Orbis Defencera, the moisturiser skincare product that you consume orally
SINGAPORE — Why apply skincare when you can drink it? Japanese cosmetics brand, Orbis, has launched its first oral skincare, the Orbis Defencera (S$54 for a box of 30 sachets), which has been proven to keep your skin moisturised from within.
A moisturiser that requires zero application of moisturisers. A breakthrough 10 years in the making, this powder-form, ingestible skincare was certified the FOSHU status by the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan. It is also the first skincare product to ever obtain this certification, and this rigorous certification screening took four years to complete.
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FOSHU stands for Food for Specified Health Uses and is a certification awarded to foods that have been proven to create physiological effects on the body. These FOSHU foods are mostly health-related ingredients and products used to improve or control various health conditions such as blood sugar levels and gastrointestinal conditions.
Ceramides: Why it’s important for the skin
The Orbis Defencera is ceramide-based oral skincare. Ceramide is a naturally occurring fat molecule found within the skin surface, and it has a hand in skin structure, energy storage in cells, and barrier formation.
50% of that topmost skin layer is made up of ceramides and they work as a form of glue to hold your skin cells together, preventing water loss, and keeping out harmful substances from penetrating into your skin. However, by the time you hit your 30s, you would have lost about 40% of your skin’s natural ceramides. And by your 40s, 60% of your skin’s ceramides would have disappeared. Gaps start to appear between skin cells, causing moisture to escape easily, leaving you with dry skin.
There are many ceramide-based skincare products available in the market. However, that may not be able to keep skin well hydrated in the long run.
“Ceramides on the skin are extremely delicate—they run off when the face is washed. Even products applied on the skin to supplement ceramides (lost) also run off immediately as well,” explains Satoshi Hirakawa, chief researcher at Pola Chemical Industries, who specialises in skin science, and the research and development of ageing care cosmetics, quasi-drug products and functional foods.
The lowdown on Orbis Defencera
Unlike the many oral beauty supplements available in the market, the Orbis Defencera is not a supplement. It is a skincare product designed to be taken orally. Suitable for all skin types, this ingestible skincare works to prevent moisture from leaving the skin.
The yuzu-flavoured powder contains glucose-based ceramides extracted from brown rice germ. These glucosylceramides break down when consumed and this process acts as a switch to trigger the natural production of ceramides in your skin. They strengthen the outermost layer of the skin and fill the gaps between the cells.
Said to be incredibly rare, the DF-ceramide is a high-grade ceramide that contains no impurities. It is reported that one ton of brown rice is required to extract 2g of this purified ceramide.
It should be noted that glucosylceramide is not a new ingredient. And while it can be extracted from different ingredients, Orbis is the first in Japan to get the FOSHU certification for their rice-germ-derived, glucosylceramide-based ingestible skincare.
According to Orbis, consuming one sachet of Defencera a day gets you similar moisturising effects as you would from applying moisturiser to the face and body for 24 hours. And consuming more than one pack a day will not give you added hydration. With prolonged use, up to three months according to Orbis, you would notice a reduction in skin dryness, the appearance of fine lines and redness.
You can pop it into your mouth directly, or have it with water. The refreshing, citrus-flavoured, ceramide-infused powder melts in your mouth really quickly, and you may have to resist reaching for another pack because it is that tasty.
To maintain optimally hydrated skin, you could cover all bases: take this ingestible skincare and follow through with your daily skincare routine at the same time. You could adjust your skincare products, and use lighter formulas. Those with chronically dry skin could add this to their skincare regimen to strengthen the skin barrier, and reduce skin sensitivity levels. If you are time-starved or find it troublesome to apply body lotion, you could even skip that now.
The Orbis Defencera is available on orbis.com.sg. For full location details, go here.
