Chlitina develops new brand featuring microbiome-friendly peptide extracted from saliva

The peptide, P113+, was discovered by Dr Frank G. Oppenheim, Emeritus Professor of Translational Dental Medicine at Boston University.

The company secured the exclusive rights to use histatin-rich protein which it claims can intelligently identify bad bacteria and destroy to maintain the overall balance of the microbiome.

The firm elaborated that P113+ works by “automatically targeting harmful bacteria by combining with their cell membrane, perforating it and causing the bacteria’s destruction.”​

While effective, the company highlighted that it was a mild and safe ingredient to use across all demographics, including children, pregnant women, senior citizens as well as the immunocompromised.

According to the firm, P113+ is effective against more than 40 types of bacteria, including Escherichia coli​, Candida albicans​, and Staphylococcus aureus​.

The new brand, also named P113+, launched at the start of June under a new subsidiary, KindShare. It debuted with two oral care ranges – one for adults and another for children.

The oral care range consists of a toothpaste, mouthwash, and mouth spray for each of the line-ups. The products tackle a range of oral care concerns, from bad breath to periodontal disease.

In a clinical test run in collaboration with Taipei City Hospital, 10 subjects were tasked to use the mouthwash four times a day for three days.

This saw a two-fold increase of Streptococcus salivarius, ​which helps to fight bad bacteria, prevents tooth decay, and keep the overall mouth healthy.

The company is set to expand the six-piece range even further this year to include products such as body cleansers and shampoos, as well as facial skin care products, according to Phoebe Chen, general manager, Chlitina Marketing Limited, Taiwan branch. 

Chen did not rule out opportunities to expand into other categories, including health supplements.

Chilitina’s health focus

Founded in 1989, Chlitina is a cosmetics company that has a beauty salon network of over 5,000 stores in markets including Taiwan, China, and Vietnam.

The development of a microbiome-centric beauty and personal care brand is a new frontier for the company, which is best known for its luxury skin care products and beauty salons.

“​It's getting clearer and clearer now that the balance of good and bad bacteria in your body is extremely important for your general health. And this is going to impact your skin also,”​ said Chen.

The company had previously told​ CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ in 2021 that it was shifting its product development to focus on areas such as the microbiome and regenerative medicine in order to tap into the increasing emphasis on health post-pandemic.

CEO Ryan Chao said: “Health and safety have become top keywords for beauty and skin care consumption. The new emphasis on healthy products and lifestyles brims with new opportunities. Experts point out that China's health industry will represent about 10 trillion Chinese yuan in 2021, of which 80% will be dedicated to health management and health consumption, and only 20% to medicine per se.”​