Beer Betters Beauty: Studies Show Matured Hop Extract Can Improve Skin

・Kirin Holdings and FANCL find matured hop extract’s benefits on skin through research
・Another way to use beer ingredients for skin health
・Patent pending, ingredient to be used in FANCL’s cosmetic products this year

TOKYO, Tuesday August 24, 2021 – Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (Kirin Holdings) and FANCL Corporation (FANCL) have now succeeded in Matured Hop Extract (MHE) into a raw material for cosmetics, and have discovered that it has a new function of improving the condition of skin pores upon joint research. Kirin and FANCL have jointly applied for patents for both the development of cosmetic raw materials and the technology related to the new skin-related functions of the MHE. This is another example of utilizing materials normally used for beer for health reasons.

Future plans

Kirin and FANCL will continue to further research the functions of cosmetic ingredients containing MHE. In addition, the two companies will study the application of the functionality against pores to a wide range of products such as facial cleansers and skin care products, and plan to use the cosmetic raw material containing MHE in the renewal of FANCL's mainstay cosmetics in 2021.

Research Methodology and Results

One of the most common pore problems is keratotic plugs. A keratotic plug is a mixture of dead skin cells and sebum, and if left clogged in the pores, it can easily lead to skin problems such as inflammation. Therefore, Kirin Holdings and FANCL investigated the effects of the cosmetic raw material containing MHE on both keratin which is the main component of keratotic substances, and sebum.

As a result, compared to purified water, MHE swells keratin by about three times. This is expected to soften the keratin and make it easier to remove keratin plugs. (Fig. 1).

Next, in order to confirm the antioxidant effect of cosmetic raw material containing MHE on sebum, we added it to linoleic acid, one of the components of sebum, and measured the degree of lipid peroxide formation. As a result of comparing the degree of lipid peroxide production with that of the control, cosmetic raw material containing MHE suppressed the degree of lipid peroxide production of linoleic acid to about 1/14. This is considered to have the same antioxidant effect as that of BHT*1, BHA, and α-tocopherol, which are common lipid antioxidants (Fig. 2).
*1 Dibutyl hydroxytoluene (BHT) and Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are antioxidants used to stably preserve common personal care products and foods.

Based on the above, we have found that the cosmetic raw material containing MHE we have developed approaches both keratin and sebum, which are factors in the formation of keratin plugs. The addition of this raw material to cosmetics is expected to keep pores healthy.

Research Background and Objectives

Since the beginning of 2000, Kirin has been conducting research and development focusing on the health functions of hops, a herb that has long been familiar to Europeans as a medicinal herb in their daily lives, and has developed a unique new material, Matured Hop Extract. Kirin has been promoting the application of this material in food products. In its research to date, Kirin has confirmed that MHE has the effect of suppressing body fat*2 and improving cognitive functions*3, and group companies such as Kirin Brewery Company, Limited and INHOP Co. Ltd. have been working on the application of the material to food products. In a joint research project between FANCL and Kirin, the two companies have discovered a new beauty function of MHE that has not been confirmed so far, and have been working to turn the material into a cosmetic ingredient.
*2 Nutr J. 2016 Mar 9;15:25. *3 J Agric Food Chem. 2020 Jan 8; 68(1):206-212.

About Kirin Holdings

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.

Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.

Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV*, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.
* Creating Shared Value: combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large.