Ivax Unveils Heliocare Supplement To “Protect Against” Aging, Sun Damage
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Ivax will tout its new dietary supplement Heliocare as "scientifically proven to help maintain the skin's ability to protect against sun-related effects and aging.
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Ivax will tout its new dietary supplement Heliocare as "scientifically proven to help maintain the skin's ability to protect against sun-related effects and aging." Marketed as a "dietary supplement for the skin," Heliocare "works to protect skin structure and immune response and provides daily defense against the UV photoaging process" and was launched by the Miami, Fla.-based firm Dec. 15. Heliocare's "antioxidant and immune response effects" help to "inhibit formation of sunburn cells." It also protects collagen and DNA by deterring the formation of harmful chemical compounds, according to Ivax. The supplement contains Fernblock, an extract derived from a Central and South American tropical fern called Polypodium leucotomos, Ivax says. Fernblock "is a rich source of polypodium compounds," including caffeic acid, vanillic acid and chlorogenic acid. Polypodium leucotomos "acts as a scavenger to mop up free radicals and reactive oxygen species, particularly superoxide anions," Ivax adds. Although Heliocare can be purchased in pharmacies, it will be primarily marketed through dermatologist offices. The product already is available as a dietary supplement in Spain, Italy, Belgium and New Zealand, Ivax maintains. Consumers are directed to take one capsule (240 mg) of Heliocare in the morning with a glass of water or juice. Two capsules are recommended "when more than ordinary sun exposure is expected." The supplement "starts working within one-half hour" and is designed to be used in conjunction with a topical sunblock, the firm notes. The firm cites a number of studies published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in support of its active ingredient, and adds that Heliocare is "the result of years of research in photobiology at Harvard Medical School and European Universities." Pierre Fabre Group launched the dietary supplement Elusun for "natural skin tanning" in 1999, which promised to protect the skin from UV damage through a combination of beta carotene and vitamins C and E (1 (Also see "Pierre Fabre Elusun Promoted As Beta Carotene Supplement For Self-Tanning" - Pink Sheet, 29 Mar, 1999.), p. 20). - Melina Vissat |