The quest for a radiant, perfect skin complexion, for youthful skin, even without makeup, is shared across all continents, with the Asian market leading the category. The number of new skin care products launched with a radiance claim has been multiplied by six over the last ten years in Asia. Moreover, more than half of the product launches targeting perfect skin complexion carried a “natural” claim in 2013.

To address this growing demand, Naturex has added a line of alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) to its ‘New Radiance’ collection of ingredients.

Multiple benefits 


AHAs are well-known for their skin smoothing properties. Their exfoliating action removes dead cells, stimulates cell renewal and improves skin hydration. They also act as antioxidant scavengers and protect the skin from oxidative damage.

Most natural AHAs are only available at relatively low concentrations,” explains Naturex. However, the French supplier of plant-based natural ingredients has designed extracts of hibiscus (rich in specific hibiscus acids) and cranberry (rich in citric, quinic and malic acids) with concentrations in AHAs reaching up to 45-65%.

Technical performance


Special attention has been paid to facilitate the use of AHAs in different formulations. Indeed, derived from anthocyanin-rich hibiscus flowers or cranberry fruits, the organic acids were originally coloured in vivid red. Naturex has worked to separate the anthocyanin from the organic acids in order to adapt them for cosmetic use. The powder and liquid versions of the cranberry and hibiscus AHAs have no impact on the colour of the finished product.

Moreover, natural organic acids are easily soluble in water. This property presents a significant advantage in terms of formulation, avoiding any crystallization or precipitation in the formula. Thanks to their high solubility, natural organic acids have superior activity and improved bioavailability on the skin,” claims Naturex.