Burt's Bees is presenting new studies related to the skin's composition and the role of nature-based regimens to protect the skin against common environmental stressors. The team is at the 24th World Congress of Dermatology Meeting in Milan, Italy, June 10-15, 2019.

These latest research findings from Burt's Bees highlight:

• The protective abilities of botanical antioxidants in photo-aging and UV protection
• The important role that nature-based skin care products may play in improving barrier and decreasing skin sensitivity in highly polluted environments
• Evidence pre/probiotics may dually modulate sebum and the skin microbiome
• First-of-its-kind in vivo study examining lip barrier composition

"This promising research helps us better understand how to positively impact and modulate skin health through nature-based ingredients. These ingredient-based studies will help drive understanding of the effects of nature-based ingredients and products on skin health and environmental aggressors such as the sun and pollutants," said Raja K. Sivamani, MD MS AP, Department of Dermatology at the University of California, Davis Medical Center and study investigator.

The Research -- More Details

This study, (Nature-Based Skin Care Regimen Improves Skin Barrier Function and Reduces Oxidative Damage in Sensitive Skin Population Exposed to High Pollution; Gunt H et al.; E-Poster #3019) concludes that products reinforced the skin's epidermal barrier, improved skin hydration and elasticity and protected against oxidative stress, as indicated by reduced carbonyl proteins.

Notably, nature-based skin care products may play an important role in decreasing skin sensitivity.

In a 4-week clinical study, 60 female subjects with sensitive skin exposed to high pollution were given a twice-daily regimen: 40 were given a natural-based regimen with ingredients like beeswax, witch hazel and botanical anti-inflammatories, and 20 continued a current synthetic regimen.

Evaluations, including stinging test, clinical grading, skin hydration, elasticity and barrier function, were completed at baseline and week 4. Results suggest that nature-based regimen was well-tolerated, reinforcing the epidermal barrier and decreasing skin sensitivity.

Another study (A Clinical Demonstration of the Antioxidant Abilities of a Botanically Based Facial Oil; Gunt H et al.; E-Poster #1889) examined the ability of a nature-based facial oil to decrease oxidative stress, as measured by the development of sunburn cells following exposure to UVB radiation.

In an 8-week clinical assessment, a botanically based facial oil reduced erythema and decreased oxidation, demonstrating the antioxidant abilities of the formula, which includes rosehip and evening primrose seed extracts. The decreased sunburn cells suggests that the natural antioxidants serve as electron donors that stabilize the reactive oxygen species created by solar simulated radiation, providing valuable insight regarding the role of a nature-based photoaging prevention.

In the third study, (Effect of Topical Skin Care Products on the Structure and Diversity of the Human Skin Microbiome; Gunt H et al.; E-Poster #3016) results suggest that topically applied bacterial extracts, lystates, ferments and prebiotics may modulate the microbiome and have distinctive effects on the skin microbiome and sebum excretion rate, depending on desired skin benefits.

In a one-week clinical study (n=30), subjects were treated twice daily with one of four prebiotic or probiotic-containing formulations to determine their impact on desired skin benefits. One formulation increased diversity, while two others did not alter pre-existing diversity but increased sebum excretion.

A First-of-Its-Kind Assessment of the Lip Barrier

The study, (Microspectroscopic Confocal Raman Spectroscopy and Macroscopic Biophysical Measurements; Gunt H et al. Oral Presentation) will be presented during the conference, "Skin imaging other than dermatoscopy" at 9:15 a.m. on June 13th.

The study reveals that the lip barrier and structure play an important role as a key visible marker of aging. Yet unlike skin, there has been little research into the biophysical properties and molecular composition of the lips.

In a first-of-its-kind in vivo study, these factors, as well as the lip barrier composition of healthy female lips, were examined to better understand water content and other barrier-relevant components. Water content was lowest on the surface but gradually increased when reaching the stratum granulosum border, continuing to increase at great depths.

"These data provide valuable information about unexplored areas such as the lip barrier function as well as help to uncover key ingredients based in nature that can reduce erythema, decrease oxidative damage and reinforce the epidermal barrier," said Hemali Gunt, Ph.D., Head of Clinical and Scientific Affairs at Burt's Bees.

Gunt continues, "Unlocking the potential of nature-based ingredients to protect skin against oxidative stress, photoaging and skin inflammation offers important insights into the benefit of nature-based regimens for patients."

The Posters will be available onsite at the 2019 World Congress of Dermatology in Milan on June 11th - 15th.