Dermalogica is working harder than ever innovation-wise to solidify its position in the competitive beauty market, ensuring that tip-top skin barrier health remains at the forefront of its offering and messaging.
The 40-year-old Unilever-owned brand is continuing to heavily invest in R&D, especially in the skin care and sunscreen arenas, to target concerns that have been traditionally harder to address, in the hope of putting Dermalogica front-and-centre in beauty shoppers’ minds.
From researching longevity science-focused skin barrier health solutions, to leveraging a plant-based oleosome fusion peptide growth factor to target visible hollowing and loss of density around the eye area, the heritage player continues to innovate in exciting ways.
Not to mention utilising artificial intelligence (AI) design functional peptides with a skin health-first approach to improve the look of pores in a product set to release in 2027.
Dr Bob Bianchini, VP of Technology, Innovation and Development at Dermalogica, lifts the lid on Dermalogica’s R&D plans for 2026/2027 to Cosmetics Business below.
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How is Dermalogica competing in the competitive skin care space and remaining relevant?
Bianchini: “Dermalogica's approach has always been rooted in skin health first.
While trends come and go, consumers continue to seek products that are backed by functional ingredients, credible science, professional expertise and proven clinical results.
Looking ahead, we see significant opportunities in skin longevity, barrier health, personalised skin care, professional treatments and targeted solutions for concerns that have traditionally been difficult to address.
Our goal is to continue translating advanced skin science into products that deliver meaningful results and support healthier skin over the long term.
Working with our partners at Unilever, who are very deep in skin science, we are excited about our future innovations.
We also do a lot of clinical studies, at least eight-to-ten per year, as we are very deep in terms of our clinical outcomes – key markers, biomarkers, metrics – and the inability to affect things like longevity, barrier health, personalised skin care and targeted solutions.
So, we continue to translate that advanced science, including biotechnology, which is at the forefront.”
Dermalogica's Smart Eye Density Serum
What are your plans for 2026 and 2027 in terms of innovation, and why are these launches crucial?
Bianchini: “Our recent and upcoming innovations reflect the evolving needs of today's consumer.
Smart Eye Density Serum (which launches on 3 August) targets one of the most common yet underserved eye concerns: visible hollowing and loss of density around the eye area.
Leveraging a breakthrough plant-based oleosome fusion peptide growth factor, our formula is designed to help restore a fuller, healthier-looking appearance while improving the overall vitality of the eye contour.
Sun protection remains one of the most important aspects of skin health, and consumer confidence is critical
We are also continuing to expand our Stabilizing Repair Serum franchise with an over-the-counter oat product, building on the increasing demand for barrier-focused solutions that support sensitive, reactive and compromised skin for both face and body.
It is very good for eczema and dermatitis, which the UK market overindexes on.
These launches are important because they address real consumer concerns through a skin health lens, while strengthening our leadership in professional-grade skin care.”
Dermalogica invests heavily in R&D to promote better skin health
Sun safety is a major topic right now. How will Dermalogica continue to innovate in this space?
Bianchini: “Sun protection remains one of the most important aspects of skin health, and consumer confidence is critical.
We believe the future of sun care goes beyond UV protection alone.
Unfortunately, skin cancers are at epidemic levels around the world, so not enough people use sunscreen as often as they should.
Our focus is on creating multifunctional products that not only protect against UV exposure, but also support overall skin health, comfort and resilience.
Consumers increasingly expect their SPF to do more than simply shield the skin, and we see significant opportunity to continue advancing this category through meaningful innovation, particularly with the recent FDA approval of sun filter Bemotrizinol, abbreviated as BEMT, in the US.
We are excited about BEMT because it is a sun filter that has been used in Europe and the rest of the world for many years, which brings a new standard of protection.
Also, because it is a polymer, it does not penetrate as much as some of the other sunscreens do, and it also has broad spectrum protection.
Our first launches with BEMT are coming out this year in Europe, and then next year in the US.”
Dermalogica's FutureCode Booster Serum
How does longevity science play into skin health, and how will Dermalogica continue to invest in this area?
Bianchini: “Longevity science is fundamentally aligned with Dermalogica's philosophy of maintaining healthy skin for life.
Rather than focusing solely on the visible signs of ageing, longevity science looks at how we can support the biological processes that help skin remain resilient, functional and healthy over time.
Pro Collagen Banking Water Cream (which launched on 6 March) was our first entry into longevity, and now we have launched FutureCode Booster Serum (which launched 15 May), which is another important example of this direction.
FutureCode Booster Serum is designed to stimulate your mitochondria to get better growth of the vitality of the skin and help cell turnover.
The clinical results have reinforced our belief that consumers are increasingly interested in proactive approaches that support skin vitality and resilience before visible signs of decline appear.
We expect longevity science to influence multiple categories across our portfolio in the years ahead.”
Dr Bob Bianchini, VP of Technology, Innovation and Development at Dermalogica
What ingredients and technologies is Dermalogica researching to meet modern consumer needs?
Bianchini: “We are particularly excited by advances in biotechnology, skin longevity research, barrier science, advanced delivery systems and technologies that help support the skin's natural resilience.
Consumers today want products that are both highly effective and grounded in credible science.
The areas generating the most excitement are those that help improve skin performance, strengthen resilience against environmental stressors and support healthy skin function over time.”
Longevity science looks at how we can support the biological processes that help skin remain resilient, functional and healthy over time
What do you make of the skin care landscape in 2026, and how do you see it changing?
Bianchini: “Consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable and selective.
We are seeing growing interest in clinically validated products, devices, longevity-focused skin care, barrier health and professional-grade solutions.
At the same time, we expect consumers to become more sceptical of trend-driven claims and short-lived ingredients.
The future belongs to brands that can demonstrate efficacy, explain the science clearly and build trust through transparency.
There is a lot of noise on TikTok, and consumers have to be really careful, because many of the trends on there are not safe.”
Dermalogica's Pro Collagen Banking Water Cream
What will be the greatest challenges and opportunities when executing your innovation plan?
Bianchini: “The biggest opportunity is that consumers are more engaged with skin care science than ever before, and there is tremendous interest in understanding how skin works and how to maintain healthier skin over the long term.
The biggest challenge is ensuring that innovation remains meaningful and evidence-based.
As scientific discoveries accelerate, brands must carefully balance excitement around emerging technologies with rigorous testing and clinical validation.
For Dermalogica, the opportunity lies in continuing to lead with education, professional expertise and science-backed innovation, while helping consumers navigate an increasingly complex skin care landscape.
We have also decided to manufacture in the EU, so in the last six-to-12 months, we have begun manufacturing sunscreens in the EU community so that we can prepare products that use approved ingredients as quickly as possible.”
Related content:
- Anti-Ageing Skin Care Conference 2026: Highlights from day one
- Anti-Ageing Skin Care Conference 2026: Highlights from day two
- Unilever scientists identify link between skin microbiome and skin ageing in ‘first-of-its-kind’ study
- Is longevity the next big beauty category?
- Is ‘longevity washing’ beauty's next big issue?
