Fruit d’Or has launched Cran Bella, a proprietary cranberry seed oil ingredient for skin support and anti-aging supplements. Cran Bella is positioned expressly for beauty and overall health from the inside out.
 
“There are many factors that influence the skin aging process, especially in women,” explained Stephen Lukawski, director of business development and sales for Fruit d’Or. With the onset of menopause, the decrease in estrogen production disrupts skin functioning, causing a decline in skin elasticity. The deterioration of the lipid barrier, leaves the skin exposed to environmental elements, increases trans-dermal water loss and the skin loses suppleness.  Further, he said, sun exposure creates a free radical proliferation, which is the leading cause of progressive skin aging. UVA and UVB radiation can penetrate to the dermis causing damage to collagen, elastin and DNA structures. Oxidative stress increases inflammation and compounds the signs of pre-mature aging.
 
“Cran Bella cranberry seed oil is one of the most unsaturated oil on the market, making it an ideal moisturizing ingredient,” Mr. Lukawski says. “With a composition of 85% fatty acids, this fruit oil may protect and re-establish the protective lipid barrier of the skin. Excellent oxidative stability, a pleasant odor and texture, and the ideal 1:1 ratio of omega 3 to omega 6, cranberry seed oil combined with omega 9 is perfect for skin care applications.”
 
Essential fatty acids are nourishing, protective, aid in the formation and maintenance of cellular membranes and are essential to the formation of prostaglandins to reduce inflammation. Cran Bella cranberry seed oil contains a unique combination of omega 3-6-9, “which has increased the demand for this ingredient,” he said. “However, lipids are held within tissues by various interactive forces. The extraction of these EFAs require a method that can separate the lipids from the biological matrix without interfering with its quality. The extraction method used in obtaining the cranberry seed oil is imperative to the preservation of its phospholipid content. Excessive refinement of the oil will destroy the naturally occurring phospholipid property that is vital to re-establishing the hydro-lipidic barrier of the skin.”
 
Cold-pressed extraction, he explains, retains the natural antioxidants that are abundant in cranberry seed oil. A high concentration of polyphenols, rich in anthocyanins, tocopherols and tocotrienols all aid in the reversal and support against UV-mediated skin damage.  Further, Cran Bella’s high phytosterol content may enhance the protection and repair of damaged tissue, soothe exposure-induced inflammation and reduce itchiness in irritated skin. “Cranberry seed oil is a true natural antioxidant that can be an alternative to synthetic tocopherols currently being used in softgel manufacturing,” Mr. Lukawski commented. 
 
Cranberry seed oil that has been cold pressed offers an excellent blend of tocopherols and tocotrienols, allowing for optimal absorption and utilization and a perfect alternative to synthetic sources of vitamin E. Due to its stability, and the protective characteristics of its high vitamin E content, cranberry seed oil is an excellent ingredient for products requiring stabilizing, emulsifying and penetrating actions to enhance the fatty acids and other components within its health product composition. As a natural preservative, cranberry seed oil and its high percentage of naturally occurring tocopherols, could preserve the shelf-life and possiblyenhance the bioavailability of other fatty acids such as fish oils and other active ingredients.
 
By utilizing a cold-pressed extraction method with no excipients, the multitude of beneficial compounds and biological activities housed within cranberry seed oil are retained. The bioavailability of these ingredients in skin care applications will enhance the regeneration, healing, protection and ultimately the beautification of the skin.
 
“Cran Bella joins Oral Cran, Lacto Cran and Cran Naturelle with Probiotics in our growing line of specific cranberry ingredients for targeted health support beyond UTIs,” Lukawski says. “Cran Bella can be formulated for soft gels and cosmetic applications.”
 
For more information: www.fruit-dor.ca