Glowing skin is always in with SymBright® Plus

As a pioneer explorer of the exposome, Symrise is constantly developing new solutions to address pigmentation. Combining niacinamide with the blockbuster SymBright® 2036, a smart and efficient combination of ingredients were sought to develop SymBright® Plus – a ready-to-use, versatile liquid blend. By Amélie Gafari, Dr Joachim Hans and Marine Lochouarn from Symrise

Dark spots are the “new wrinkles” as perceptions of skin ageing continue to change. To tackle this specific concern, Symrise has been exploring various avenues in search of a brightening partner with optimised efficacy.  UV light can induce melanogenesis in the skin through two distinct pathways: either by direct activation of the melanocyte, or via an indirect pathway by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) e.g. in surrounding keratinocytes. These keratinocytes react to ROS by producing stress signals which are then secreted and subsequently stimulate melanogenesis.

Superior ROS reduction

Developed as a skin brightener, the efficacy of SymBright® Plus has been evaluated on human skin explants exposed to UV irradiation. Because the generation of ROS as a starting point for the indirect activation pathway is a rapid process, a study was conducted on the capability of SymBright® Plus to reduce the amount of ROS in skin explants irradiated with 60J/cm² UVA. 

Figure 2 shows cross sections of skin explants with a green fluorescence marker indicating the presence of ROS in the tissue. Quantification of the fluorescence supports the evaluation of the test samples in reducing ROS activity. The test results showed that SymBright® Plus facilitated a 66% decrease in the ROS score compared to the UV-irradiated control. The individual components of SymBright® Plus were also tested in their respective concentrations and none of the single ingredients reached the level of efficacy of SymBright® Plus in ROS reduction. These results demonstrate the superior action of SymBright® Plus in reducing ROS in human skin compared to the individual components.

No match for the single components

In a second experiment, Symrise analysed the effect of SymBright® Plus on UV-induced pigmentation. Human skin explants (female donor, age 43, ITA angle 24° and tanned) were exposed to daily UVB irradiation for seven days at a dose of 75mJ/cm². Quantitative evaluation of melanin content in the skin explants was performed using Fontana-Masson staining. The test results shown in figure 3 confirm SymBright® Plus reduced melanin in the skin explants by 26% versus the UV control.

Changes in melanin content can be caused by the degradation of existing melanin or a reduction of the biosynthesis of the pigment. To assess the influence of SymBright® Plus on melanogenesis, Symrise analysed the abundance of Melan-A as a marker of de novo formation and maturation of melanosomes, the organelles in which melanogenesis takes place. Treatment of UVB-irradiated skin explants with SymBright® Plus led to a 64% reduction of Melan-A signals compared to the UV-treated vehicle control. SymBright® Plus also outperformed its single compounds in reducing Melan-A signals, indicative of de novo melanogenesis.

Superior efficacy with added value

Collectively, these findings indicate that SymBright® Plus is very effective in reducing UV-induced ROS species in human skin explants and highly effective in reducing melanogenesis. It outperforms its single components in terms of ROS inhibition and de novo melanogenesis, clearly demonstrating the added value of this innovative liquid blend from Symrise.

The results also point to a dual action with SymBright® Plus potentially exerting an effect both on the direct and indirect pathway for UV-induced melanogenesis. This skin care ingredient blend SymBright® Plus is a versatile, in vivo proven and efficient solution for the prevention of uneven skin pigmentation and hyperpigmented spots.

Supplied in a liquid form, SymBright® Plus is easy to use and well suited to multiple applications, including everyday face and body care, anti-spot treatments, tissue masks and more.