A New Way of Thoroughly Protecting the Skin from UV Radiation

SymHelios 1031 shields the skin against harmful environmental effects, including cigarette smoke, car exhaust and especially UVB rays.

13/03/09 Symrise has developed a new cosmetic ingredient: SymHelios 1031. It protects the skin against long-term damage caused by environmental factors, particularly UVB rays. SymHelios 1031 can be used in all protective skin care products, such as facial cremes and sun protection products.

Consumer demand for both for cosmetic and medicinal skin care products is high. The standards which active ingredients have to fulfill are growing as well; they are expected to offer improved protection for the skin. Studies have shown that SymHelios 1031 meets these expectations. This ingredient shields the skin against harmful environmental effects, including cigarette smoke, car exhaust and especially UVB rays.

UVB rays trigger biochemical reactions in the human body that have many effects on human health, not all of which are positive. An essential amino acid the body produces, tryptophan, responds to UVB exposure by forming a toxic substance. When this chemical comes into contact with the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a transmitter protein, the toxins can penetrate deep into the cells and accelerate the aging process. In a worse-case scenario, they can even cause skin cancer. This is where SymHelios 1031 comes in: it binds to the AhR protein in a non-toxic way and keeps the harmful substances from adhering to the AhR.

“SymHelios 1031 is deep protection for the skin,” explains Dr. William Johncock, Senior Vice President, Scent & Care, head of the Symrise's UV Protection unit, “because it acts exactly where the process of skin damage begins. It prevents toxins from being transported, which in turn reduces long-term skin damage due to UVB rays.”

When it comes to counteracting the impact of sun exposure in general, the protective effects of SymHelios 1031 have to be combined with other substances, however, because the compound does not shield the skin against sunburn or UVA damage. “To optimally protect the skin, you should always use a sun care product with special UV filters,” says Johncock.

In a clinical trial, test subjects treated with SymHelios 1031 had the best results in terms of protecting against metabolic reactions, skin aging, dermal irritation and oxidative stress after UVB exposure. “SymHelios 1031 is a new way of thoroughly protecting the skin,” says Johncock. “It has a positive influence on the skin's long-term health and beauty.”