The New Zealand-based company produces keratin that can be used in both nutritional supplements and personal care products.
The keratin that the company supplies for use in nutritional supplements is sold under the brand name keraGEN-IV.
It is said to be a proprietary blend of cysteine-rich, digestible, bioactive keratin that triggers the production of collagen IV and VII, the structural collagens found at the junction of the dermis and epidermis of the skin.
Scott Haycock, commercial director of Keraplast Manufacturing, said in an interview with NutraIngredients-Asia that the company wants to build on its success in the US and expand its presence in Asia and Europe.
The United States is by far the largest market when it comes to the supply of keratin for hair supplements.
We also supply this ingredient for New Zealand brands i.am.me and kari10’s hair supplements.
Haycock said most users are women in their mid-20s to post-menopausal stages.
They usually take hair supplements to make their hair thicker, shinier, and improve overall hair health.
“They’re looking for overall improvements in their hair health, including healthier-looking, shinier hair. They’re also looking for thicker, healthier hair as well as improved scalp health. ”
He added that interest in hair supplements is increasing due to increased awareness and the influence of social media.
The company hopes to expand its market presence in Asia and Europe.
Within Asia, priority will be given to China, South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
“China is a very large market from a scale perspective, but like South Korea, they have a very strong industry and a strong market when it comes to personal care, so South Korea is a very strategic place for us to enter. is an important market.
“Japan is another market we are focusing on.”
Interestingly, there is a growing interest in keratin and hair supplements in Southeast Asia, primarily from local Malaysian and Indonesian manufacturers and brands.
Haycock said these companies are primarily interested in ingredients that are backed by clinical research, the source of the ingredients, and the quality of the ingredients.
“I think it’s very important to verify clinical claims. What’s really important to them is the quality of the ingredients and where those ingredients are sourced.
“A lot of companies are very interested in our sustainability efforts. We have a very strong story from New Zealand that is non-GMO. We are clean and environmentally friendly. , sustainable, and that is becoming more and more important.”
In addition to keratin, some companies add biotin, collagen, and vitamins to hair supplements for synergistic effects.
“There is a very strong synergy between keratin, collagen, and vitamins.
“Keratin plays an important role in the synthesis of collagens IV and VII, which are not necessarily obtained through collagen supplementation, so combining the two provides a synergistic effect.”
new scientific discoveries
Based on a 60-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, keraGEN-IV was found to have benefits for the skin in addition to hair health.
The study was conducted on 65 women between the ages of 45 and 60 who had healthy skin but damaged or stressed hair.
They were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or 200 mg of keraGEN-IV.
Results showed significant improvement in hair loss and hair strength in the intervention group.
Specifically, they reported a 43.1 percent reduction in hair loss and a 17.6 percent increase in fur integrity at day 60 compared to baseline. Both are said to be statistically significant improvements.
However, neither the intervention nor the placebo group reported significant changes in hair brightness and shine during the study period or when compared to each other.
The study results, published in HealthMed, also reported significant improvements in skin elasticity, skin barrier function, and nail strength in the intervention group.
For example, the intervention group had a 10.1 percent increase in skin elasticity from baseline by day 60.
Although no significant effect on skin hydration was obtained, the intervention group reported a 12.5% reduction in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) at day 30 compared to baseline. However, measurements at day 60 were not significantly different from baseline.
“This study validates keraGEN-IV’s role in hair fixation, which is a concern for many women who experience hair loss due to hormonal changes or stress.”
“This also demonstrated the role of keraGEN-IV in skin elasticity, which can decline with age,” said Research and Development of AIDP, Inc., the ingredient’s distributor and also a participant in the study. said Dr. Jennifer Gu, vice president.
source
Keraplast sources its functional keratin ingredients from cultured wool and uses proprietary extraction techniques in the process.
According to the company, this ingredient has high bioavailability because it is similar to human keratin.
“Kelaplast has pioneered a patented commercial method to extract alpha keratin on a large scale.
“We utilize a gentle cryochemical process that cleaves the disulfide bonds to make keratin soluble and then modifies the cysteine bonds to maintain solubility and introduce high bioactivity.”
“The result is Functionalized Keratin®. The similarities between wool alpha keratin and human keratin provide superior bioactivity when used in personal care and supplements,” says CEO Howard.・Mr. Moore states.
