The functional drinks market is booming. Last week we reported that the global market for functional waters rose by an estimated 11% in value to reach $12bn, and there appears to be no signs of it stopping.
In light of this, we came across a new US company called UVO, who have produced a drink that works to protect the drinker from the effects of the sun. We spoke to board-certified dermatologist Dr Bobby Awadalla, who founded UVO.
Tell us about UVO – what inspired its creation?
As a dermatologist, I hear all the reasons why people avoid sunscreen – they don’t like the smell, the feel, the burning in their eyes or the hassle of reapplying. I also see first-hand the negative short and long-term effects of the sun’s harmful UV rays. This is what led me to develop UVO, the first liquid supplement that protects and repairs your skin from the inside out to provide people with a healthy, easy, convenient and tasty way to healthy skin.
How does UVO work to protect drinkers from the sun?
UVO synergistically combines the most powerful vitamins, phytonutrients and antioxidants scientifically proven to protect and repair your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. UVO provides three main benefits: drinking one bottle before sun exposure gives you three to five hours of sun protection from head to toe, including your eyes; after overexposure to the sun, helps soothe the skin; and daily helps to repair years of sun damage, provide anti-ageing benefits, beautify the skin and promote overall health and wellness.
What clinical trials were used to test the product?
Every ingredient in UVO was chosen based on its ability to provide benefit to the skin as shown in scientific studies from peer-reviewed journals. We also performed our own testing to see how well UVO protected people from UV rays. Our preliminary study conducted on 15 people showed that UVO significantly increases the amount of UV light that is required to cause redness (the FDA requires testing on ten people to determine the SPF of a sunscreen). With these encouraging results, we have now hired an independent third-party laboratory to do further testing on this effect. We are also currently testing the reparative qualities of UVO using professional skin photography equipment from Canfield Scientific. We are looking forward to getting these results within the next few months and sharing them with the rest of the world to further validate the effectiveness of UVO.
As a sun protection product, how does UVO differ to everyday sun lotion?
Sunscreens are a very effective method of sun protection and as a dermatologist I recommend that people uses sunscreen on a daily basis. However, despite dermatologists’ tremendous efforts to encourage people to use sunscreen, people simply don’t use it enough. A recent article published by the American Academy of Dermatology showed that only 14% of men and 29% of women use sunscreen on their face and exposed areas regularly. These numbers are very low. People have a hard time following topical routines and that’s why I created UVO. We drink liquids every day and if we can make sun protection as easy as a drinkable supplement, our hope and goal is that people would use it more regularly. Sunscreen also generally serves a single purpose, which is to block UV rays from damaging the skin. UVO also blocks UV rays from damaging the skin but does so using natural pigments and other mechanisms to absorb them. UVO also has the added benefit of antioxidants, which help stop free radicals from damaging the skin as well as containing anti-inflammatory ingredients that help in the repair of DNA, cell membranes and collagen. Sunscreen simply can’t provide these other benefits as a topical lotion.
Where are you currently selling the product?
We are currently selling UVO in natural food stores, pharmacies, sporting goods stores as well as online at drinkuvo.com and Amazon.
The global market for functional waters increased by 12% last year and is ever growing. Why do you think this is?
I believe functional beverages and supplements are gaining popularity because people want more from what they put into their body. For example, if you can have an electrolyte-enhanced water, why would you pick a water without electrolytes? In general, we see a broad trend of consumers becoming more health-conscious and seeking more natural ways to live a healthier lifestyle.
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