YEAST EXTRACT

Yeast extract is a botanical extract derived from yeast autolysis, containing a complex mixture of amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, vitamins, and minerals. Since the 1930s, it has been used in medications for its wound healing abilities. Through technological advancements, extracting a protein fraction from fermented yeast has become possible. This scientific breakthrough led to the study of yeast protein extracts, which revealed their beneficial effects on wound healing and enhanced collagen synthesis. Nowadays, more than five hundred distinct proteins have been identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with further research correlating their healing properties to peptides. As short molecules, peptides can easily penetrate the skin’s epidermis, contributing to their growing efficacy in cosmetics.

On a cellular level, yeast shares many metabolic processes with humans. Some yeast strains have been used as vectors to produce human collagen in culture. Similar to the mammalian extracellular matrix, yeast contains various high molecular weight proteins, including hydroxyproline-rich regions. However, unlike mammalian tissue, yeast-derived proteins are conjugated with sugars in the form of glycoproteins. The typical carbohydrate-to-protein ratio is 3:1. Due to the presence of sugar groups, which contain abundant hydroxyl groups, yeast-derived plant collagen binds significantly more water than mammalian collagen.

In skincare, yeast extract provides moisturizing, hydrating, and collagen-boosting benefits. Yeast amino acids act as humectants, while yeast-derived peptides stimulate skin healing. Its peptides up-regulate cellular growth factors that promote skin healing by stimulating angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation, and new collagen synthesis. Peptides have also been shown to function as excellent moisturizers, thanks to their ability to bind water within their structure. Additionally, yeast-derived insoluble glucan has been shown in studies to strongly inhibit adipogenic differentiation, support wound healing, and significantly reduce skin irritation. In a 4-week efficacy study of our yeast extract on the skin, moisture levels improved by 35.63% after 24 hours and by 61.62% after 4 weeks compared to the untreated control. The extract also demonstrated potent collagen synthesis activity, leading to improvements in dermal-epidermal junction integrity, tensile strength, skin elasticity, and the scaffolding matrix. It also maximized antioxidant capacity on a cellular level, allowing for the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at a rate that protects against cellular damage. This damage manifests as physical signs of aging, including wrinkles, loss of elasticity, unwanted pigmentation, uneven skin tone, and slow regeneration.

The extract we use is vegan and ISO 16128 compliant.