One of the leading players in this area is the HallStar, a Chicago-based specialty chemistry company, that has developed SolaStay S1, a photo stabilizer for broad-spectrum sunscreen formulations. It has been documented to substantially photostabilize cholecalciferol, retinyl palmitate and ubiquinone in skin care products formulations.
The potential benefits of resveratrol are dramatic and diverse. Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene), a class of polyphenolic compounds called stilbenes, is found largely in the skins of red grapes and the most convenient source is from the root of Japanese Knotweed. Reseveratrol's known benefits are that it reduces wrinkles, stimulates collagen and elastin, provides anti inflammatory properties and antimicrobial protection.
Regu Fade, which is based on resveratrol, has been launched by DSM and has shown efficacy during in-vivo testing. This nature identical pure trans-resveratrol focuses on skin brightening, while in-vitro studies conclude that it was more effective than benchmark products.
Syntetic resveratrol proves more bio available and stable
The most significant benefits of resveratrol for the skin are its powerful anti-aging and antioxidant effects. However, these benefits have often been limited by the instability of natural resveratrol's short duration of efficacy and the expense of extraction.
Italy-based Indena has developed Reservatrol Phytosome, a resveratrol which is not from grape or japanese knotweed, but polygonum cuspidatum's rizhome. Phytosome is more soluble and more accessible to the skin when incoporated into topical formulations, the manufacturer claims.
The Reservatrol Phytosome is a bilayered phospholipid vescicle with a strong interaction between the polar part of phospholipids and the active compound, which increases the available resveratrol that reaches the skin. It is synthetic but does have some topical test data showing it to be a skin brightener. Indena’s Phytosome is said to be stable both for oral and topical administration and is bioavailable.
Photo protection properties
Data also indicates that resveratrol may be a promising photoprotection agent, used in sunscreen products, to reduce cell death in UV-damaged skin mutation. Resveratrol partially inhibits UVB-induced cell death through a decreased production of ROS generation and inhibition of caspase pathways, but not in the Bcl2 family proteins.
But ultimately, Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant that inhibits inflammation, has phyto-hormonal benefits, and inhibits tyrosinase activity. Proving this claim, a standardized test to study the effect of resveratrol on S. aureus (Staphylococcus aureus) determined that the growth of S. aureus was inhibited by 80-90 percent.