Is photoadaptation the next big sun care benefit?

09-Oct-2018 - Last updated on 09-Oct-2018 at 14:01 GMT

In a world where self-tanner has been a fact since the 1950s (with ups and downs in popularity) and more recently paint-on freckle products (from suppliers like Faber Castell and brands like Freck) have come to market, one beauty entrepreneur believes skin care that restores and activates melanin is what consumers will be demanding next.

Sunshine and beauty are linked in good ways and bad. Sylvie Giret, founder of the new brand Skinergies, is hoping to improve the sun-beauty connection.

The three products currently in the brand’s portfolio are formulated as skin care (for the face, scalp, and hair). But Skinergies is really a cross-category brand, as this product description explains: “Incidental Sun Smart Serum is the first skincare to feature smart technology that helps the skin safely maximize on the benefits of passive exposure to sunlight while also fighting the visible effects of photoaging caused by UVA rays, blue light and infrared, every day, year-round. Because it’s photoactive, only one application in the morning is needed, for a steady efficacy through the day.”

The product collection

Besides the serum (described above), the Skinergies portfolio at launch includes Incidental Sun Scalp & Hair Mouse (which is quite similar to the serum just formulated for use on hair and scalp) and an After Sun Restorative Lotion.

The lotion is said to include “DNA repair enzymes, peptides, and plant and marine derived extracts that promote a faster recovery of the epidermis (or top layer of the skin) after sunburn while at the same time, target the long-term effects of over-exposure to UV light on the skin matrix,” according to press materials shared with Cosmetics Design.

“Specifically selected for their ability to detect UV induced damage,” the brand’s press materials explain, “these powerful ingredients help bolster photoprotection and assist with melanin production, replenish the skin’s moisture barrier, and restore collagen and elastin—extracellular matrix components responsible for keeping skin smooth, hydrated and firm.”

The efficacy of melanin

Skinergies is premised on the idea that an indoor lifestyle in combination with a lack of “unprotected time in the sun” limits skin’s ability both to synthesize vitamin D as well as to protect and repair itself from sun damage.

“We are gradually losing our photoadaptation capabilities, making our skin and hair more increasingly vulnerable to daily photodamage, whether it’s photoaging (A as in UVA rays) or sunburn (B as in UVB rays) or worse, when skin cancer develops,” according to the brand’s press materials.

And, Skinergies has developed a simple sun exposure app to let consumers know how much sun exposure is recommended each day, depending on location and skin type—making Skinergies the newest brand in the climate-smart skin care space.

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.