CycloRetin™
The new natural alternative to retinol
for gentle beauty
New times, new needs
Today’s skincare ethos has undergone a major shift, with performance no longer valued over naturalness and gentleness – especially when it comes to minimizing signs of aging. This change comes amidst growing emphasis on skin sensitivity. Retinol has dominated since the 1970s for boosting collagen and smoothing wrinkles. However, today's consumers want more than effectiveness alone. Retinol is plagued by irritation worries, and its synthetic origins increasingly feel outdated.
Aware of both the needs of consumers and formulators, Clariant set out to discover a naturally-derived alternative to retinol, one matching or exceeding its age-defying effects without the downsides.
A plant-based cyclic peptide
From Pseudostellaria heterophylla
- Also called Prince ginseng
- Adaptogenic plant used in traditional Chinese medicine
- Sourced in China
A natural source of heterophyllin B
- P. heterophylla is the only plant known to produce heterophyllin B
- Heterophyllin B is a peptide with a cyclic structure
- Thanks to its specific structure, it has a high bioactivity, stability, and increased performance
Clariant's research team extracted heterophyllin B from Prince ginseng cultivated in China through a reasoned approach, without fertilizer or pesticides, respectfully of the environment. CycloRetin is titrated in heterophyllin B, directly using and potentializing what nature offers us.
Efficacy and mildness: the new natural alternative to retinol
Optimizing retinol naturally present in cells: no need to overload skin
Retinol is naturally present in cells. CycloRetin increases the level of retinol conversion enzymes and retinol receptor in cells, to optimize retinoid pathway homeostasis, for a better use of intra-cellular retinol.
By optimizing the use of intracellular retinol by the cell, CycloRetin does not trigger irritation reactions as externally applied retinol does.
Reinforcing skin structure
Optimizing the retinoid pathway, CycloRetin also boosts fibroblasts' biological functions, with a stronger and wider effect than retinol on 6 genes involved in fibroblasts activities. Consequently, the expression of genes responsible for collagen and elastin production are reactivated, better than what is achieved with retinol.In addition to renewing the ECM fundamental elements, CycloRetin improves their organization to create a stronger collagen network, that could be visualized through an innovative 3D model.
Expanding the scope of action: wider effects than retinol
CycloRetin does more than retinol: not only does it address dermis structure, it also reinforces the epidermis structure by activating genes implied in skin barrier function and hydration, for a dual effect on skin quality.
Defying gravity and signs of aging
CycloRetin outperforms bakuchiol on skin sagging
Two clinical studies were conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of CycloRetin vs. placebo and vs. bakuchiol, a known plant-based retinol alternative.
On skin sagging, CycloRetin outperforms bakuchiol and is 5 times more efficient than placebo.
On skin firmness, CycloRetin has similar efficacy to bakuchiol and is 6 times more efficient than placebo.
On skin luminosity, CycloRetin has similar efficacy to bakuchiol and is 9.5 times more efficient than placebo.
CycloRetin acts faster than retinol to minimize wrinkles appearance
A clinical study was conducted to compare CycloRetin and retinol on wrinkles reduction.
In only 2 weeks, CycloRetin reduces all type of deep facial wrinkles, much faster than retinol, with a building effect overtime to help prevent the formation of future lines.
With the same efficacy as retinol, CycloRetin visibly smooths and plumps the eye area wrinkles, providing a youthful appearance.
Serving beauty without compromise: CycloRetin triggers more biological pathways than retinol to reactivate fibroblasts and reinforce the skin, without causing unpleasant side effects of irritation, and is clinically proven to outpassing bakuchiol on skin sagging.
