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Zhang X, Zhou Q, Qi Y, et al. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Vol. 63 (2023): 1-20.

Key Findings: This review examined how eating tomatoes and lycopene, a bioactive found in tomatoes, can protect skin from damage in healthy subjects. Researchers reviewed almost 20,000 research papers from five electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library). Twenty-one papers met the inclusion criteria. A total of 968 subjects, aged 18 to 73 were studied. Interventions included tomato, tomato paste, extracts of tomato and lycopene-rich product with dosages ranging from 2.4 mg/day to 28.8 mg/day; intervention duration ranged from 4 to 24 weeks. Overall, supplementing with tomato extract and lycopene were associated with significant reductions in Δa* (a measure of changes in skin redness caused by sunlight), MMP-1 (Matrix Metalloproteinase-1, an enzyme that breaks down skin collagen, leading to wrinkles and aging), ICAM-1 (Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1, a protein that appears when the skin is damaged from sunburn) and skin pigmentation. Supplementation with tomato and lycopene was associated with significant increase in skin thickness, skin density and MED (Minimal Erythema Dose, a measure of the lowest amount of UV radiation that causes skin to turn red (erythema). Participants who took tomato or lycopene supplements had less redness in their skin after sun exposure, and their skin looked better. These supplements also increased the skin's thickness and density, which is good for keeping it healthy. This suggests that foods rich in lycopene, like tomatoes, could be like a natural sunscreen, protecting our skin from the sun's harmful effects.

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Tarshish E, Hermoni K, Muizzuddin N. Skin Research and Technology. Vol. 11 (2023): 1-8.

Key Findings: This study explored how taking a supplement containing carotenoids derived from tomatoes could improve the strength of the skin's protective barrier, leading to healthier and more youthful-looking skin. A group of 60 women, aged 35-55, took either the carotenoid supplement or a placebo for 3 months. The tomato extract supplement, Lumenato, a softgel capsule obtained from yellow tomato pulp, contained a proprietary mix of tomato carotenes standardized to 10 mg total carotenoids predominantly phytoene and phytofluene, as well as other naturally occurring tomato phytonutrients Researchers measured skin health and barrier function by measuring water loss through the skin and how resistant the skin was to disruption. They also measured skin firmness and elasticity. After 12 weeks, the group taking the carotenoid supplement had significantly stronger skin barriers. Additionally, their skin showed improvements in firmness and elasticity compared to the placebo group. These findings suggest that taking the carotenoid supplement could be beneficial for maintaining healthy and youthful skin.

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Grether-Beck S, Marini A, Jaenicke T, et al.  British Journal of Dermatology. Vol. 176 (2017): 1231-1240.

Key Findings: This placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized, crossover study assessed the capacity of a lycopene-rich tomato nutrient complex (TNC, containing 5 mg lycopene) and a lutein-containing nutritional supplement (10 mg lutein) to protect human skin against UV radiation (UVR) in 65 healthy volunteers.  They were allocated to four treatment groups and subjected to a 2-week washout phase, followed by two 12-week treatment phases separated by another 2 weeks of washout. The researchers measured the expression of certain genes when skin was exposed to UVR at various points during the study. The researchers took skin samples and blood samples to analyze gene expression and carotenoid levels. They found that TNC completely blocked the increase in gene expression caused by UVA1 and UVA/B radiation, regardless of the treatment sequence. These results suggest that TNC could protect against solar radiation-induced health damage. Olivino Essential contains the same TNC investigated in this study. 

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Rizwan M, Rodriguez-Blanco I, Harbottle A, et al. British Journal of Dermatology. Vol. 164 (2010): 154-62.

Key Findings: This randomized controlled clinical study included 20 healthy women with a median age of 33 years. They were randomly assigned to two groups: one group consumed 55 grams of tomato paste (containing 16 mg of lycopene) mixed with olive oil daily for 12 weeks, while the other group consumed only olive oil (control). Skin redness when exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) was assessed visually as the Minimal Erythema Dose (MED; a measure to determine how sensitive skin is to sunlight) and quantified using a light measuring device. Biopsies were taken from unexposed and UVR-exposed skin before and after the supplementation period. The biopsies were analyzed for a variety of specific skin proteins and levels of DNA damage. Women who ate tomato paste showed less damage to their skin from the sun and had lower levels of a protein associated with skin damage. The tomato paste group also had more of a type of protein that helps keep skin healthy. Finally, the group that ate tomato paste had fewer missing pieces in their mitochondrial DNA after sun exposure. This suggests that eating tomato paste with lycopene might help protect skin from both short-term and long-term damage caused by the sun. 

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Aust O, Stahl W, Sies H, et al. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. Vol. 75 (2005): 54-60.

Key Findings:  This study investigated the photoprotective effects of synthetic lycopene in comparison with a tomato extract (Lyc-o-Mato—the same extract used in Olivino Essential) and a drink containing solubilized Lyc-O-Mato (Lyc-O-Guard-Drink). Volunteers ingested similar amounts of lycopene (about 10 mg/day). At weeks 0, 4, and 12, skin on the back of the hand was exposed to solar light to induce redness/inflammation. Reddening of the skin was evaluated before and 24 hours after irradiation. A decrease in skin redness was observed in all groups. Compared to week 0, the skin redness at week 12 was 25% lower in the synthetic lycopene group. The protective effect was more pronounced in the Lyc-o-Mato group (38%) and Lyc-o-Guard-Drink (48%) groups. In the two latter groups, phytofluene and phytoene may have contributed to protection. Olivino Essential contains 10 mg of lycopene from Lyc-o-Mato.

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Stahl W, Heinrich U, Wiserman S, et al. Journal of Nutrition. Vol. 131 (2001): 1449-1451.

Key Findings:  This examined whether eating a natural source of lycopene could protect the skin from sunburn. Researchers gave 9 volunteers 40 grams of tomato paste (which contains about 16 milligrams of lycopene) mixed with olive oil every day for 10 weeks. A control group of 10 people only received olive oil. They then exposed the skin on their backs to simulated sunlight at the start of the study, after 4 weeks, and again after 10 weeks, and measured how red their skin became after each exposure. Volunteers who ate the tomato paste had 40% less redness on their skin compared to the control group after 10 weeks. This suggests that regularly consuming lycopene can help protect skin from getting burnt by the sun's UV rays.