Bitter is better: new way to soothe sensitive skin

ABSTRACT

Good medicine tastes bitter, said Confucius.¹ Indeed, many active pharmaceutical ingredients taste bitter, manifesting the cross-cultural believe that the bitterness of medicine is correlated with beneficial pharmacological activity. Bitter taste receptors have recently been discovered in skin. Their activation triggers the synthesis of skin barrier lipids^,2-6 making them novel targets for the treatment of sensitive skin. Amaretine® (hereafter called the bittersweet complex) builds on this new knowledge by combining bitter with sweet components: bitter andrographolide from Andrographis paniculata leaves and sweet glycyrrhetinic acid from Glycyrrhiza glabra roots activate the skin’s bitter receptors and reduce inflammatory responses.^7,8 Both active components are enclosed in a liposomal carrier system for optimal dermal delivery, to synergistically comfort sensitive skin. The bittersweet complex performs excellently in consumer surveys, where people with sensitive skin report a reduction in redness, itching, stinging, or burning sensations after treatment. This action was further confirmed in clinical studies, as well as in placebo controlled in vivo and in vitro studies. Finally, we could show that improving symptoms of sensitive skin measurably improves the quality of life of affected people. 

Skin sensitivity and its symptoms like redness, itching, stinging, or burning sensations, are now a top concern among consumers globally. Around 60% of the population report having some degree of skin sensitivity,⁹ with many experiencing a negative impact on their quality of life.¹⁰