Consumers have a new approach to anti-ageing, and that is skin longevity.
Rather than trying to reverse the signs of ageing, they are seeking to delay ageing with a new approach.
If your work touches on skin biology, dermal ageing pathways or clinical measurement techniques, the Anti-Ageing Skin Care Conference is one of the few events dedicated to high-level scientific discussion in this space. Find out more HERE.
Skin longevity serums focus on barrier protection, cellular repair, and protection against UV and environmental damage.
So how do we formulate a skin longevity serum? Read on to find out…--ABSTRACTEND
Skin longevity serum essential ingredients
Emollients
Essential to maintain the skin’s protective barrier, lipids should have a light but lasting skin feel so that the serum can be layered upon by other skin creams (if desired) and/or make-up.
Emollients are a crucial way to provide moisture protection whilst making the skin feel more supple.
For skin longevity serums, think about medium weight triglycerides or esters for Caucasian and Hispanic skin types and drier climates, or lighter esters or silicones for Asian and African/Caribbean skin types and more humid climates.
Humectants
The unsung hero in many formulations, humectants provide moisture and suppleness to the skin, giving an immediately more youthful radiance and hydrated appearance.
Humectants are also osmolytic agents, which help small molecular weight active ingredients traverse to the mid layers of the epidermis for better efficacy.
Skin longevity actives
Ideally water soluble to suit the serum base formula, these actives should be active against UV, environmental drying/damage and/or pollution.
There should also be an antioxidant botanical and ideally vitamin B3, C, A or a retinol alternative.
You should also include an active that works specifically on cellular regeneration or repair, detoxification or with activity against cell senescence.
Where you can find a multi-functional active providing more than one of these benefits, it will make a fantastic addition to your formula.
Skin longevity serums usually carry a higher price tag than standard serums because of their actives – so make sure to have efficacy data to ensure your finished formula yields results.
Barrier protection active
Barrier protection actives are crucial in a skin longevity serum to protect against trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).
By preventing TEWL, you are providing a myriad of protective benefits against daily skin aggressors.
Barrier protection actives could be high molecular weight hydrolysed proteins (with skin efficacy data compared to those better suited to hair products), ceramides and probiotics.
Barrier protection can also be enhanced by your chosen emollients.
Non-ionic emulsifier blend
This is essential, to enable the serum to carry a lipid content and make the formula amphiphilic, which boosts delivery of the actives.
Where possible, look to include an emulsifier blend with hydration boosting efficacy data to further support the skin barrier.
You will need a gentle but effective broad-spectrum preservative to protect the active-rich formula, and use a very low input of fragrance (if any) to keep the product mild on application.
Here is an example skin longevity serum formula for a Caucasian woman in a temperate-dry climate:
A table of a formula for a longevity serum
Method
1. Combine phase B to form a smooth slurry and add to phase A. Stir to create a gel ensuring homogenous hydration.
2. Heat phase A/B to 75°C.
3. Add phase C to hot phase A/B and stir under high shear until wax melts and a smooth, glossy emulsion forms.
4. Allow to cool to <40°C under low shear stirring, then add phase D. Stir until homogenous.
5. Below 25°C, check and adjust pH to 5.5-6. Allow to cool fully before packing off. You can of course make changes to the above formulation, but remember to follow the essential principles of what is needed in a skin longevity serum formula to get the desired results.