Benefits of oat beta-glucan in skin, sun and hair care

The launch in 2011 of Avenacare oat betaglucan from the Swedish company, Biovelop International AB, dramatically changed the oat beta glucan landscape, providing a high-quality, natural source, which was produced without the use of chemicals, and both affordable and readily available. Human efficacy clinical studies conducted using Avenacare substantiated the strong anecdotal and in vitro evidence for its use in skin care, and also revealed some new benefits in sun care and hair care.

Beta-glucans are polysaccharides containing chains of anhydro-glucose residues, linked with -glycosidic bonds. They occur naturally in the cell walls of oats, barley and yeast, as well as in certain mushrooms and bacteria. Their biological activity is determined by a number of factors, including their source, molecular weight, structure and shape. The betaglucan found in the bran of oats is a soluble fibre with both -[1,3] and -[1,4] linkages. The [1,3]-linkages break up the uniform structure of the -D-glucan molecule and make it water-soluble and flexible. In comparison, cellulose, which consists entirely of [1,4]--D-linkages, and mushroom and yeast beta glucans, which consist of either [1,3] or [1,3;1,6] linkages, are insoluble. It has been known for hundreds of years that oats provide benefits to the body, both when ingested or applied topically. In the past twenty years, it has become apparent that it is the beta glucan in oats, the soluble fibre element, which is responsible for many of these properties. Numerous research studies have demonstrated the benefits of oat beta-glucan as part of the human diet, and it is approved by regulatory health bodies around the world, such as the FDA and EFSA, for health claims relating to cholesterol-reduction, heart health and glycaemic response. The ancient Egyptians and Vikings recognised the beneficial effects oats can have on the skin, using them to treat various skin conditions and heal wounds incurred on the battlefield. In more recent times, oat baths have been used to alleviate the symptoms of eczema, rashes and itching. The introduction of Biovelop’s patented technology for the fractionation of cereal grains was an important development for the cosmetics and personal care sectors, since it provided chemists and formulators with an affordable and easy-to-use form of oat beta-glucan, opening up a previously niche and prohibitively expensive ingredient to a much wider market. In addition, Avenacare struck a perfect chord with consumer trends and demand; oatmeal porridge is undergoing a huge revival in popularity, which creates an excellent opportunity to transition it from the food to the personal care sector. With the exception of a 2005 in vivo study designed to demonstrate its antiageing effect, the limited existing research into oat beta-glucan had been carried out via in vitro assays. The decision was made, therefore, to conduct a series of in vivo clinical studies using Avenacare (now referred to as ‘the new oat beta-glucan’, in order to examine its benefits in three areas: skin care, sun care and hair care.

Reduction of skin irritation