The Active Arsenal

Consumers and scientists alike are looking for the same thing these days: the hottest ingredients. Inside today’s leading skin care labs, R&D teams are assessing active ingredients to see which will drive their next cream, serum and lotion to new levels of performance. Meanwhile in stores and online, skin care shoppers are reading labels and ads to see which brands are touting the newest technologies that promise to lessen fine lines and wrinkles, lighten sun spots and restore their skin’s youthful appearance.

It has made for robust business during the past several years, with sales of anti-aging skin care products on the rise. And since beauty is an industry always on the prowl for the next big thing, the raw material category has been soaring to new heights as well.

According to the Global Markets for Chemicals for Cosmetics and Toiletries report from BCC Research, the global cosmetic and toiletry ingredients market was forecast to hit nearly $19.6 billion in 2013, with active ingredients expected to jump from an estimated $2.2 billion this year to nearly $2.7 in 2018, representing a CAGRof 4.3%.

Dermatologists covet actives too because they deliver the results their patients demand.

“Active ingredients are critical as they are the only agents in skin care products that have been tested to show clinical results,” said Dr. Susan Stuart, a board certified dermatologist based in La Jolla, CA. Stuart’s go-to list of active ingredients includes those with demonstrated efficacy over time and have been in use for many years—namely retinols, vitamin C serum, alpha hydroxy acids, antioxidants, growth factors and peptides.

Each of those active ingredients has been enlisted by skin care experts in the battle against all types of skin maladies, from general appearance quandaries (think lackluster tone) to more specific issues, like acne and frown lines. The chemist’s tool kit continues to grow as leading cosmetic companies are benefitting from the growing range of active ingredients now at their fingertips.

“Not only has the array of actives increased for the product formulator, they are now available from worldwide sources, which makes it much easier for today’s formulator to create safe and efficacious skin care products,” said John Scimeca, Artistry senior principal research scientist.

One of the newest rollouts from the Amway lab is the Youth Xtend Skincare Collection. Created for women (and men) who are just noticing the first signs of aging, the line’s hero product, Youth Xtend Concentrated Serum, rolled out over the summer, and the latest SKU—Youth Xtend Lifting Smoothing Foundation—debuted months ago.

The core technology of the Youth Xtend line is Sirtuin activation.“Sirtuins act as a ‘youth switch’ by helping the skin repair the visible signs of aging. They help to enhance the natural production of important proteins to help the user maintain a youthful look,” Scimeca said.

According to Scimeca, the Youth Xtend collection features three “potent and precious ingredients to help protect, repair and most importantly, reprogram the future of skin.” The trio includes LifeSirt, a rare botanical from the Mediterranean myrtle plant, and Micro-X6 Peptide, an exclusive ingredient consisting of six amino acids that is known for encouraging collagen activity.

Artistry also tapped the Baobab—known as the “Tree of Life.” According to ScimecaAir Max 20K T8 Shoes