The History of Whoo
Royal Regina line
The History of Whoo’s “Royal Regina” line (로얄 레지나) is an anti-aging skincare line designed to address first signs of skin aging, revitalise skin and restore the skin’s natural balance.
Disclaimer: I personally translated the majority of facts and contents in this article from original Korean sources, so I kindly ask you to credit my work if you’re planning to use any of the information included in this guide.
Many concepts mentioned in this guide are based on Oriental Medicine principles, for a better understanding please refer to the introduction to Traditional Korean Medicine on this website. It’s important to stress out that there is no correspondence between Oriental Medicine organs and Western anatomy so capitalised names in this article shouldn’t be interpreted in the Western medical sense.
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Main Ingredients
⬥ Royal Iris Absolute™
Royal Iris Absolute™ is an anti-aging ingredient derived from the roots of Iris Pallida, and designed to mitigate stress-related skin changes, as well as improve skin’s elasticity and resilience.
Iris species have been historically valued in both Eastern and Western medicine for their therapeutic properties. Traditionally, the rhizomes of different Iris species were used to treat a range of conditions, including fever, inflammation and jaundice. These traditional uses are supported by recent scientific studies, which have confirmed the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Iris extracts1.
development of the ingredient:
The development of Royal Iris Absolute™ is the result of years of dedicated research at the Whoo Oriental Medicine Skin Science Research Center. The goal was to create an ingredient that not only preserved the integrity of the bioactive compounds found in Iris Pallida, but also maximised their efficacy through a carefully controlled extraction method.
To create Royal Iris Absolute™, Iris Pallida undergoes a cultivation period of 1,000 days, followed by another 1,000 days of maturation to allow the plant to develop a rich profile of bioactive compounds. After this time, the matured rhizomes are extracted using a gentle low-temperature technique to preserve their bioactive properties.
clinical studies:
The History of Whoo’s research showed that Iris Pallida extract can effectively mitigate the damaging effects of cortisol on the skin. Cortisol is a stress hormone known to suppress the skin’s production of key structural components like procollagen type I and hyaluronic acid. The History of Whoo researchers found that Iris Pallida extract can significantly restore the levels of procollagen type I and hyaluronic acid reduced by stress-induced cortisol exposure, as well as inhibit the translocation of the glucocorticoid receptor within cells, which is a crucial process in cortisol-induced skin damage.
Further analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography identified irigenin, an isoflavone found in Iris Pallida, as the main active component responsible for restoring collagen levels by 82%.
These findings suggest that Iris Pallida Extract not only protects against stress-related damage, but also supports the production of structural proteins and hydrating components by modulating gene expression related to collagen and hyaluronic acid synthesis2.
⬥ Royal Amino Repair™
Royal Amino Repair™ is an innovative ingredient designed to promote skin regeneration and fortify the skin’s natural protective barrier. The ingredient is protected by a patent in Korea (patent number 10-2411385) and consists of a unique blend of two amino acids, Arginine and Glutamate.
development of the ingredient:
The development of Royal Amino Repair™ is the result of extensive analysis of over 500 traditional royal beauty remedies and medicinal herbs. Through big data analysis of these historical records, The History of Whoo’s research team identified Arginine and Glutamate as two of the most effective and frequently used amino acids. Initially, the researchers experimented with simple mixtures of these two amino acids, however further studies revealed that combining them into a eutectic mixture significantly enhanced their efficacy3.
A eutectic mixture is formed by combining two or more substances in specific ratios to create a solution with a lower melting point than its individual components. This phenomenon happens when the substances in the mixture interact in a way that disrupts their original crystalline structures, reducing the energy needed to convert the mixture from solid to liquid.
In the case of Royal Amino Repair™, the eutectic mixture is formed by combining positively charged Arginine and negatively charged Glutamate. This particular combination interferes with the formation of solid crystals due to molecular interactions known as Van der Waals forces, which help the mixture remain in liquid form and, in turn, improve both its stability and performance in skincare formulas.
results showing the skin regeneration promotion effect of Royal Amino Repair™ (arginine – glutamic acid eutectic mixture)
clinical studies:
The History of Whoo conducted several experiments3 to evaluate the benefits of Royal Amino Repair™. In one study, 20 female participants aged 25 to 45 were asked to apply a cream containing Royal Amino Repair™ twice daily for eight weeks. At the end of the study period, participants showed a 29% increase in skin elasticity, suggesting the ingredient has the potential to improve skin viscoelasticity.
In another experiment, the brand tested the wound healing efficacy of a 10 ppm Royal Amino Repair™ solution. The results showed an impressive 92.2% wound healing rate and microscopic analysis confirmed significant cell repopulation across previously damaged areas.
In both studies, Royal Amino Repair™ has been shown to deliver stronger results than either single amino acids or simple (non-eutectic) mixtures.
The effectiveness of Royal Amino Repair™ has also been confirmed through a collaborative study with Hanlim University Han River Sacred Heart Hospital, South Korea’s leading burn treatment hospital. The study, titled “Evaluation of a Cosmetic Formulation Containing Arginine Glutamate in Patients with Burn Scars: A Pilot Study”, was featured in the October 2024 issue of the international journal “Pharmaceutics” and investigates the effectiveness of formulations containing Arginine Glutamate in patients who have recently undergone acute burn treatment. The study found that Arginine Glutamate helped relieve skin dryness and itching in burn patients, with these patients expressing high satisfaction with the treatment4.
properties:
Overall, Royal Amino Repair™ was shown to offer multiple skin benefits:
Products
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Notes
1. Kim, J.-S., Lee, H.-J., Yoon, E.-J., Lee, H., Ji, Y., Kim, Y., Park, S.-J., Kim, J., & Bae, S. (2023). Protective effect of Iris germanica L. rhizome-derived exosome against oxidative-stress-induced cellular senescence in human epidermal keratinocytes. Applied Sciences, 13(21), 11681. https://doi.org/10.3390/app132111681
2. Choo, J. H., Lee, H. G., Lee, S. Y., & Kang, N. G. (2023). Iris pallida extract alleviates cortisol-induced decrease in type 1 collagen and hyaluronic acid syntheses in human skin cells. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 45(1), 353–363. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45010025
3. LG H&H Co Ltd. (2021). 공융 혼합물을 포함하는 화장료 조성물 (Korean Patent No. 10-2411385). Korean Intellectual Property Office.
4. Kim, H., Kwak, I., Kim, M., Um, J., Lee, S., Chung, B., Park, C., Won, J., & Kim, H. (2024). Evaluation of a cosmetic formulation containing arginine glutamate in patients with burn scars: A pilot study. Pharmaceutics, 16(10), 1283. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16101283
