SOD is categorised as a primary antioxidant which produces superior antioxidant effect as compared to secondary antioxidants such as vitamin C and CoQ10.
Selling under the brand name Lumina, the firm spent one year fine-tuning the formula consisting of emerald lemon extract – the source of SOD, golden yeast, and beta-glucan, Nutraingredients-Asia learnt from senior product manager Cecilia Ng.
The company sources its emerald lemon extracts from a Taiwanese firm that uses a patented technology to extract the lemon essence. The lemons also undergo a 90-day fermentation to achieve a smaller molecular size so that the extract could penetrate the cells easily.
"The emerald lemons are grown in Ping Tung, Taiwan and we make our final product over there as well," Ng said.
Brighter and fairer
Besides a high content of antioxidant, the product is also said to produce skin whitening and brightening effects.
“From our conversations with the aesthetic doctors, we found that these days, producing skin whitening effect alone is no longer a strong selling point. Doctors are interested in whether the product produces brightening effect as well,” Ng said.
As such, the firm added golden yeast which promotes skin whitening and brightening effects by inhibiting the mRNA expression of tyrosinase – the enzyme which drives the oxidation of tyrosine and L-dopa to produce melanin.
Golden yeast also prevents collagen breakdown by inhibiting the action of MMP-1 mRNA – the enzyme that breaks down collagen.
Lastly, beta-glucan is added to strengthen the skin barrier and stimulate hydration.
Aesthetic clinics
Selling at SGD$59.90 per box (14 sachets), the firm is planning to work with aesthetic clinics in selling the product in Singapore.
“The product is not cheap. Therefore we are selling through aesthetic clinics instead of retail outlets as this is where we can find consumers with a greater purchasing power. Also, due to the higher price, consumers are also more likely to buy it if it is sold through professional clinics,” Ng explained.
Other than Singapore, it is also selling the product as a general food in China.
It is expecting to export the product into China in the upcoming weeks. Ng revealed that its first batch of exports, numbered at 2,000 boxes, would be sold via distributors.