People are becoming increasingly curious about the science behind their products — namely, is it natural? Effective? Safe? Thankfully, Leucidal® is one of the few ingredients of the past few years that has emerged and proven to be natural, effective, and safe.
Derived from a fermentation process (think: sauerkraut), Leucidal® has the ability to fight acne, combat skin dryness, and prolong the life of your skin care products. Its small but significant lactic acid content also leaves skin feeling smoother and a bit more exfoliated and less lined. For more, read on.
A Major Antimicrobial Ingredient Great Source of Lactic Acid
Using a technology similar to how LaMer is created — fermentation, which creates fresh lactic acid — Leucidal® has both antimicrobial and skin-brightening, skin-smoothing, skin-softening activity characteristic of lactic acid.
Leucidal® is a probiotic-based ingredient created by the fermentation of Lactobacillus bacteria in a defined growth medium. Lactobacillus is one of the species of microorganisms used to produce fermented products such as sauerkraut and kimchi, a Korean dietary staple, from cabbage. Like many members of the lactic acid bacteria family, Lactobacillus is capable of restricting the growth of other microorganisms by acidifying its environment. However, in addition to acidifying its environment, Lactobacillus also produces novel antimicrobial peptides, also known as bacteriocins, that are capable of providing broad spectrum antimicrobial protection. (ActiveMicrotechnology.com)
There are a lot of beauty benefits to using aqueous ferment filtrates that contain by-products of fermentation, especially the lactic acid. The advantage to lactic acid is that it does not temporarily thin the skin like glycolic acid does, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. This is particularly useful during the summer months, when UV rays are the strongest. Granted, glycolic acid will increase skin thickness over time, while lactic acid will not (source), but I personally choose lactic acid over glycolic acid and other agents that thin the skin – even temporarily – before flying, swimming, living and breathing in summer months, :-). I also love lactic acid because it is really hydrating. Proof of lactic acid’s humectant abilities is that one of the only prescription drugs FDA approved for dry skin, LacHydrin, has lactic acid (12%) as the main ingredient. Pretty impressive!
Leucidal® is also what I find to be the reason why products that feature it are so great at keeping acne and breakouts at bay. Preliminary in vitro studies show that 2% Leucidal® Liquid SF keeps microorganisms at bay in products, including E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, C. albicans and A. brasiliensis. When cosmetics products were incubated with these bacterial species for two-28 day cycles, Leucidal® was able to keep microorganism growth at bay. Though there is no human-correlated data to support it, I am strongly in support of the theory that Leucidal® should also be able to keep P. acnes, the bacterial species that causes and perpetuates acne on the skin, at bay as well. A major reason to look for it in your skin care and cosmetics!
What are the Best Products with Leucidal®?
Best for Dry Skin: Diana Ralys Skin Health Peptide Firming Serum ($54.00, Amazon.com)
This very concentrated hyaluronic acid-based serum features Argireline and Matrixyl® 3000. Best for those with dry, sagging skin, the formulation has the potential to snap your skin back into place with repeated use over 9-12 weeks.
Matrixyl® 3000 is a popular ingredient in anti-aging products that actually contains two main peptides, palmitoyl oligopeptide and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7. Palmitoyl oligopeptide is an elastin sequence that accelerates angiogenesis and stimulates the growth of fibroblasts, while palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 increases the firmness, smoothness, and elasticity of skin through actions similar to dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland (Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology). Together, the two peptides firm skin by synthesizing collagen IV and fibronectin at the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ), thus creating better cohesion between the two layers of skin (Cosmetics & Toiletries).
Argireline is a little more controversial: It works extremely well for some people, but not for others. You may remember a few years back when there were lots of radio commercials advertising Hydroxatone as an “an alternative to Botox”. Well, the main active ingredient was none other than Argireline. Also known as acetyl hexapeptide-3, argireline raised eyebrows literally and figurately after a 2002 study found wrinkles were reduced in depth by 30% when it was injected into the skin, similar to BotoxTM. Argireline works on the same muscle-to-nerve connections as BotoxTM, which makes sense, given that it is actually a shortened peptide sequence of BotoxTM. Unfortunately, while injections of argireline produced similar results to BotoxTM, argireline in skin care creams cannot diffuse through the top layers of skin to reach the crucial muscle-nerve connections like injectable BotoxTM. Still, some individuals note a much firmer, less-lined facial appearance after using it.
Overall, what does this mean for you in using Diana Ralys Skin Health Peptide Firming Serum? Smoother, firmer skin over time, though you need to use a reasonably high concentration over time. I recommend using it after a retinoid or alpha hydroxy acid treatment nightly.
Ingredients in Diana Ralys Skin Health Peptide Firming Serum: Hyaluronic acid, Argireline, Matrixyl 3000, Snap-8, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Leucidal.
Best for Oily or Acne-Prone Skin: Your Best Face Boost ($65.00, FutureDerm.com/Shop)
On the other hand, if you have oily or acne-prone skin, look no further than Your Best Face Boost ($65.00, FutureDerm.com/Shop) is a sensational product for oily to very oily skin. It is designed to control breakouts and enhance the penetration of other treatment products applied after. With an amazing assortment of ingredients, including Caffeine, Homeostatine®, RenovageTM, Leucidal®, niacinamide, and Your Best Face’s characteristic spin traps, I am a huge fan of this product for use between cleansing and antioxidant treatment serums, morning and/or night.
Homeostatine™ is a complex that works in two ways: First, Homeostatine™ may prevent and reduce wrinkles over time by increasing the production of collagen by your skin’s fibroblasts (The Center for Chem, 2014). An active complex of two natural botanical ingredients, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract and Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Homeostatine™ also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent in the skin. Specifically, for your beauty geeks out there, Homeostatine™ inhibits the synthesis of collagen-degrading enzymes called metalloproteinases (MMP), as well as the inhibits the synthesis of pro-inflammatory mediators (The Center for Chem, 2014). The result is suggested to be less wrinkled, more elastic and firmer skin.
Renovage™ (teprenone) has long been used to heal stomach ulcers (Acta-dermalogica, 2010; Japanese Society of Inflammation and Regeneration, 1994) and is far newer in topical application for the skin. Preliminary data shows that the ingredient has similar efficacy on the skin to that of the digestive tract, inhibiting inflammatory cytokines and increasing the activity of heat shock proteins to make the tissue more resistant, and ultimately to proposedly heal and reverse signs of aging. It has been proposed Renovage™ reduces redness and sun spots and minimizes skin pore size, and may firm and tighten sagging skin.
Overall, Your Best Face Boost is one of my all-time favorite skin care products for oily or acne-prone skin. Use it daily after an antioxidant serum and before sunscreen in the morning, and after a retinoid or alpha hydroxy acid treatment at night.
Ingredients in Your Best Face Boost: reverse osmosis water, white tea, cucumber extract, olivem (cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate), caffeine, Homeostatine® (enteromorpha compressa extract, caesalpina gum), Renovage™ (triglyceride, teprenone), niacin, vitamin B5, vitamin e, Leucidal® (leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate), spin trap (phenyl butyl nitrone),lipochroman-6 (dimethylmethoxy chromanol)
Bottom Line
Leucidal® is an amazing natural ingredient that improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, serves as an anti-acne and anti-inflammatory agent, and improves the overall appearance of the skin. (You’ve gotta love fermentation!) If you’ve tried everything to keep breakouts at bay and nothing has worked, try Your Best Face Boost. On the other hand, if you have dry skin, you can get the benefits of Leucidal from Diana Ralys Skin Health Peptide Firming Serum.
Thoughts on this post? Let me know! nicki[at]futurederm[dot]com, or in Comments below!