Positively Luminous is the Aveeno range for dull and tired skin, for the re-launch of the brand in France.

The Positively Luminous range comprises 4 products :

Positively Luminous Démaquillant Visage – Yeux / Face – Eye Make-up Remover :

Formula structure :

O/W emulsion, emulsified with a sugar derivatives surfactant system : PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate (Lubrizol Glucamate SSE 20) / Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate (Lubrizol Glucate SS), reinforced with co-emulsifying fatty alcohols (Cetyl / Myristyl and Stearyl Alcohol), and stabilized and thickened with Seppic Sepigel 305 (Polyacrylamide (and) C13-14 Isoparaffin (and) Laureth-7) / Lubrizol Pemulen (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer).

The aqueous phase contains several glycols : glycerin, butylene glycol and PEG-8.

The oil phase is made of fatty esters (Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate / Isopropyl Myristate) and vegetable oils (Shea Butter / Olus Oil / Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil / Candellila Cera).

Preservative system :

The formula is protected against microorganisms with Phenoxyethanol / Methylparaben / Propylparaben / Sodium Benzoate / Chlorhexidine Digluconate.

Active ingredients :

Glycerin
Glycine Soja Extract
Magnesium Aspartate
Zinc Gluconate
Copper Gluconate

Conclusion :

Sugar derivatives as surfactants give very nice textures, generous and soft. The use of fatty esters in this formula allows to give good make-up removing efficiency, while obtaining a light formula, not too greasy. This is a nice and modern make-up removing milk.

Positively Luminous Nettoyant Exfoliant / Exfoliating Cleanser :

Formula structure :

Foaming gel based on the following foaming surfactants : Sodium Laureth Sulfate / Betaine / Coco-glucoside (Alkyl Polyglucoside type surfactant, sugar derivative), thickened with Lubrizol Carbopol 1382 type polymer (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer) / Cellulose Gum. Carbopol 1382 type polymer has good suspending ability. It helps to suspend the polyethylene beads of the formula.

The formula is pearled / opacified with a Glycol Distearate pre-mix, very probably Evonik Tego Pearl N300 (Glycol Distearate (and) Laureth-4 (and) Cocamidopropyl Betaine) containing raw materials present in the formula.

Preservative system :

The formula is protected against microorganism by Sodium Benzoate, helped by Disodium EDTA. The formula contains Citric Acid as pH adjuster.

Active ingredients :

Glycerin
Glycine Soja Extract
Panthenol
Lactic Acid

Conclusion :

Classical exfoliating formula : the polymer used to suspend particles is not the latest technology available : Lubrizol Carbopol Aqua SF1 allows to obtain more foaming power.

Positively Luminous Hydratant Jour SPF 15 / SPF 15 Moisturizer :

Formula structure :

Formula close to the Positively Ageless Hydratant Jour SPF 15. O/W emulsion mainly based on the following surfactant system : Steareth-2 (Croda Brij S2) / Steareth-21 (Croda Brij S721) / Croda Arlatone 2121 (Sorbitan Stearate (and) Sucrose Stearate). Other surfactants and co-surfactants are present in the formula : PEG-8 Laurate / Poloxamer 338 (could help the dispersion of titanium dioxide) / Linseed Acid / Behenyl Alcohol / Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate.

The formula is thickened and stabilized with Seppic Simulgel NS (Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer (and) Squalane (and) Polysorbate 60) / Lubrizol Pemulen (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer) / Xanthan Gum.

The aqueous phase contains glycols : Glycerin / Butylene Glycol.

The oil phase contains the SPF 15 UV filter system made of Homosalate / Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane / Octocrylene, with various kind of oils : silicone oils and crosspolymer (Cyclopentasiloxane / Dimethicone Crosspolymer), vegetable oil (Shea Butter, Squalane) and others (Dicaprylyl Carbonate / Isohexadecane).

Oil soluble UV filters are helped with Titanium Oxyde Titanium Dioxide and with film polymers that can improve SPF index : Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer (like Dow Chemical Sunsphere LCG) / Acrylates Copolymer (like Lubrizol Avalure AC 315).

To optimize application, skinfeel and final aspect on skin, the formula contains powder : Polymethyl Methacrylate, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer (Kobo EA-209) and Silica, and pearls (Mica).

Preservative system :

The formula is protected against microorganism by Phenoxyethanol coupled with Inolex Spectrastat (Caprylhydroxamic Acid (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Glycerin)

Active ingredients :

Glycine Soja Extract

Conclusion :

This formula contains is based on a complex surfactant system, helped with 3 stabilizing and thickening polymers.
The SPF 15 is obtained with 3 organic UV filters + 1 mineral one, helped with a SPF booster.
An interesting point of this formula is its preservative system based on a new organic acid developed by Inolex, the Caprylhydroxamic Acid.

Positively Luminous Soin Contour des Yeux / Eye Care :

Formula structure :

O/W emulsion based on Croda Arlacel 165 (Glyceryl Stearate (and) PEG-100 Stearate) / DSM Amphisol K (Potassium Cetyl Phosphate), helped by co-emulsifying fatty alcohols (Cetyl / Stearyl / Myristyl Alcohols), stabilized and thickened with Seppic Simulgel EG (Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer (and) Polysorbate 80 (and) Isohexadecane) / Lubrizol Pemulen type polymer (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer).

The oil phase is made of silicone oils and crosspolymer (Cyclopentasiloxane / Dimethicone / Dimethicone Crosspolymer), vegetable oils (Shea Butter) and fatty esters (Ethylhexyl Palmitate / Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate).

