Beauty

Silab launches Metallomia, a detoxifying active ingredient aimed at menopausal skin

Anushka RaoNovember 12, 20265 min read0 views

At a glance

  • The French ingredient maker targets a ferritinophagy deficiency it identified in menopausal skin, with a marshmallow-root extract positioned for menopausal care formulas.
  • Silab has introduced Metallomia, a patented detoxifying active ingredient designed to restart ferritinophagy and restore iron supply in menopausal skin. The company reports barrier, complexion and pigment-spot improvements in volunteer testing, alongside UV-related oxidative stress protection.
A translucent marshmallow-root cross-section beside frosted glass laboratory vessels, with amber iron-particle motifs drifting through abstract skin-layer forms.

Silab, the French manufacturer of cosmetic active ingredients, has launched Metallomia, a detoxifying active ingredient developed specifically for menopausal skin. The company says the ingredient was designed around a mechanism it documented through a new modelling study of menopausal skin: a deficiency in ferritinophagy, the process that ensures iron is released in a controlled way to meet the needs of cells.

A metallo-ageing mechanism

According to Silab, the shortfall in ferritinophagy observed during menopause reduces the amount of bioavailable iron, and this lack drives premature ageing of the skin, a phenomenon the company terms metallo-ageing. Ultraviolet radiation is said to worsen the situation. UV exposure favours the degradation of iron/ferritin complexes, which releases iron massively and without control and generates substantial oxidative stress. The result, in Silab's account, is a double burden: too little usable iron under normal conditions, and a harmful surge of free iron when skin is exposed to sunlight.

Restarting ferritinophagy

Metallomia is intended to counter both sides of that picture. It relaunches ferritinophagy in menopausal skin, facilitating the provision of iron and restarting the main epidermal functions. At the same time, by reducing the iron/ferritin complexes, the active ingredient limits oxidative stress when skin is exposed to UV. Silab states that this targeted mechanism significantly reduces metallo-ageing.

What the testing reported

  • In Caucasian volunteers, skin was described as revitalised from day 14: the skin barrier was reinforced and the complexion was more unified and radiant.
  • In Asian volunteers, pigment spots were reported to be significantly reduced after 28 days.
  • Applied by Caucasian volunteers before UV exposure, the ingredient prevented lipid peroxidation, and the appearance of redness was limited within hours of exposure.

Marshmallow root and a traced supply chain

For the development of Metallomia, Silab examined the molecular composition of marshmallow roots, which are particularly rich in mucilages, and established a traced supply chain with French partners. That supply was validated against the criteria set out in the European Pharmacopoeia and authenticated by DNA barcoding. To make use of the root's mucilage content, the company developed a specific enzyme engineering process for extracting polyuronides.

Positioning and compliance

The patented ingredient is recommended for all care products intended for menopausal skin at a dose of 0.5% to 2%. It is available as an aqueous solution that is easy to formulate, complies with biodiversity regulations and has a natural origin content of 100% according to ISO 16128. Silab adds that it meets international cosmetics regulations, including those covering Europe, the United States, China and Japan.

Reported by Anushka Rao, Hair Extensions and Wigs Editor.