Seppic Present Smart, Natural Tan Booster for a Sun-kissed Glow

Interview with Fanny Tanaka, wesource™ marketing product manager at
Seppic

You recently launched a new active ingredient – LUMIPOD™ for tan boosting. Can you tell us what it is and what led you to launch this product?

LUMIPOD™ is our new innovative, natural & COSMOS approved active ingredient that smartly activates melanin for a safe “Sun-Kissed” tan. It boosts natural tan with normal incidental daily sun exposure & allows long lasting tan up to 2 weeks after use & without UV. This bio-inspired ingredient, based on our AMINOVECTOR™ technology(Lipoaminoacid: cousin of the peptide technology), boosts in vitro the melanin synthesis & transfer, without UV stimulation.

We developed LUMIPOD™ to answer consumers’ need for healthy tanned glow...

As skin is the first image perceived by others, and as our lifestyle kept us more indoors lately the search for healthy-glow effect or tanned skin, that are often seen as marks of health and beauty, appears as a fashion trend in Occident, first noted in the 20th century. I personally love that natural sun-kissed glow that I get after summer break! With naturally tanned skin we feel beautiful, healthier and more confident. 

However, if the sun provides many benefits, non-protected sun exposure can generate several risks for the skin. As Mintel reported, today, there is broad consumer understanding that sun exposure is bad for one's health. 63% of US consumers use sunscreen, 74% do so to reduce their risk of skin cancer and 47% to reduce the signs of ageing.

A major line of defense against such a threat is the production of melanin, which is synthesized in skin melanocytes and is then transported to surrounding keratinocytes. There, melanin serves to absorb the UV radiation, to protect our cells DNA. 

To combine tanning with less sun exposure the existing solutions such as erythrulose or dihydroxyacetone (DHA) have a superficial mechanism of action. The Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction, happens on the surface of the skin but doesn’t stimulate its own defense and may be heterogeneous. We believe that consumers want to look and feel their best, with tanning products that not only will give them a nice tan & healthy glow, but also that align with their wellness & safety goals. With LUMIPOD™ you strengthen skin melanin natural defenses from within and you reduce sun exposure to reach the same tanning level! 

What was the outcome of the in-vivo tests?

Our in vivo test with LUMIPOD™ has shown a great quick & long lasting tan boosting effect. We used acetyl tyrosine, a precursor of tyrosine, as a benchmark for melanin boosting effects. In contrast to self-tanning with dihydroxyacetone (DHA) the skin tan gained with acetyl tyrosine develops the same sun protection qualities as the pigmentation produced by sun exposure and remains in the skin for a much longer time.

At 1%, LUMIPOD™ is 2 times more efficient than acetyl tyrosine, with significantly visible quick results from day 4(6% of tanning variation measured by ITA - Individual Typology Angle - on volunteers) with normal incidental daily sun exposure and long lasting results up to 2 weeks after the last product application and without UV (15% of variation maintained at D25). 

Could Lumipod™ be used in suncare products and is it compatible with DHA & UV filters?

Yes, Lumipod can be very complementary to these types of formulation.  It can be combined with other ingredients traditionally used in suncare products and can be introduced in different galenics, such as cream gels, emulsions, oils… No incompatibilities were observed with UV filters, or with mineral sunscreen like titanium dioxide.

It is also compatible with self tanners like DHA. We have a nice prototype, our “Progressive tanning spritz lotion”,  that combines DHA with Lumipod to get a quick & long lasting healthy glow & tan!

So with LUMIPOD™ , you can develop daily skin care products to achieve a natural and protective tan all year long or to prepare sunny days or prolong the tan after summer.

Can you tell us more about wesource?

wesource™ is Seppic’s dedicated platform to gather the richness & diversity of its global and innovative offer of more than 100 cosmetic active ingredients. Based on marine biotechnologies, botanical extraction and plant-based chemistry, these active ingredients are unique by the inspiring stories they carry, their technicity & performance, and create solutions that truly empower Beauty. However, wesource™ is also more than just a catalogue of products and offers haute couture services like bespoken marketing support, biology masterclasses or formulation tips.  

Could you tell us more about your recent acquisition of EPI France?

Seppic acquired EPI France to strengthen its position in the nutricosmetics market.

EPI France (Extraction Purification Innovation France) is a specialist for over 20 years in the development and manufacture of active ingredients of natural origin for the nutricosmetics and beauty care markets. EPI France is a French family-owned company with a unique know-how. The high level of quality and performance applied to the manufacturing of its ingredients allows EPI to offer on the market one of its flagship ingredients, CERAMOSIDES™, whose oral and topical efficacy on skin beauty has been scientifically proven and validated by clinical studies.

This acquisition strengthens Seppic's expertise and know-how in botanical extraction and its position as a supplier of high quality ingredients for the beauty market inside & out. With the transfer of know-how and EPI's internal production tools, Seppic masters the entire process of research, development and industrialization, from the extraction of raw materials to the active ingredients. 

Our CEO, Jean Baptiste Dellon, stated that “This acquisition opens up new growth opportunities for Seppic in the cosmetics and dietary supplements markets. We are very pleased to welcome EPI France teams to Seppic. Our long-standing relationship and the values of expertise, quality and customer care that we share with EPI France will allow us to quickly realize synergies for the development and marketing of new ingredients.”

Valérie Bizot, President and co-founder of EPI France stated: “Our partnership with Seppic has always been very successful and we are confident that with the innovative drive of Seppic, the know-how and the competences developed by EPI will be continue to be valued and to thrive.”

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