Are moss-inspired ingredients the future for naturals?
The anti-ageing concept of the ingredient is that it promotes cell nucleus health, the company says, and it is the first active ingredient produced from moss in this way.
The ingredient won the gold award at this year’s in-cosmetics Global awards in the best active ingredient category.
How does it work?
Mibelle Biochemistry suggests that moss, being the first type of plant to develop on land about 470 million years ago, shows exceptional resilience.
Harnessing this resilience is the purpose of the MossCellTec technology, which is based on the protonema culture of the moss Physcomitrella patens.
“The active maintains cell nucleus health that is a completely novel anti-aging concept,” claims the company.
“The cell nucleus contains the cell’s DNA and it is involved in regulating essential cellular processes.”
What does it do?
According to Mibelle Biochemistry, studies showed that MossCellTec™ No. 1 activates the lamin A gene responsible for the nuclear envelope structure and the nuclear transport gene RanBP17.
Both genes are down-regulated in aged keratinocytes. MossCellTec™ No. 1 supports the skin’s adaptation to climatic stresses in vitro and in vivo.
The ingredient acts to strengthen skin against urban aggressors and climatic changes and improves the hydration, barrier and homogeneity of the skin after just two weeks.
Wider trend: editor’s analysis
Moss was certainly a novel feature on this year’s in-cosmetics showfloor, but naturals more broadly, of course, were everywhere.
While Mibelle Biochemistry may be unique in its push with moss, elsewhere, it was marine-based ingredients that seem to be a major industry focus.
Algae and seaweed are proving major sources for naturals in this area, with Cargill Beauty one example of a player offering this type of ingredient: a red seaweed-derived functional.
