Silab, a French manufacturer of cosmetic active ingredients, has launched Metallomia, a detoxifying ingredient developed for menopausal skin. The company says the product targets a deficiency in ferritinophagy, the process that regulates the controlled release of iron to meet cellular needs.
Silab's interest in the mechanism follows a modeling study of menopausal skin. According to the company, this work showed that ferritinophagy is deficient during menopause, reducing the availability of bioavailable iron and contributing to premature skin aging. Silab calls this phenomenon metallo-aging. The company adds that UV radiation intensifies the problem by promoting the degradation of iron/ferritin complexes. That degradation can release iron in a massive, uncontrolled way and trigger significant oxidative stress, according to Silab.
Metallomia is designed to act on this sequence by relaunching ferritinophagy in menopausal skin. Silab says the ingredient facilitates the provision of iron and helps relaunch the main epidermal functions. The mechanism is intended to address both insufficient iron delivery and UV-driven iron release. It also reports that, by reducing iron/ferritin complexes, the active limits oxidative stress when skin is exposed to UV. The company therefore positions Metallomia as a way to reduce metallo-aging through a targeted mechanism.
Silab cites volunteer studies in support of the ingredient's visible effects. After 14 days, it says the skin of Caucasian volunteers appeared revitalized, with a reinforced skin barrier and a more unified, radiant complexion. In Asian volunteers, pigment spots were significantly reduced after 28 days, according to the company. When Caucasian volunteers applied the ingredient before UV exposure, Silab says it prevented lipid peroxidation and limited the appearance of redness within hours after exposure.
For the ingredient's development, Silab examined the molecular composition of marshmallow roots, which the company describes as particularly rich in mucilages. It established a traced supply chain with French partners. The supply was validated against criteria in the European Pharmacopoeia and through authentication by DNA barcoding, according to Silab. To draw on the roots' mucilage content, the company developed a specific enzyme engineering process to extract polyuronides.
Metallomia is a patented active ingredient recommended for all care products intended for menopausal skin at a dose of 0.5% to 2%. It is available in aqueous solution, which Silab says makes it easy to formulate. The ingredient complies with biodiversity regulations, has a natural-origin content of 100% under ISO 16128 and meets international cosmetics regulations in markets including Europe, the United States, China and Japan, according to the company.