Melatine®: The Black Sheep Secret to Fighting Grey Hair Naturally

Introduction: Melatine® & Kerat'Innov

Melatine® is an oral ingredient developed by Kerat'Innov and marketed by LC Ingredients to help combat grey hairs.

What is Melatine®? 

Melatine® is a patented, bioavailable hydrolysed keratin derived from black sheep wool that contains high levels of melanin, which is the pigment responsible for hair colour. It is used in supplements and hair products to stimulate melanogenesis (the production of melanin), helping to restore natural hair colour, strengthen hair and combat premature greying by stimulating the hair bulb and melanocytes.

How does Melatine® work?

✴️ Stimulates melanin production: Melatine®'s active peptide complex helps to reactivate the melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) in the hair follicle.

✴️ Rich in melanin: The hydrolysed keratin provides melanin directly, contributing to the hair's natural pigmentation.

✴️ Promotes hair health: By stimulating the hair bulb and keratinocytes, it helps to strengthen hair and reduce hair loss.

✴️ Antioxidant properties: Melatine also has antioxidant activity, which helps protect against free radicals that contribute to hair aging.

Cutting Edge Technology from France

Using advanced manufacturing technology from France, the proteins from the black sheep wool has been meticulously processed into high-quality keratin while ensuring the proteins are not damaged during the process. With high bioavailability, up to 96% of the amino acid can be absorbed easily by the body, making Melatine® an effective preventive solution to hair greying.

Clinical Study of Melatine®

With a daily Melatine® dosage of 650 mg, clinical study shows that it significantly darkens hair colour by up to 13% after four months. 

Melatine® vs Tyrosine

🛡️ Tyrosine is a precursor (substrate) for melanin synthesis. By increasing its availability, in principle you might drive more melanin production if the rest of the pathway (tyrosine uptake, tyrosinase activity, etc.) is functional. But simply supplying more tyrosine may not help if other steps are limiting (enzyme activity, availability of cofactors, presence of oxidative stress, health of melanocytes).

⚡ Melatine®, however, seems to work via a different or more holistic mechanism:

• It supplies a source of melanin‐rich keratin/peptides that are bioavailable; possibly providing more direct pigment or helping with pigment incorporation or supporting pigment‐producing machinery.
• It stimulates melanogenesis (i.e. promotes the internal functioning of melanocytes, not just precursor supply). 

• It protects via antioxidant activity, which might reduce damage that impairs melanocyte function.

To summarise, Tyrosine mainly provides raw material while Melatine® aims to both support and stimulate the pigment‐making machinery and protect it.

Potential Synergy: Oral Melatine® + Oral Tyrosine

Given what we know about Melatine and about tyrosine, combining them might have synergistic effects. Here’s how and why:

Why combination create synergy

1. Precursor supply vs stimulation

   • Tyrosine ensures that the raw material for melanin synthesis is available. If melanin production is substrate-limited in some cases, more tyrosine might help.

   • Melatine® can stimulate the melanocyte machinery, enhance melanogenesis, and help maintain or restore function. So even with adequate tyrosine, if melanocytes are impaired, you won’t get much pigment – Melatine® may help in that regard.

2. Overcoming multiple limitations

   • Oxidative stress, loss of enzyme activity, or decline in melanocyte number are factors in greying. Melatine®’s antioxidant properties may protect melanocytes, while tyrosine ensures that the enzymatic pathway has what it needs.

   • Other cofactors (e.g. copper, vitamins, etc.) may also be necessary for full tyrosinase activity. Melatine® may bring some of those (if rich in melanin/keratin, which may include associated minerals) or help with expression of enzymes, but probably not enough by itself in all cases.

3. Faster or more complete repigmentation

   • With both stimulation and substrate in place, the process of restoring pigment may be more efficient. For example, if tyrosine is low, then stimulating melanogenesis alone may be slow or limited. If Melatine® can enhance tyrosinase/activity/cell health and tyrosine is sufficient, then pigment production may ramp up more.