Vitamin subscription purveyor Ritual has just unleashed HyaCera, a daily skin hydration supplement. The formulation features two clinically-studied ingredients shown to hydrate skin after 90 days of use and help minimize fine lines and wrinkles.
The company’s founder and CEO, Katarina Schneider, said that as a direct to consumer brand, Ritual has been successful at having a strong pulse on what its customers are looking for.
“Our highest requested new category unaided (after gut health) is skincare,” said Schneider. “The Ritual customer is skeptical about the science behind beauty ingestibles. And frankly, so was our in-house team of scientists. When looking at the category and the ingredients, we found that either products contained ingredients with no clinical studies, or clinical studies didn’t match the dosages or forms. On top of that, there were some really bold claims. It was hard to find something that was truly validated by our standards. After extensive research, we selected two of the best clinically-studied ingredients shown to hydrate skin and help minimize wrinkles.”
New category who dis?
Speaking to NutraIngredients-USA, Schneider said this new entry not only marks a new category for the brand, but will reinvent the way skincare is viewed.
“We want to change the way people think about addressing specific skin needs from the inside out and to make HyaCera a staple in their lineup. It’s exciting to think that at Ritual, we can not only launch successful products, but actually impact their place in culture.
Ingredients
HyaCera uses nested-capsule technology to maintain the ingredient integrity of its two-in-one formula.
The inner capsule contains Hyabest, which is a bio-fermented, hyaluronic acid with a lower molecular weight clinically studied for skin support and at the studied dosage of 120mg.
The outer capsule features Ceratiq. At a clinically-studied dose of 350mg, the sustainably harvested plant oil extract helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles as well as promote smooth skin.
Molecular weight
The plant oil extract also has a lower molecular weight hyaluronic acid for moisture. Schneider said that the biological effects of hyaluronic acid are influenced by its molecular weight. She added that Ritual also used a lower molecular weight hyaluronic acid because it has data supporting the promotion of glowing, radiant, moisturized skin.
When it comes to formats, Schneider said the company initially explored the gummy format, but ditched the idea after it proved challenging due to the lower molecular weight of hygroscopic hyaluronic acid they were working with.
“We then pivoted to using our nestled capsule technology which protected both of the ingredients. A win-win for the consumer and for stability,” she said.
The science
Ritual uses the clinically studied dosage of 350mg, published in peer reviewed journals with evidence supporting reduced appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. They used a hyaluronic acid within the lower molecular weight range clinically studied for skin support and at the studied dosage of 120mg.
The company said it is also on track to conduct a clinical trial on HyaCera with a major research organization to support the efficacy of the final product in the future.
Schneider added that she is also excited about a new goal: to have human clinical trials on all of her products by 2030.
Like all of Ritual's products, HyaCera is made traceable and third-party tested for heavy metals and microbes.