Once again, it’s been a beehive of activity at Burt’s Bees, the skin care unit of Clorox, which earlier this week announced research supporting the role of natural skin care regimens to defend, restore and improve skin health. The studies were presented at the second annual Integrative Dermatology Symposium in San Diego.


These latest research findings from Burt's Bees include insights on new actives, skin sensitivity and lip barrier functions. 


"At Burt's Bees, we are committed to harnessing the proven power of nature-based ingredients. Notably, research announced today provides valuable insight into the effectiveness of natural retinol alternative, bakuchiol, which has been shown to be comparable to retinol in its ability to improve signs of photo-aging," said Hemali Gunt, PhD, head of clinical and scientific affairs at Burt's Bees. "The powerful anti-aging properties of this ingredient provide patients with a natural option to nurture strong and healthy-looking skin - without the frequent irritation that some patients experience with retinol products."
Burt's Bees posters at IDS 2019 include:

• Bakuchiol Protects Against Aging by Upregulating Procollagen Type I and Increasing Collagen Type I and Elastin without the Release of Inflammatory Cytokines; Gunt H and Levy S.

About the Research: The effectiveness of bakuchiol, a natural alternative to retinol, was evaluated in vitro on production of procollagen I in an aged fibroblast model. In addition, protection against UVB induced aging was studied on collagen and elastin in MatTek Full Thickness tissues. Overall, results demonstrated anti-aging properties of bakuchiol and support its use in topical treatments as a natural alternative to retinol in prevention and/or slowing skin aging. 

These in vitro studies found that cells treated with test material exhibited higher procollagen type I production than untreated cells. Additionally, significant collagen Type 1 and elastin increases were observed in post UVB treated tissues similar to retinoic acid. 


• Nature's Defense Against Nature; Gunt H, Shi V and Draelos Z.

About the Research: Clinical results from nature-based skin care regimens demonstrate the protective properties of the products to reduce the negative impact of environment on skin, including redness and sun damage, while strengthening the skin's barrier and providing hydration for overall healthier skin. 
In a 4-week clinical study, female subjects with sensitive skin were given a twice-daily skincare regimen: the test group was given a nature-based regimen and the control group continued a current synthetic regimen. Results demonstrated that the nature-based skincare regimen significantly reduced skin reactivity to lactic acid, decreased sensorial symptoms of skin sensitivity, improved skin barrier through decreased TEWL and significantly decreased carbonyl proteins, an indicator of oxidative damage. 

A second 8-week clinical study measured the ability of nature-based facial oil to decrease oxidative stress. Results indicated the oil protected against UV-induced inflammation and decreased sunburn cell counts on the treated site.

"Patients today know that both natural and man-made environmental factors can threaten their skin - but many don't realize that nature can be equally powerful to protect and nurture the skin," said Vivian Shi, MD, University of Arizona College of Medicine and study investigator. "Backed by proven science, nature-based skincare regimens have the ability to reinforce the skin's epidermal barrier, improve skin hydration and elasticity, and protect against oxidative stress."


• Assessing Human Lips: The Lip Barrier and Clinical Efficacy of a Nature-based Lip Treatment; Gunt H and Levy S.

About the Research: Unlike other skin, there has been little research on the biophysical properties and molecular composition of the lips, despite lips serving as a key visible marker of aging.

In a first-of-its-kind in vivo study, the structure of healthy female lips was 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.

A second 2-week clinical study assessed the effects of a nature-based lip treatment at Day 3, Week 1 and Week 2. Results showed that all clinical grading parameters studied (roughness/texture, fine/dry lines, fullness/plumpness, contour/definition, and overall lip condition) were significantly improved.