The demand for soothing and healing products is great, but when given the option, baby boomers prefer to use anti-aging products first.
Ingredient suppliers are testing and developing raw materials that allow brands to claim that these raw material ingredients protect and soothe the skin, but it is imperative that the anti-aging impact is clear.
Doug Schoon, president of Schoon Scientific + Regulatory Consulting states “Sensitive skin products are also useful for those who've had more aggressive anti-aging treatments in the past. Ideally, sensitive skin ingredients should be both anti-inflammatory and antipruritic, because large percentage of people with sensitive skin, also have itchy skin."
Oatmeal (avnea sativa), or avenanthramides, has currently earned this status. Avenanthramides are a group of 20-30 naturally occurring polyphenols found in oats. Oat Beta Glucan from Ceapro, is an Ecocert avenanthramide with significant antioxidant properties. Oat Beta Glucan is a soluble fiber found in the cell walls of oat kernels.
As a natural polymer, Oat Beta Glucan is added to products designed to accelerate wound healing and helps enhance the body natural defense mechanisms. In addition, Oat Beta Glucan protects and soothes the skin, as well as induces cellular activity to address aging concerns.
Omegablue is manufactured and supplied by the ingredient firm, Indena, which is known for bilberry derived nutritional products for eye disorders. Omegablue is made from hand picked Ecocert bilberry seed oil derived from the vaccinum myrtillus shrub, indigenous to Central and Northern Europe. This bilberry is largely handpicked to assure the activity of the anthocyanins and provides a soothing effect while improving skin integrity.
Omegablue, high in omega 3 and omega 6, was tested at 2% to repair barrier damage to skin from the effects of irritation and lipid stripping by strong cleansers. As a multifunctional soothing and anti-aging ingredient, it’s rich with the powerful antioxidant anthocyanin.
EcoBidens, a three-part blending of natural actives, is one of the trade names from a stable of natural ingredients from Chemyunion in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
EcoBidens, from the Brazilan rainforest helps decrease inflammatory mediators and improve barrier function. EcoBidens Improves DNA resistence and helps controls biological aging by increasing sirtuins which helps desensitize the skin.
EcoBidens re-establishe antioxidant enzymes after sun exposure and helps improve fibroblast activity, essential to collagen proliferation, a perfect anti-aging boost to compromised, sensitive skin.
It’s fairly clear that sensitive-skin ingredient marketing will not be the lead dog in the foreseeable future. But as a support system to anti-aging, it certainly holds a viable niche.