New clinical research has unveiled that Kaneka Probiotics and AB-BIOTICS' postbiotic Latilactobacillus sakei KABP-065 can offer skin health benefits for healthy women in their 30s and 40s.
The study revealed that after five weeks of daily supplementation with a heat-inactivated strain, women taking the postbiotic showed greater improvements in facial skin elasticity and firmness than the placebo group.
Notably, participants in their 40s also demonstrated significant enhancements in skin moisture retention.
This research is the first to evaluate the strain's effectiveness in healthy individuals, highlighting its potential for beauty-from-within applications.
The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 50 healthy women aged 30 to 50 who had concerns about dry facial skin but no diagnosable dermatological conditions. Participants received either heat-treated L. sakei KABP-065 or a placebo for eight weeks.
Skin elasticity and moisture were assessed at baseline, five weeks and eight weeks using validated dermatological methods, including cutometer readings and transepidermal water loss.
A sub-analysis of participants in their 40s showed more pronounced effects from postbiotic supplementation.
Those receiving L. sakei KABP-065 experienced significant improvements in skin recovery rate, net elasticity and firmness compared with the placebo group after five weeks.
These improvements in recovery rate and firmness persisted after eight weeks. Additionally, this subgroup showed greater increases in skin moisture after both five and eight weeks.
"These findings highlight the potential of L. sakei KABP-065, marketed as L. sakei proBio65, to support women navigating age-related skin changes through oral supplementation," said Jordi Riera, Chief Business Officer, Kaneka Probiotics.
Previous research has demonstrated this strain's efficacy in atopic dermatitis, where it works via the gut-immune-skin axis to modulate specific immune responses affecting skin barrier function.
"In healthy individuals with normal immune function, we would expect more subtle effects. So, it's deeply encouraging that researchers observed significant improvements in skin elasticity and, in participants in their 40s, skin moisture."
Jordi Espadaler-Mazo, Director of Innovation at AB-BIOTICS, added: "As a heat-treated postbiotic, the strain also offers stability advantages for formulators, making it an attractive ingredient to unlock opportunities in the growing beauty-from-within market."
These are very promising results from an exploratory study and we're excited to continue driving the science forward with larger trials—diving deeper into this strain's potential in healthy skin ageing and pioneering products that support the gut-brain-skin axis.