You may have come across it on TikTok in the form of a purple latte or ice cream with improbable colors. Ube is making its entrance into beauty. And it's no coincidence.
At Kalü, ube is our signature ingredient. Not for its aesthetics, although its deep purple is hard to ignore. Because behind this color lies an exceptional concentration of active compounds that your skin needs to glow from within.
Here's what science says about ube, and why it will redefine nutri-cosmetics in France.
What exactly is ube?
Ube (Dioscorea alata L.), also known as purple yam or "greater yam," is a tuber originating from Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, where it has been cultivated for centuries. It is the most widespread yam species in the world, recognized for its nutritional richness, flavor, and unique color.
Its intense purple hue is not cosmetic. It is a sign of an exceptional concentration of anthocyanins, natural pigments belonging to the polyphenol family, also responsible for the color of blueberries, blackberries, and red cabbage. But in ube, their profile is particular.
Is ube good for your health?
Yes, and science confirms it. Ube is an exceptional source of vitamins A, C, and B6, potassium, fiber, and especially anthocyanins. Extensive research confirms the anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and antioxidant properties of anthocyanins from Dioscorea alata. (Source: PMC, 2023)
Beyond beauty, ube anthocyanins protect cells from oxidative stress, support the immune system, and help regulate chronic inflammation. It is a superfood in the most concrete sense of the term.
Does ube have results on the skin?
That's the question everyone is starting to ask. The short answer: yes. The long answer deserves a closer look.
Ube anthocyanins neutralize free radicals
Free radicals are the main culprits in premature skin aging. Pollution, UV rays, stress, poor diet, all these factors constantly generate them and degrade collagen, elastin, and the DNA of your cells. Anthocyanins exert powerful documented antioxidant activity by modulating several cell signaling pathways to protect cells against oxidative stress. (Source: PMC, 2023)
Anthocyanins stimulate collagen and hyaluronic acid production
This is where it gets really interesting. A study published in the journal Nutrients demonstrated that exposing human skin fibroblasts to anthocyanin extracts increased collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid levels in the cells. (Source: Nanashima et al., Nutrients, 2018)
Clearly, anthocyanins don't just protect existing collagen. They stimulate its production. And internally produced hyaluronic acid acts in the deep layers of the dermis, where no cream can reach.
Anthocyanins protect against photoaging
A scientific review published in 2024 in the journal Foods (MDPI) concluded that a growing number of research studies using cell lines, animal models, and clinical studies provide convincing data demonstrating that anthocyanins mitigate skin photoaging. (Source: Foods, MDPI, 2024)
What is the best ube for skin?
Not all ubes are created equal. What determines the quality of an ube for nutri-cosmetic use is its concentration of anthocyanins and their stability once ingested.
Studies on Philippine purple yam have isolated four new acylated anthocyanins specific to this species, called alatanins, which exhibit superior antioxidant activity to common non-acylated anthocyanins. (Source: Moriya et al., Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, 2015)
This technical detail has a concrete implication for your skin: acylated anthocyanins are more stable and better absorbed by the body. What you ingest is more likely to actually reach your skin cells.
The best ube for skin is therefore one that comes from varieties with a high concentration of acylated anthocyanins, grown under optimal conditions, and formulated to preserve these fragile compounds. This is the research we conducted to build the Kalü formula.
Ube vs. marine collagen: the real debate
Marine collagen is everywhere. But here's what independent studies really say.
A meta-analysis published in 2025 in The American Journal of Medicine, covering 23 randomized clinical trials and 1474 participants, concluded that there is currently no strong clinical evidence to support the use of collagen supplements to prevent or treat skin aging. Studies not funded by the industry show no significant effect. (Source: The American Journal of Medicine, 2025)
The ube approach is fundamentally different. Rather than providing exogenous collagen of animal origin whose absorption remains uncertain, ube anthocyanins stimulate your fibroblasts to produce their own collagen. This is beauty from within in its most logical form. And it's 100% vegan.
Why ube in Kalü
Ube is gaining ground. It is increasingly found in Asian grocery stores, on some online platforms, and in a few food recipes that have circulated on Instagram. Its culinary popularity is very real.
But its nutri-cosmetic potential remains largely unexplored in French beauty formulas. This is precisely what attracted us: an ingredient whose skin effects are documented by science, but which almost no one has yet translated into a serious daily beauty ritual.
Kalü is one of the few French nutri-cosmetic formulas to have specifically formulated ube for its skin benefits, combining it with five other targeted active ingredients: plant ceramides, ashwagandha, natural vitamin C (acerola), zinc bisglycinate, and acacia fiber.
How to incorporate ube into your beauty routine
Oral intake is the most effective way for ube anthocyanins to work on your skin. Unlike topical active ingredients that struggle to cross the epidermal barrier, ingested polyphenols circulate in the blood and directly reach the fibroblasts of the dermis.
The Kalü ritual is simple: 5g of powder in 200ml of water or oat milk, every morning. Oat milk pairs perfectly with the natural vanilla notes of ube for a purple latte that is both beautiful and delicious.
What to remember about ube
Ube is not a fleeting trend. It is an ingredient with scientifically documented antioxidant properties, whose unique anthocyanins act at several levels on skin health: protection against free radicals, stimulation of endogenous collagen and hyaluronic acid, and protection against photoaging.
Its potential for inner beauty is only just beginning to be explored. And we believe this is just the beginning.
Frequently asked questions about ube
Are ube and purple yam the same thing?
Yes. Ube (Dioscorea alata L.) is commonly called purple yam in French. It is a tuber native to the Philippines, recognized for its intense purple color due to its exceptional concentration of anthocyanins.
Is ube effective for the skin?
Yes. Ube anthocyanins stimulate the natural production of collagen and hyaluronic acid in skin fibroblasts, neutralize free radicals responsible for skin aging, and protect against photoaging. These effects are documented by several scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals.
What is the difference between ube and marine collagen?
Marine collagen provides exogenous collagen of animal origin, whose absorption remains uncertain according to independent studies. Ube stimulates your own fibroblasts to produce their collagen naturally. It is also 100% vegan, with no marine-derived products.
How to consume ube for skin?
Oral intake is the most effective. Ingested anthocyanins circulate in the blood and directly reach the fibroblasts of the dermis, where topical creams cannot act. Kalü incorporates ube into a daily nutri-cosmetic drink that can be prepared in 30 seconds.
Where can you find ube in France?
Ube is increasingly found in Asian grocery stores and on some online platforms, often in raw or frozen form. Kalü has specifically formulated it for its skin benefits in a ready-to-prepare nutri-cosmetic drink.
Scientific sources
Moriya et al., New acylated anthocyanins from purple yam and their antioxidant activity, Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, 2015: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25848974/
PMC, The effect of anthocyanin from Dioscorea alata L. on antioxidant capacity, 2023: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10563728/
Nanashima et al., Blackcurrant Anthocyanins Increase Collagen, Elastin and Hyaluronic Acid in Human Skin Fibroblasts, Nutrients, 2018: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5946280/
Exploring the Potential of Anthocyanins for Repairing Photoaged Skin, Foods, MDPI, 2024: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/21/3506
Effects of Collagen Supplements on Skin Aging, The American Journal of Medicine, 2025: https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(25)00283-9/abstract
Metabolome and Transcriptome of Dioscorea alata L., Plants, MDPI, 2025: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12655603/