The concept of Active Beauty
                                                                                  Published 08/31/2023
   
  Until recently my client’s concerns were about active ingredients in skin creams, serums, and lotions. Today their interest is in active beauty and quote "how can this be good for my skin?" Active beauty is an advanced concept in skin science. The elucidation of new mechanisms in the ageing process and discovery of natural peptides, epigenetics, proteomics, in vitro cell techniques and other substances that will beneficially modify the ageing processes in the skin, has led to a greater sophistication in anti-ageing skin care concepts and products. The consumer interest has changed from wrinkling serums and moisturizing creams to more active formulations that have an effect beyond the top layer of the skin. With an increasing consumer trend towards natural products, what’s more natural than harnessing the bacteria on your skin?
Innovative research discovers the latest advancement in therapeutic and cosmetic products containing live bacteria, bacterial extracts, or active ingredients capable of promoting and protecting the skin's microbiome. Approximately 80% of people living in urban areas are exposed to air quality that exceeds the limits. Studies have shown that exposure to pollution is associated with extrinsic skin aging which accelerates a key consumer demand for anti-pollution products demonstrating the ability to prevent permeation of pollution components in skin. Pollution also impacts hair fibers by weakening the hair and causing scalp sensitivity. For instance, biopolymers help to shield against the absorption of pollutant particles. Active beauty is now shaping the evolution of products adapted to the skin microbiome and its role in health and disease.
   Researchers and industry experts are now turning their attention towards the emerging relationship between the skin microbiome and healthy skin. This has the potential to revolutionize the beauty and personal care industry. Taking advantage of the uniqueness of Lactobacillus Bulgaricus itself and the longstanding work of Professor Nicola Alexandrov of Bulgaria with 30 plus patents on technologies, including one US patent, I was able to produce safe and highly pure probiotic-based skin care products with proven cosmetic efficacy. Elie Mechnikov, a Russian-born biologist mentions in one of his works "The long and healthy life of the Bulgarians is a result of consumption of fermented dairy products”. The boundless potential of prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic products being developed to protect and promote a healthy microbiome and combat dermatological conditions from acne and eczema to dandruff and skin allergies have exponentially influence the active beauty and personal care products. Active beauty is a result of clinical trials resulting in commercially viable therapeutics backed by science. Understanding the different paths to launch and market a cosmetic versus a therapeutic product is a regulatory consideration not to be discounted and avoided. How regulators view these advances in skin wellness technologies and associated effectiveness claims will be explored and further discussed.
   In that regard, communication to the consumers is a key, and comes with their education. In fact, skin microbiome communication has been booming in beauty magazines and professional press over the last two years, and blogs are flourishing talking about those little microbes that are best partners for our beauty. For instance, Elle Magazine, in 2017, named the probiotics as "the bacteria which makes us beautiful". Shortly after, Vogue claimed probiotics as invisible anti-aging shield" which "by strengthening the skin micro-flora, also inhibit the ageing signs in formation" and encouraged their readers "start working probiotics into skincare routine"   Elle Magazine, Shape and Vanity Fair all talked about probiotics and skin microbiome as being the new, unavoidable, solution for beauty and very recently Forbes magazine also dedicated an article on the subject.
   Finally, active beauty is an innovative concept for skin products based on these microbiome ingredients capable of healing, repairing and reprogramming skin’s own DNA for health and longevity. Check out BIOTEC USA skin care products using multilateral beneficial effects and uniqueness of Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, it's incredible properties on the human body with encapsulated actives made to keep face looking fresh and even toned, no matter what environmental exposure.