Perhaps in honor of our first digital issue—Balancing the Body's Skin and Oral Ecosystems with Pre- and Probiotics—that's launching in two days; or maybe it's the company's already established credibility in the probiotics market; the double blind, placebo-controlled study backing its claims; or the novelty of the ingredient overall; regardless, our first Ingredient of the Week (IOTW) is Bonicel by Ganeden Biotech.
This ingredient is so new you probably haven't heard of it yet. This patented probiotic was designed for use in topical cosmeceutical applications such as lotions, creams, gels, powders, scrubs, masks and cleansers. It is naturally derived from the company's well-documented probiotic strain Bacillus coagulans GBI30, 6086 (GanadenBC30; think Red Mango® frozen yogurt). It's shelf-stable for up to three years and is formulation-friendly.
So what's it good for? According to a double blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in 24 female subjects (ages 35 to 60), after four weeks, Bonicel increased skin hydration by 16 percent and skin elasticity by 11 percent, and decreased fine lines and wrinkles in 50 percent of respondents. Subjects also submitted self-reports in which 75 percent of the treatment group said: "The dark circles under my eyes are less visible" and "The skin around my eyes feels more moisturized."
Good enough for us.
