USA: Lycomato, a tomato-derived oral supplement, significantly improves the skin barrier in the ageing population, a recent study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology has revealed.
Oral supplementation with Lycomato considerably improved the visual appearance of wrinkles and lines, skin tonality, smoothness, pores, and firmness. These improvements were found to be substantially visible by the subjects.

In this clinical study, oral administration of a mix of potent antioxidants containing tomato carotenoids such as lycopene effectively improved skin quality, including reversing signs of ageing, such as skin tonality and wrinkles.
The investigators wrote, "carotenoids absorbed from the gut to the bloodstream are transported to the epidermis via the SR-B1 receptor, which facilitates the transport of carotenoids into the epidermis and regulates skin's ceramide levels, thereby improving the barrier strength of the skin as observed in our study."
"Accumulation of carotenoids in the skin can offer photoprotection, possibly through enhancing barrier function against UV irradiation and protection of target molecules by scavenging photo-induced free radicals," they explained. "Also, carotenoids repair UV-induced damage and suppress cellular inflammatory responses."
Results of the study imply that collectively all these aspects could repair skin damage and thereby reduce ageing signs, including skin tonality, wrinkles, skin roughness and laxity. The subjects noticed the improvements positively, indicating a significant benefit of Lycomato on the skin.
A healthy and youthful appearance is a common aspiration of the ageing population. "Beauty from within" involves using nutraceuticals and nutrition to support skin function for reversing and reducing ageing signs such as pigmentary changes, wrinkles, skin laxity and dullness. Carotenoids possess potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and effectively improve the skin barrier and stimulate "beauty from within" by providing endogenous support to reduce ageing expressions.
Elizabeth Tarshish and Karin Hermoni aimed to determine whether supplementation with Lycomato for three months would improve skin condition.
A panel of 50 women used Lycomato capsules as nutritional supplements for three months. Measurements were obtained before and after treatment and after 4 and 12 weeks of use. Skin status was determined through questionnaires to examine skin condition and expert visual grading of facial markers such as tonality, wrinkles, laxity, roughness, and pore size. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was used to assess the skin barrier.
The authors reported the following findings:
Results indicated a statistically significant improvement in skin barrier as measured by TEWL following 12 weeks of consuming the supplement.
There was also a notable improvement in skin tonality, lines and pore size, wrinkles, and skin firmness, as observed by expert evaluation and subject self-assessment.
The researchers conclude, "protective effects of oral carotenoids on human skin imply their application in dermatology as cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and photo-protectants."
"Due to their anti-inflammatory activities and antioxidant properties, the optimal supply of these supplements can increase dermal defence against environmental pollutants and ultraviolet irradiation, thereby contributing to better skin health and appearance expressed as beauty from within."
Reference:
Tarshish E, Hermoni K. Beauty from within: Improvement of skin health and appearance with Lycomato a tomato-derived oral supplement. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2023 Mar 1. doi: 10.1111/jocd.15650. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36860176.