Golden Yeast - why you need it for summer

In Singapore, we're constantly exposed to the harsh sunlight. As a result, our skin is especially prone to loss of collagen and premature aging.

Today, we're going to share a secret ingredient that protects you from sun damage.

Before we begin, I’m sure you’ve heard that sake brewers are famous for having unusually smooth, fair, and age-defying hands. 

The reason? 

Constant contact with fermented yeast.

Ever since this discovery, the beauty industry has churned out a ton of skin whitening products, the most famous being SKII.

A group of Japanese scientists took this a step further and developed a unique ingredient called Golden Yeast, which is extracted using a proprietary heat-based technology.

So why is Golden Yeast so fascinating?

In a randomised, controlled study published in the Japanese Pharmacology and Therapeutics Journal 2016, a Japanese scientists assigned 2 groups of men and women to try Golden Yeast tablets and a sugar pill (aka placebo) for 8 weeks.

This trial was conducted during late autumn to winter, where the participants wore long-sleeved coats every single day. This way, their skin is sufficiently protected from UV rays.

To measure skin brightness, the scientists used a colour sensor which ranks skintone based on the Munsell score. They measured the same spot on the participants’ forearm during the start of the trial, and every 2 weeks after that. What these scientists found was that the skintone of all the participants became lighter across 8 weeks. And this is normal since it was autum to winter.

 But wait! Here’s the interesting part:

The participants who ate the Golden Yeast experienced a much more significant difference in terms of brightening and whitening, compared to those who ate the sugar pill placebo. These photos show the results after 8 weeks.

So how does it work?

You see, all of us are born with a certain amount of melanin, which gives  our skin colour. However, UV rays causes an extra melanin to be produced, resulting in tanning and dark spots or patches.

This process is activated by an enzyme in our body called Tyrosinase.

Golden Yeast inhibits the formation of Tyrosinase so that our bodies don't produce excessive melanin when exposed to UV rays. 

That’s not all!

The scientists went on to study the effect of Golden Yeast on human skin cells that have been irradiated by UV light. 

Now as we all know, UV rays destroys collagen, resulting in wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity. UV rays cause this damage by activating an enzyme in our bodies, called MMP-1.

 

What the researchers found, was  that Golden Yeast blocks the formation of the MMP-1 enzyme in our bodies. Without the MMP-1 enzyme, collagen cannot be broken down so easily even under UV radiation. In plain English, this means that Golden Yeast prevents collagen loss! 

Cool huh? Golden Yeast works in giving you glowing skin, preventing hyperpigmentation, boosting collagen, and reduces skin redness and irritation.

In fact, it’s so effective and safe that the Japanese government recognises this as a quasi-drug. This label is only awarded to food ingredients that have proven safety and effectiveness. 

We are very excited about Golden Yeast and have included it in our formulation of Lumina. We're confident that it's going to be your best friend all year round.