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• COFFEEBERRY^™
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• Licorice
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• Soy
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• Ylang-Ylang

Soy

History and Origin

Soy has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years for its health and nutritional benefits, as well as to care for the skin. Soy was among the first crops grown in ancient China. Soybean nutrition discovered in ancient times was rediscovered, elucidated and quantified by modern nutritionists, doctors and agriculturalists.¹

Soy was regarded as having medicinal values and was used as a preventative medicine in some countries. It was also stated in medical writings to be a specific remedy for proper functioning of the heart, liver, kidney and stomach, and bowels. It was also used as a stimulant for the lungs, for eradication of poison from the system, improving complexion by cleaning the skin of impurities. It is also used by Chinese doctors to strengthen the blood.¹

In the early 90’s, Scientists noticed that Asian workers in soybean factories who handled soy regularly had hands that were especially smooth and even-toned. While formerly, the refining of whole soybeans would destroy many of the bean’s complex proteins and properties, scientists devised a way to retain the soybean’s naturally active benefits. This unique processing system ensures minimal loss of the natural soybean’s active benefits and provides a stable, concentrated form of the whole soybean.

Scientists then created a proprietary Total Soy Complex which captures the multiple cutaneous benefits of the natural soybean for skin care.

Components, Activities and Applications

Soy contains small proteins, soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI), Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI), amino acids, essential fatty acids, isoflavones, lecithins, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, saponins, phytosterols, phytic acid, minerals and vitamins. ²

Soy’s skin care benefits include cleansing, moisturization, improvement in the appearance of pigmentation, and visible improvements in the appearance of unwanted hair.

Preclinical Data

• In a pre-clinical evaluation, small soy proteins, BBI and STI, found in whole, fresh soy have been shown to partially inhibit skin pigmentation by inhibiting cleavage of protease-activated receptor-2, a seven-transmembrane, G protein-coupled receptor that is expressed in keratinocytes but not melanocytes. It is activated by serine protease cleavage. BBI and STI can inhibit this cleavage and inhibit the transfer of melanosomes to keratinocytes and thus inhibit pigmentation.³
• BBI and STI were also found to affect hair pigmentation and hair shaft dimensions.⁴

Clinical Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Soy based Facial Moisturizer in Improving Skin Tone and Texture²

• 63 healthy female subjects (30-55 years of age) with moderate levels of roughness, brown spots, lentigines, blotchiness, and/or skin dullness were enrolled in a 12-week, double-blind study to determine the benefits of a daily Total Soy facial preparation with SPF 30 in improving skin tone and texture. Subjects were randomized to twice-daily application with a facial moisturizer with Total Soy and a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen SPF 30 (n=31) or placebo moisturizer and SPF 30 (n=32). Dermatologist evaluations, subject self-assessments and instrumental analysis were performed at various time points throughout the study.
• At the 2-week time point, dermatologist assessments showed significant improvements (p<0.05) in mean scores for appearance of fine lines, brown spots, blotchiness and skin clarity compared to baseline. At the 4-week time point, subjects using the Total Soy facial moisturizer with SPF 30 showed significant (p<0.05) mean improvements in all these parameters when compared with subjects using the SPF 30 moisturizer without Total Soy. In addition, those using the Total Soy moisturizer with SPF 30 had a 35% improvement in blotchiness and skin clarity by Week 4.
• Beginning at the 2-week time point, the dermatologist observed a significant improvement (p<0.05) in overall skin tone and texture and an overall improvement in skin appearance among subjects using the Total Soy moisturizer with SPF 30 compared to both baseline mean values and to placebo control.
• After using the Total Soy and SPF 30 preparation for 8 weeks, subjects showed a 40% improvement in facial roughness, blotchiness and skin clarity.
• Subject self-assessments showed that subjects using the Total Soy and SPF 30 facial moisturizer began to perceive significant (p<0.05) improvements in various skin tone, texture and brightness parameters as early as Week 1.
• Colorimetry showed a significant (p<0.05) increase in skin luminosity and a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the yellow coordinate which correlates with an improvement in skin brightness and overall skin tone. Visible and enhanced photography demonstrated improvements in skin tone, texture and radiance.
  
