Background/purpose: Sunburn and other health risks associated with excess sun exposure place huge economic burdens on societies, and create discomfort and disease within susceptible individuals. Oral supplements that reduce sunburn may be advantageous. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of Bend Skincare Anti-Aging Formula to ameliorate sunburn induced with a solar simulator.
Methods: Subjects (n = 28) with Fitzpatrick skin phototypes I, II, or III took 4 capsules daily of the supplement providing 1400 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 120 mg of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), 5 mg of lutein, 2.5 mg of zeaxanthin, and 1000 IU of vitamin D3 for 8 weeks. Skin on each subject's back was exposed to a progressive sequence of timed ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure doses at baseline, and after 4- and 8-week treatment to determine their minimal erythema dose (MED). Results were compared before and after treatment using 3 paired t tests and subsequently 3 linear mixed models.
Results: Treatment significantly improved tolerance to UV exposure as evidenced by increased MED at 4 and 8 weeks compared with baseline (P < .001). This protection increased with prolonged use of Bend Skincare Anti-Aging Formula as demonstrated by progressively increased MED between baseline and 4 weeks, and again between 4 and 8 weeks (P < .001). Nearly 86% of patients responded to treatment within 4 weeks and 100% of patients responded by the end of the study, resulting in a 39% mean increase in MED at 4 weeks, and an 84% mean increase in MED at 8 weeks compared with baseline. Treatment was well tolerated with no product associated adverse events (AE) and only a few mild and expected side effects.
Conclusion: Bend Skincare Anti-Aging Formula safely and effectively provides significant skin photoprotection that increases with continued use.
Keywords: UV radiation; carotenoids; fish oil; skin; sunburn.
© 2017 The Authors. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.