[Skin Health BEST 4] BEST 4 Ingredients for Skin Health in Autumn

This is Jinny, the pharmacist.

At this time of year when it is moderately cool, there must be many people planning to see autumn leaves or go hiking. Fall is a great season for outdoor activities. It is also said that 'the daughter-in-law is sent out in the spring sun, and the daughter-in-law is sent out in the autumn sun'. But is this really true? 

In fact, UV rays in autumn are just as threatening to skin health as UV rays in spring and summer . In summer, the sun's altitude is low, so we prepare for it because we feel "the sun is hot", but in autumn, when the sun's altitude is high and the temperature is low, we tend to think that the ultraviolet rays are not as strong. However , compared to summer in autumn, only UVB, which burns the skin, is reduced, and UVA, which penetrates into the dermis and destroys collagen, is almost the same.  In addition, people avoid outdoor activities in the scorching sun in summer, but outdoor activities increase in autumn, so of course, the time exposed to ultraviolet rays inevitably increases. 

This eventually causes pigmentation such as melasma and 'photoaging' , which is characterized by deep and thick wrinkles. Therefore, today, for those planning outdoor activities for fall, we will introduce the BEST 4 ingredients that can help with skin problems in fall, including photoaging .

As mentioned earlier,  collagen in the skin is destroyed by UV rays. Collagen accounts for about 80% of the weight of the dermis and constitutes the skeleton of the skin, so the destruction of collagen is directly related to aging itself, such as reducing skin moisture and elasticity and forming wrinkles. 

For this reason, it is not an exaggeration to say that collagen is the basis of skin health, and the functionality of collagen raw materials for health functional foods, which can help maintain skin health from damage caused by ultraviolet rays, is also based on this principle. 

In 2019, a paper* was published reviewing 11 studies that verified the effects of collagen supplements on skin health. 'Preliminary results of the short- and long-term use of oral collagen supplements for wound healing and skin aging are promising. reported that oral collagen supplements also increase skin elasticity, moisture, and skin collagen density ' [1]. 

[1] Choi FD, Sung CT, Juhasz ML, Mesinkovsk NA. Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications Journal of Drugs in Dermatology: JDD. 2019 Jan;18(1):9-16

Therefore , collagen is a recommended ingredient for those who just want to start managing their skin health . It is even better if taken together with vitamin C, which helps in collagen synthesis.

Glutathione is the main ingredient of 'White Jade Injection' known as skin whitening injection . This is because glutathione inhibits the synthesis of melanin pigment, which is the cause of pigmentation . Various studies have shown that glutathione and glutathione intake improve the melanin index [1-2].

[1] Arjinpathana, N., & Asawanonda, P. (2012). Glutathione as an oral whitening agent: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The Journal of dermatological treatment, 23(2), 97–102.

[2] Matsuki, M., Watanabe, T., Ogasawara, A., Mikami, T., & Matsumoto, T. (2008). Inhibitory mechanism of melanin synthesis by glutathione. Yakugaku zasshi: Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan, 128(8), 1203-1207.

It doesn't end here. In fact, glutathione is a very powerful antioxidant substance produced by our body . Antioxidation can be seen as anti-aging in that active oxygen attacks normal cells in the body and causes aging and various diseases . Therefore , glutathione has been known to help with overall anti-aging, such as improving skin wrinkles and elasticity [3]. In addition, it is known to perform detoxification of toxic metabolites produced under oxidative stress.

[3] Weschawalit S, Thongthip S, Phutrakool P, Asawanonda P. Glutathione and its antiaging and antimelanogenic effects. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2017 Apr 27;10:147-153.

Therefore , glutathione is recommended for those who are interested in overall antioxidant as well as skin whitening .

UV rays not only cause skin aging by decomposing collagen, but also increase active oxygen to create various pro-inflammatory cytokines, that is, cause inflammation. Therefore , UV rays are not simply a level that interferes with skin beauty, but are considered the main culprit of skin diseases such as skin cancer .

In this regard, it is necessary to pay attention to the 'Rosemary Extract Complex (SunMax)' , which has recently been recognized as an individual approved raw material for skin health. According to an animal experiment [1] published in an SCI-level paper, it was found that the rosemary extract complex (SunMax) not only inhibits oxidative stress, inflammation-inducing substances and inflammation, but also inhibits collagenase. Therefore, although it is a material that has been recognized for the same functionality as collagen, 'it can help maintain skin health from skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays', it can be seen that the mechanism of action is different and the scope of action is wider.

[1] Joong-Hyuck Auh, Jayashree Madhavan (2021). Protective effect of a mixture of marigold and rosemary extracts on UV-induced photoaging in mice, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 135, 111178.

In addition, in the human body application test, reduction of erythema, reduction of facial wrinkles, increase of skin transparency, increase of skin gloss and radiance, increase of skin smoothness and softness, and improvement of formation of wrinkles (glabellar lines, nasolabial folds, Marionette wrinkles, and wrinkles around the mouth) by ultraviolet rays were confirmed. It also became I think it is  a really attractive anti-aging material in that wrinkle-related indicators have improved .

Therefore, it can be said that it is an ideal material for those who are exposed to a lot of UV rays, especially those who are worried about wrinkles.

Ultraviolet rays aren't the only thing that threatens skin health in the fall. This is because it is the season when the amount of moisture contained in the stratum corneum of the skin surface rapidly decreases as the secretion of sweat decreases due to the lower temperature and humidity than in summer . This soon causes skin dryness, redness, and trouble. Therefore, it is the time when hydration is absolutely essential.

Lastly, hyaluronic acid is a representative moisturizing ingredient. Hyaluronic acid molecules can hold up to 1,000 times their own weight in moisture. It turns out that when consumed, it can improve the moisture content of the skin . Due to its excellent moisturizing properties, it is widely used as eye drops to relieve dry eye symptoms or injections to help lubricate joints, in addition to skin health purposes. 

Therefore, it is a recommended ingredient for those with dry skin or who are worried about rapidly dry skin in the fall.