Cosmetics: Sun Protection from within

By now, most consumers know the skin health benefits touted of sunscreen. The good news is that thanks to growing awareness, more consumers are now applying sunscreen on a regular basis. The bad news? Consumers may not be applying sunscreen properly or in adequate amounts required for protection. That’s where a sunscreen nutricosmetic can help.

Beauty brand GliSODin Skin Nutrients has introduced its Advanced Skin Brightening Formula, an ingestible product that the company says contains photoprotective and anti-inflammatory ingredients that help reduce inflammation caused by UV exposure and protect the skin against UV rays.

The brand still advises using the formula along with a topical sunscreen. “Topical sunscreens reduce acute and chronic effects of UV rays on the skin by scattering and absorbing UV rays,” says Paula Simpson, the product’s key formulator. “However, there are substantial problems, including insufficient sunscreen applications to the skin and poor compliance, both leading to lower protection against UV exposure. Oral agents are particularly appealing, since their efficacy will support these additional factors and [skin protection will] not solely depend on the adequacy of topical application.”

“The combination of both a topical and oral skin care routine as part of a daily beauty regimen is gaining popularity,” she adds. “Scientific studies show that there are synergies to be gained from a combined oral and topical beauty program. On a daily basis, to attain all the best skin nutrients from the diet alone is extremely difficult. A nutricosmetic works along with a healthy lifestyle to optimize skin health and beauty.”

But can a sun-protection pill really work? Yes, says Suan Farma Inc. (Hackensack, NJ). The company supplies Fernblock, an ingredient developed by Industrial Farmaceutica Cantabria (Madrid, Spain). Fernblock is extracted from Polypodium leucotomos,a fern sourced from central America. The companies say that Fernblock can be used both orally and topically for sun protection.

Published clinical studies funded by Cantabria have indicated that Fernblock’s antioxidant properties may help protect skin against damage from UVA and UVB rays. The ingredient has been launched in 35 countries and is sold in the dietary supplement Heliocare.