Cognis launches anti-wrinkle ingredient

Laboratoires Sérobiologiques, which is part of the Germany-based Cognis Care Chemicals group​, has chosen the PCIA event, held in Bangkok this week, to launch the ingredient, say that it is a natural and effective anti-wrinkle ingredient that acts on the dermis and epidermis to create a smoother appearance.

"The boundary between the dermis and the epidermis is formed by the dermo-epidermal junction (DEJ), a membrane just 75 nanometers in thickness which is vital to the healthy functioning of the skin,"​ a company statement said.

"Any damage to the DEJ affects the cohesion of the two layers, which can lead to the formation of wrinkles. This damage can occur as a result of the aging process, which causes both structural and functional changes in certain constituents of the DEJ, or due to exposure to UV radiation, which reduces elasticity and accelerates wrinkling. In ProDEJine LS 9784, LS has developed a natural solution that both protects the DEJ and strengthens the structure of the dermis."​

The biotech derived ingredient is isolated and purified from brewer's yeast, a unicellular eucaryotic microorganism. LS says it improves the tonicity of the dermis by accelerating the synthesis of its constituent proteins: elastin, collagen and glycosaminoclycans.

ProDEJine LS 9784 is also said to aid regeneration of the DEJ by boosting the synthesis of perlecan, a proteoglycan produced by the skin's fibroblast cells which in conjunction with laminins and collagen IV plays an important role in stabilising the DEJ.

Research carried out by LS has demonstrated that perlecan synthesis slows down as the person ages, and the process therefore needs to be stimulated if the functionality of the DEJ is to be maintained. LS says that the ingredient is most suitable for use in anti-age face care products and care products for mature skin.

LS also claims that in its own clinical test, an eight-week course of treatment showed that a cream containing three percent of the new active ingredient had a significant anti-wrinkle effect around the eyes. Likewise consumer testing is said to have resulted in improved cutaneous tonicity, fewer wrinkles and firmer skin.

Disguising, eliminating or preventing the signs of aging are the primary objectives of many of today's cosmetic products. Consumers are looking for beauty treatments that do more than just conceal the aging process, and can actually repair wrinkled skin.

Isabelle Benoit, Marketing Manager LS, said: "Preventing the signs of ageing has become one of the main aims of LS's scientists. As a result of our intensive research programs we are able to offer a natural and effective anti-ageing product, which maintains skin's cohesion and the density of its supporting tissue, thus preventing the formation of wrinkles and keeping the skin youthfully firm and supple. ProDEJine can give our customers a competitive edge in this dynamic growth sector."​

The launch of this new ingredient is in line with the company's aim to increase its presence in the anti-ageing sector. At the beginning of this year the company said that it would continue to focus its business activities on health and wellbeing - an area that includes the growing market for skin care products and particularly anti-ageing products.

Currently the global market for skin care products is valued at over $38 billion (€29bn), of which nearly $7 billion is related to anti-ageing products. The rate of growth for the skin care segment is 6.7 per cent and is one of the highest in the industry. However, even more striking is the growth rate for the anti-ageing segment, which now tops 11 per cent.