dry skin, they’re actually a sign of accumulated skin damage. Fortunately, there are several steps customers can take to have dramatic effects on existing wrinkles.

• Cleansing: It’s important to start with purified water and a non-greasy, non-soap cleanser to achieve a 100- percent clean surface. To avoid skin sensitivity, make sure the cleanser is pH-balanced. The ideal cleanser will penetrate, lift and remove impurities.
• Exfoliate: It is important to exfoliate using antioxidant-rich and only mildly abrasive ingredients. By removing the outer layers of the skin, new skin cells are allowed to form undamaged, breathe out toxins, absorb moisture and radiate the skin’s natural beauty. Exfoliation unclogs pores, refining the skin’s texture, tone and color.
• Masks & Peels: Peels and masks are non-abrasive and employ either acids or enzymes, which separate and remove the outer layer of the skin. This guarantees that an even layer of skin is removed. These treatments create a more oxygenated surface by increasing circulation, which brightens the complexion. They also cleanse deeply into the pores.
• Creams & Serums: Hyaluronic acid (HA) draws moisture into the cells, and helps skin cells remain plump, supple and hydrated. HA is unique because it only affects the cells that are HA deficient and need to be hydrated; this is how it lifts and repairs the depressed regions, effectively smoothing out the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

Antioxidant serums, particularly vitamin C serum, have been proven to tighten, tone and repair damaged skin cells, especially when combined with a powerful rehydrating compound like HA. For best results, choose a high-potency serum that contains a wide variety of vitamin C esters, both water and fat-soluble.