The formula contains pearls (Mica / Tin Oxide).

Preservative system :

The formula is protected against micro-organism by Phenoxyethanol / Methylparaben / Propylparaben / Chlorhexidine Digluconate, helped by Disodium EDTA

Active ingredients :

Glycine Soja Extract
Panthenol
Retinyl Palmitate
Magnesium Aspartate
Zinc Gluconate
Copper Gluconate
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Conclusion :

Classical eye contour formula.

Communication and Claims on the Positively Luminous range :

The Positively Luminous range is built around a star active ingredient : the “Active Soy”, and is aimed to “help even out skin tone and texture to bring out skin’s natural radiance”.

Thus, each product contains a Soy extract (Glycine Soja Extract). According to Aveeno’s communication, the properties of Soy were discovered through an odd fact : “for years in Asia, workers in soybean factories who handled soy regularly had hands that were especially smooth and even-toned”. Aveeno claims then to have designed and patented a specific process to extract the best of Soy.

We have found several patents held by Johnson & Johnson (owner of the Aveeno brand) about Soy :

– US6555143 untitled “Legume products”, filled on 28 Feb 2001 : this first patent issued by JnJ actually protects Soy, but the description of the invention talks more generally about “legumes“, a large family of vegetables including Soy.

The kind of Soy extract described in the patent is not precise : it can be a soybean powder made by grinding dry soybeans, or a soymilk or soymilk powder made by various processes described but not limited to them. What is very specific to the soy extracts described in the patent is the level of microorganism remaining in the extract. The property of these Soy extracts protected by the patent is their trypsin inhibitory activity. According to this article, trypsin inhibition is a path to skin lightening.

To summarize, here is the 1st claim of the patent :

“1. A soy product having :

(a) a trypsin inhibitory activity of at least about 15%; and

(b) a microbial content less than about 1000 cfu per gram, wherein said soy product is a powder having a particle size less than about 10 micrometers.”

This patent could protect the soy extract of this formula, since it is used the Positively Luminous range to evens out skin tone and texture to reveal skin’s true radiance naturally.

– US 2003/0224075 untitled “Soy composition for balancing combination skin”, filled on 20 Feb 2003

This patent aims to protect the use of Soy extract for combination skin treatment, as explained in the “Field of the invention” paragraph : “This invention relates to compositions and methods of treating combination skin so as to provide the benefit of balancing the skin’s oily and dry areas such that the oily areas appear less shiny and the dry areas appear and feel more moist“.

It does not protect the Positively Luminous range, not aimed to  treat combination skins.

– US 2005/0281776 untitled “Soy containing formulations for the improvement of skin radiance”, filled on 17 Dec 2004

This patent protects the association of two active ingredients for the improvement of skin radiance : Soy extract and Feverfew extract. None of the formulas of the Positively Luminous range contains Feverfew.

– US 2006/0263325 untitled “Compositions comprising soy products and organic salts of certain metals”, filled on 7 Mar 2005

The first claim of this patent describes “A composition comprising at least one soy product and at least one topically acceptable organic salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of zinc, magnesium and copper“.

According to the patent, the said composition is aimed to increase skin firmness and elasticity, even tone and texture, to combat and treat the effects of skin aging, to prevent and treat sun-induced damage and acne.

This description seems to fit with 2 of the four formulas of the Positively Luminous range : the Démaquillant Visage – Yeux / Face – Eye Make-up Remover and the Soin Contour des Yeux / Eye Care.

Indeed, the Démaquillant Visage – Yeux / Face – Eye Make-up Remover contains a Soy Extract (INCI Name : Glycine Soja Extract) and 3 organic salts as described in the patent : Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate and Copper Gluconate. The Soin Contour des Yeux / Eye Care contains the Soy Extract, and the 3 same organic salts.

This patents thus protects two of the four formulas of the Positively Luminous range.

Conclusion :

The communication of Aveeno on its Positively Luminous range is quite soft, based on the Soy Extract. We have not found the “patented specific process” used to extract the best of soy. The JnJ’s patents we have found linked to soy deal with several types of soy extract (powder, milk…etc). It seems clear however that JnJ uses Soy Extract for its “trypsin inhibitory activity” linked to skin whitening.

Comparison to US formulas

The Aveeno is an american brand from the Johnson and Johnson company. In the US, the Positively Luminous range does not exists, but it is very close in concept to the US Positively Radiant range, aimed to “even out skin tone and texture to reveal skin’s true radiance naturally”.

The US Positively Radiant range is made of 7 products :

– Daily Cleansing Pads

– Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

– Cleanser

– Daily Moisturizer SPF 15

– Skin Brightening Daily Scrub

– Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30

– Make-up Removing Cleanser

Some of these products does not exist in the Positively Luminous range (pads, SPF 30s, cleansers), and for the ones with similar galenics or activities (Scrub, SPF 15) the compositions are not the same.

Conclusion :

JnJ has thus specifically designed new Aveeno Positively Luminous formulas for the French re-launch. This new range is adapted to the European routine, with for example the presence of a wiped-off cleanser (Démaquillant Visage – Yeux / Face – Eye Make-up Remover).

Ingredients

Positively Luminous Démaquillant Visage – Yeux / Face – Eye Make-up Remover :

Positively Luminous Nettoyant Exfoliant / Exfoliating Cleanser :

Positively Luminous Hydratant Jour SPF 15 / SPF 15 Moisturizer :

Positively Luminous Soin Contour des Yeux / Eye Care :