TRI Talks 2024 Series – Presentation 2 of 4: Wednesday 20th November, 1pm ET

UNVEILING THE SKIN: HOW SKIN MICROSCOPY SUPPORTS PRODUCT INNOVATION, CLAIMS TESTING, AND RESEARCH

In the third of four talks this season Dr Jessica Cardenas Turner (Staff Scientist, TRI Princeton) will present a talk titled ‘Unveiling the Skin: How Skin Microscopy Supports Product Innovation, Claims Testing, and Research’. TRI Talks take place to simulate scientific discourse and debate in the cosmetics and personal care category and are free to join. 690 scientists from around the world registered to attend last year’s talks. Uniquely for a technical webinar, TRI Talks allow all participants to openly share their views and to ask questions, on microphone and camera, if they so wish. Register here for the whole 2024 series, to have access to the live events and to playback anything you miss. Let the discussions begin again!

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Some more information about Jessica’s talk:

The study of human skin is a crucial area of research in cosmetics and pharmaceutics. Skin is the largest and most accessible organ in the human body, making its physiology a prime subject for extensive microscopic investigation. 

This presentation navigates various skin microscopy techniques as they relate to cosmetic science. Microscopy techniques are crucial for evaluating the effects of cosmetic formulations on the skin. These techniques allow researchers to observe the impact of products at a microscopic level, both in clinical studies and through ex-vivo and in vitro laboratory testing. Microscopy provides insight into how cosmetics interact with and penetrate the various skin layers. This information is vital for substantiating product claims related to hydration, texture, damage, protection, irritation, inflammation, pigmentation, and more. Ultimately, microscopy plays a central role in assessing the safety and efficacy of cosmetic formulations during product development. At TRI, we offer various microscopy techniques for claims support testing.

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SCC 78th Annual Scientific Meeting & Showcase

SCC 78th ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING & SHOWCASE

DECEMBER 11-13, LOS ANGELES, CA

The leading cosmetic science conference for the US is the Annual Scientific Meeting and Showcase. This year it takes place in Los Angeles, California on 11, 12 and 13th December.  Book you places here. TRI will be presenting two podium presentations in the Education Sessions planned for Friday December 13th.  Dr Samuel Gourion-Arsiquaud will present ‘Increased Temperature Related to Climate Change Impacts the Penetration of Sunscreens into Our Skin’.  Dr Ernesa Malinauskyte will present ‘Learnings About Ethnic Hair Fiber’. It is not often the TRI team are on the West Coast, so if you want to book a meeting with Samuel or Ernesta, please contact us.

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Everyone is Talking About: Peptides

Dr Philippa Cranwell Technical Content Creator

Peptides are in the news at the moment….a lot. While most of the coverage has been in relation to development of the blockbuster peptide-based drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, peptides are also having impact through their use as actives within cosmetic science and personal care. The question is, why? 

Peptides are small, low molecular-weight compounds usually containing between 2 and 50 amino acids which are joined by peptide (also called amide) bonds. Proteins are their larger cousins that can contain hundreds of amino acids, and both play significant roles within the body with functions including cell signaling, providing structure and transportation. Within the cosmetics industry, many products that contain peptides have claims that include ‘plumping’, ‘hydration’, ‘repair’ and ‘strengthening’. And actually, there could be something behind this.  

Peptides are small, which means that they can be absorbed through the skin. Peptides are, therefore, often used to target biological processes. Take the stimulation of collagen production in the skin, for example. 

Collagen is known to provide support in the extracellular space of connective tissues, and as we age, the amount of collagen produced in the body reduces and existing collagen breaks down at a faster rate, which leads to sagging and wrinkles; the visual manifestations of aging skin. Inclusion of small peptides into a formulations, such as palmitoyl tripeptide-38 (Matrixyl Synthe'6), can stimulate production of protein components within the extracellular matrix, such as collagen, leading to improved skin characteristics seen by users, Figure 1. Accordingly, when peptides are included in a product, claims are often relating to restoring youthful skin or ‘defying the signs of aging’.

Figure 1: Structure of palmitoyl tripeptide-38 (Matrixyl Synthe'6). CAS: 1101448-24-1

It is interesting to speculate whether the inclusion of peptides in lip care products could also give interesting benefits. The skin on the lips is thinner and more prone to damage by external environmental factors, including UV and temperature. In addition, as lip skin is thinner and contains fewer sebaceous glands than skin elsewhere on our bodies, lips can suffer from chapping due to an increased rate of water loss, especially in winter. Incorporation of peptides into lip care products, such as masks, balms, creams or lipsticks, could mean that collagen formation is stimulated, leading to a smoother and more evenly textured surface. 

Contact us if you interested in working with TRI on your skin care or lip care research.

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