The world is changing at a pace never seen before. Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is a daily reality, reshaping our environment, our routines, and even our skin.
As the weather swings unpredictably, humidity levels fluctuate, air conditioning creates rapid temperature transitions, the skin is forced to adapt to a new normal. For the beauty industry, this is both a challenge and an opportunity.
“The market is shifting toward climate-adaptive beauty products that focus on skin resilience rather than simple protection. The unpredictability of stressors require the development of responsive formulas that adjust to individual lifestyles. Over the past years, our research team has delved into this new chapter with one question in mind: how can we help skin not just survive, but thrive in an era of environmental volatility? Laurie CANEL, Product marketing leader, active ingredients.
The secrets for adaptation are hidden in a cocoon
Gattefossé researchers have studied living systems capable of dynamic protection. One striking example is the delicate interplay between silkworm and white mulberry (Morus alba) leaves, which gives rise to the silk cocoon. In sericulture, silkworms feed exclusively on white mulberry leaves, whose richness in key nutrients gives silk its softness and protective properties.
Inspired by this natural bioconversion, Gattefossé sought to replicate this phyto-structural sophistication, combining white mulberry leaves into a structured supramolecular extractive system known as NaDES.
“Living systems have developed remarkable strategies to adapt, protect themselves, and survive in constrained environments. Thanks an exploratory work combined with our strong expertise in phytochemistry, bioprocessing, and skin biology, we developed a bioinspired phytocomplex that demonstrates exceptional adaptive capabilities. Leveraging AI, specifically bioinformatics, allowed us to further characterise the ingredient’s activation pathways in skin cells, with a particular focus on the post-translational phosphorylation process.” Lucie COUTURIER, Head of R&D, active ingredients.
Targeting protein phosphorylation
Combining phosphoproteomic approaches with bioinformatic analysis, proteomics, and tissue engineering, Gattefossé unveils that Silkaress is able to significantly modulate protein phosphorylation in keratinocytes, the key mechanism behind cellular adaptation.
By activating critical signaling pathways for epidermal cohesion and vitality, Silkaress promotes skin resilience, supporting its ability to withstand shifting climatic conditions and preserve the integrity of the skin barrier.
In clinical studies on Caucasian volunteers with dry and sensitive skin, Silkaress was shown to restructure the micro-relief and homogenise hydration. This translates into a silk-like protective effect and a deep feeling of comfort and well-being.
Silkaress offers softer, smoother, protected skin for a wide range of applications, including climate-smart skin care, everyday outdoor defence products, cocooning, and comfort-first formulas.
A prestigious French origin
In search of premium white mulberry leaves, Gattefossé journeyed to the biodiversity reserve of the Cévennes National Park in southern France, the historic cradle of French sericulture. Here, the company partner, Sericyne, is devoted to revitalising a historically emblematic regional industry with special attention to traceability, ethics, and durability.
Silkaress is an organic-certified signature ingredient uniting performance, naturality, and a deep connection to French savoir-faire, crafted to meet cosmetic brands’ expectations for uniqueness and sustainability.
Silkaress will be introduced at Gattefossé booth 3G80, at in cosmetics Global Paris, 14 to 16 of April 2026.
