DSM Creates Alpine Edelweiss Product for Skin Protection

This product harnesses the protective power of the rare Alpine Edelweiss and allows formulation with a new level of protection for an ultimate skin sensation.

24 Sep 2012 --- The DSM Personal Care Business Unit is proud to announce new findings on ALPAFLOR EDELWEISS, the exciting, truly organic certified skincare ingredient. This product harnesses the protective power of the rare Alpine Edelweiss and allows formulation with a new level of protection for an ultimate skin sensation.

The beauty and rarity of the Edelweiss flower have made it a famous natural legend and a symbol of purity. Edelweiss is a real Alpine “survival star” that grows at altitudes of up to 3,000m, where it is exposed to high levels of UV radiation. And it has to contend with extremes of temperature and large changes in humidity. Edelweiss is therefore an expert in self-protection. The DSM Personal Care Business Unit has studied how Edelweiss has built up natural resilience to such harsh climatic conditions.

Edelweiss produces exceptional amounts of protective metabolites. ALPAFLOR® EDELWEISS, extracted from a specially cultivated, unique Edelweiss strain called Leontopodium alpinum Helvetia, has been shown in particular to stimulate key proteins in the epidermis which are responsible for the optimal protection and regeneration capabilities of the skin.

DSM’s studies reveal that high levels of chlorogenic acid and luteolin derivatives provide Leontopodium alpinum Helvetia with its unique capacity to protect and regenerate the skin’s natural barrier. Leontopodic acid particularly, discovered for the first time in Leontopodium alpinum, has extraordinary antioxidant, radical-scavenging, and protection properties.

Gene expression studies have confirmed the multi-target activity of ALPAFLOR EDELWEISS on several levels. In particular, the gene expression of loricrin, involucrin, filaggrin, keratin 1, and keratin 10 is significantly up-regulated. It considerably enhances levels of these key proteins which help to create and reinforce a protective ‘cellular barrier’ against UV damage and other external stresses.

Dr. Volker Rosenberger, Global Marketing Manager Skin Care at DSM, comments: "Our ongoing search for bioactive ingredients that bring new consumer benefits takes us to increasingly fascinating places where we expect to find new high-performing compounds. For our customers, this means trend-setting innovative and science-based formulations that leave the skin looking good and feeling great."