Skin concerns such as wrinkles and dullness can be minimized through lycopene supplementation, a new study has determined. “...Topical nutrients have limited capacity to penetrate the outer skin layers and also have a local effect and thus cannot provide nutrients to the full body,” stated study authors. Further, “as a result, dietary supplementation is becoming increasingly important to complement for skin health and beauty.”
Lycopene, which contains carotenoids, acts as an antioxidant, among other functions, which can reduce the effects of aging on skin.
“Inflammation is one of the foremost causative factors for visible signs of aging,” study authors added. “Nutrition rich in carotenoids is reported to prevent cell damage, premature skin aging, and skin cancer.”
Methods
The open-label study consisted of fifty female adult participants. Participants consumed soft gels each day for twelve weeks. The gels contained Lycomato tomato extract with fifteen milligrams of lycopene in additional to other tomato components such as phytoene, tocopherols and beta carotene.
The extraction process for Lycomato is patented; however, the process “wards off oxidation and preserves the integrity of the nutrients from the plant through to the body’s absorption,” shared Elizabeth Tarshish, PhD, Head of Claims and Clinical Affairs at Lycored.
Results were recorded in three different ways. Visual clinical grading was done using photographs taken prior to the experiment, at four weeks and again at twelve weeks. Barrier integrity was measured via trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) at the same intervals. Lastly, participants completed a self-assessment questionnaire regarding results at four and twelve weeks.
Results
Overall, Lycomato resulted in an improvement in skin appearance and health. Lycomato decreased trans-epidermal water loss by 7.2% after four weeks and 8.9% after twelve weeks.
Expert visual grading revealed improvement in lines, tonality, texture, and firmness. Fine lines were improved more than pronounced lines, though both showed improvement in some of the participants. Periorbital fine lines were reduced by 25% after four weeks and 41.4% after twelve weeks. Regarding skin tone, 62.26% of participants showed improvement after four weeks, with 71.7% after twelve weeks.
The subjective self-assessment revealed participants observed improvement in each of the skin tonality parameters. These included firmness/elasticity/tightness, healthy/younger skin, dryness/texture, and lines/wrinkles. The areas with the most improvement were skin elasticity, hydration, healthy/younger skin, and dryness/texture with at least 80% of participants noting improvement.
Sustainability
The parent company of Lycomato, Lycored, utilizes as much of each tomato plant as possible in its ingredients. “Lycored is proud to have a holistic production process that focuses on sustainability through 100% utilization of our harvested tomatoes, which results in zero waste,” Tarshish explained. “Any tomato parts that are not used in Lycored’s portfolio, like seeds and stems, are sold to the feed industry to be upcycled by animals,” she further shared.
Source: Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
2023, 00 1-13. doi:10.1111/jocd.15650
“Beauty from within: Improvement of skin health and appearance with Lycomato a tomato-derived oral supplement”
Tarshish, E., et al.