PLT Health Solutions announced that Ceratiq phytoceramides has been approved for sale in South Korea, following a multi-year effort involving scientific and regulatory collaboration between PLT Health Solutions, France-based ingredient developer The Robertet Group, and Korean distributor Novarex Co Ltd.
 
Certaiq is a ceramide-rich natural ingredient for dietary supplements and cosmetics. Ceramides are linked to skin benefits, including improvements to overall skin health, reduced appearance of wrinkles, increased elasticity, suppleness, and a more radiant appearance, PLT Health Solutions said. The ingredient has previously been featured in beauty-from-within nutraceutical products in the U.S. and Europe.
 
In its Certificate of Functional Ingredient for Functional Health Foods, the claim associated with Ceratiq is “May help to maintain skin moisturizing,”
 
Jay Martin, managing director of global sales at PLT Health Solutions, said that the approval is a significant step forward for Robertet and PLT in connecting consumers with the product’s unique benefits and scientific backing. “The South Korean ‘K-Beauty’ market is one of the most demanding in the world and one of the most influential. As a beauty-from-within ingredient, Ceratiq Phytoceramides is perfect for the proactive ‘skin first’ philosophy central to the market,” Martin said. “Getting approval for Ceratiq in the South Korean market was a collaborative effort between the scientists and quality teams of PLT, Robertet, and Novarex to meet the rigorous approval process. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and have great expectations for new brands to enter the market with this innovative ingredient.”
 
The most recent clinical trial conducted on Ceratiq was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate its efficacy on reduction of wrinkle appearance. The subjects received either 350 mg of Ceratiq or placebo for 12 weeks. In the Ceratiq group, wrinkles were significantly and visibly reduced beginning at 8 weeks compared to the placebo, with wrinkle reduction visible for 88% of women following the 12-week supplementation period, the authors of the study said. The results also demonstrated significant improvements to skin hydration after four weeks of supplementation, and improvements to both hydration and wrinkle reduction were shown to still be significant after a two-month follow up period.
 
“When we set out to create Ceratiq, we wanted to have a sustainably-sourced, premium quality plant-based ingredient backed by a strong body of clinical science,” Irene Lamour, business development director at Robertet Health & Beauty Division of The Robertet Group, said. “We believed that a nutrition-based solution could be the ‘new cosmetics’ and that it makes sense for consumers that nutrition impacts skin health and beauty. The age demographic for a product containing Ceratiq runs from millennials to seniors, which can mean a lifetime relationship with consumers.”