The non-discriminating ingestible that sees no differences

7 Dec 2021 --- Lycored’s new product Lumenato is a calibrated extract of natural tomato nutrients and antioxidants with benefits for skin wellness and beauty. The ingredient is designed to allow natural phytonutrients that help to maintain the skin’s softness, resilience, and suppleness.

“At the most fundamental level, Lumenato was inspired by the belief that beautiful healthy skin starts on the inside,” shares Zev Ziegler, Head of Global Brand and Marketing Health at Lycored. In particular, it strives to meet the demand for natural, scientifically proven supplements that can “help the skin age beautifully,” Lycored comments. 

“Our ingestible skin care ingredients are the result of years of hard work, innovation and scientific research,” details Ziegler on how the team discovered its calibrated extract of natural tomato ingredients and antioxidants. “From cell-culture studies to human clinical trials, we have made significant contributions to the body of evidence for the benefits of tomato phytonutrients in skin health.”

Click to EnlargeLycored turned to claymation artists to promote its new offering. Source Lycored.In developing its latest product, Lycored opted for its chosen nutrients and antioxidants based on their specific properties. Sourced from a proprietary, exotic tomato breed, Lumenato contains the carotenoids phytofluene, phytoene and zeta-carotene. Lycored notes it has formulated its latest product “in optimal concentrations” for beauty parameters. 

“Extensive testing in clinical settings has shown it to be bioavailable and to significantly elevate levels of active phytonutrients,” says Ziegler. “It is also a great partner for other well-known skin care ingredients.”

A recent study has found that Lycored’s product can defend against collagen-3 damage thanks to a mechanism that involves balancing oxidative stress and reducing free radicals. The study’s results suggest that Lumenato prompts low levels of collagen-3 that may contribute to skin health. It also indicates that the Lumenato range is effective in defending the co-cultures from collagen-3 damage by inhibiting free radicals secreted from neutrophils, thus demonstrating Lumenato's potential for skin protection.

“Consumers want skin care products with ingredients that are both natural and scientifically substantiated,” says Ziegler. ”They want to feel good but also to see a return on the investment of their time, energy and money.” 

Based on its scientific research, Lycored states it hopes to appeal to a range of market needs through its plant-based, vegetarian, allergen-free, gluten-free, kosher, halal and Non-GMO Project verified profile. The company prioritizes the value of the ingestible skin care market. “One of the things that makes the beauty-from-within category so powerful is that it offers a liberating platform for inclusivity,” reveals Ziegler. “Ingestible skin care and nutrition don’t see skin color, race or age, they only see us at the cellular level.”

Commissioning a claymation campaign

To demonstrate the benefits of Lumenato, the wellness brand partnered with ‘claymation’ illustrator Hudson Christie and creative director Adam Levite on the #rethinkbeautiful project.

“When I was introduced to Lycored, I was astonished at the range of useful natural products they create from the humble tomato, Lumenato being just their most recent innovation,” says Christie. “Inspired by Lycored’s resourcefulness, we used their unique breed of golden tomatoes in a series of surprising visual metaphors to reimagine the nature of beauty, starting with what’s inside.”

Levite adds: “It was great creating smart, fun and beautiful work that can help to build a deeper understanding of beauty nutrition.” 

Click to EnlargeIngestible skin care is proving popular with younger age groups. Source: Lycored.Together, the duo created a series of videos to showcase the Lumenato clay product and the tomato extract that is one of its key ingredients. The first video aims to show how self-love and beauty nutrition hold the key to achieving an ‘inner glow’, the brand reveals in a recent press release. Lycored wants to communicate that Lumenato works to nourish the skin from the inside out and support a healthier glow than with a solely topical routine.

The second video focuses on challenging conventional standards of beauty. In its release, Lycored shares that this is “inspired by the fact that ingestible skin care and nutrition do not see skin color, race, or age.” Focused solely on the cellular level, Lycored believes its Lumenato range offers a liberating platform for inclusivity, positivity, and equality.

The third video explores sustainability. Lumenato is a plant-based solution created using a CO2-protected, solvent-free extraction process. Lycored notes it is committed to full vertical integration and extensive research and development to identify minimal waste solutions.

The campaign promotes the idea of redefining and recreating individual definitions of beauty. Forming the core of a project first developed in 2016, Lycored believes its message is still as relevant today as it was then. 

“Inspired by this, our #rethinkbeautiful campaign has long challenged conventional thinking around beauty and worked to foster more inclusive approaches,” details Ziegler. “Demand for beauty-from-within solutions has grown as ingestible skin care has become a mainstream category, particularly among the youngest age groups.” 

Lycored recently carried out research showing that 44% of active consumers under the age of 35 had used a skin care supplement. “Amazing things are ahead for the category, but brands need to respond to new consumer expectations, in particular the demand for products with sustainably produced ingredients,” Ziegler details. 

By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, BPC Insights Senior Journalist