• Moisturization measurements showed that the Total Soy and SPF 30 facial moisturizer significantly (p<0.05) improved facial skin hydration at all time points throughout the 12-week study.

Clinical Evaluation of Soy Based Formulations in Improving Skin Radiance²

32 healthy female subjects (aged 30 to 49 years of age) with moderate skin roughness, brown spots, blotchiness and dullness were enrolled in a clinical study whose aim was to understand the benefits of a Total Soy moisturizers on facial skin tone, texture and radiance.

• Subjects used a moisturizer with Total Soy Complex and natural light diffusers with a UVA/UVB sunscreen (SPF 15) in the morning and a Total Soy Complex formulation without SPF at night.
• Product benefits were evaluated by means of dermatologist- and subject self- assessments at baseline and various time points over the 12-week study, and instrumental evaluations using visible and UV photography and colorimetry. All evaluations were performed without any moisturizers on the subjects' faces.
• Dermatologist evaluations after 4 weeks of twice-daily application of the Total Soy formulation noted significant improvements in radiance, sallowness, blotchiness, texture and pigmentation. At the 4, 8 and 12-week time point, dermatologist evaluation showed significant (p<0.05) improvements in these parameter in comparison to baseline.
• By week 2 and at all other time points, subjects perceived improvements in overall skin texture and radiance, as well as skin softness.
• At 12 weeks, a significant decrease (p< 0.05) was seen via colorimetry in the red and yellow color coordinates, correlating to reductions in skin redness and sallowness.
• Visible and UV photography demonstrated improvements in skin tone, texture and radiance at 12 weeks.

Safety and Tolerability

• The studies of the Total Soy moisturizers with SPF 30 or SPF 15 showed that both formulations were safe and well-tolerated over 12 weeks of use with no serious adverse skin reactions reported. These facial moisturizers are formulated to minimize the risk of allergies.^5,6
• In a study of the effect of Total Soy on skin tone, approximately 200 subjects were patched 3 times per week for a total of 9 applications over 3 weeks. A 0.15% retinol cream served as a positive control. No clinical signs of irritation were noted with either with formulation.⁷

References

1. History of Research on the Nutritional Value, Biochemistry, and Medicinal Uses of Soybeans and Soyfoods :A Special Report on The History of Nutritional Research on Soybeans and Soyfoods: A Chapter from the Unpublished Manuscript, History of Soybeans and Soyfoods: 1100 B.C. to the 1980s. William Shurtleff, Akiko Aoyagi.
2. Liu J-C, Seiberg M, Miller J et al. Soy: potential applications in skin care. Poster presented at: 59^th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology; MARCH 2-7, 2001; WASHINGTON, DC.
3. Seiberg M, Paine C, Sharlow E et al. The protease-activated receptor 2 regulates pigmentation via keratinocyte-melanocyte interactions. Exp Cell Res 2000;254:25-32.
4. Seiberg M, Liu J-C, Babiarz L et al. Soymilk reduces hair growth and hair follicle dimensions. Exp Dermatol 2001;10:405-413.
5. Nebus J, Wallo W, Sher D, Kurtz ES. Clinical improvement in skin tone, texture and radiance with facial moisturizers containing total soy complex. Poster presented at: 64^th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology; March 3-7, 2006; San Francisco, Calif.
6. Nebus J, Wallo W, Kurtz ES at al. The Essence of Safety Testing on Soy Extract Formulations vitamin topical preparation. Poster presented at: 59^th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology; March 2001.
7. Liu J-C, Wu J, Payonk G, Summer B, Kollias N. Clinical evaluation of a total soy formulation in improving appearance of skin tone in phototype VI populations. Poster presented at: 60^th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology; February 22-27, 2002; New Orleans, La.