The skincare industry is home to an immeasurable amount of products that all purport to be able to turn back the clock. And whilst an increasing number of these manage to regularly make good on these claims, none are perhaps more effective than those that draw on the restorative power of stem cells.
When used in skincare products, stem cells can reverse the signs of ageing by accelerating the speed at which the body carries out essential tasks such as stimulating the production of collagen and repairing damaged proteins. Through their promotion of internal healing processes, stem cell-based products can tackle a wide range of skin conditions, such as acne, pigmentation, eczema and psoriasis, whilst simultaneously minimising many other common impressions of age.
But how do they work and can they really offer a long-term solution to our hangups and imperfections?
Stem cells: an introduction
Stem cells are present in every area of the body and possess two common properties. These shared traits – the ability to self-renew and to differentiate (specialise to become different types of tissue) – are essential in the maturation of an embryo into a complete human body, with many complex systems working in harmony to keep the developing baby alive.
They derive their reputation for being “immortal” because of how they can naturally produce more of themselves. In simplified terms, this means that they function as “the ambulance crew of the body”, arriving at the site of an injury equipped with all of the appropriate resources to fully trigger the body’s healing processes.
Such bodily maintenance is made possible by stem cells’ release of natural protein molecules, some of which, like growth factors, have specific repair functions. In cases where cells have forgotten what to do, have become lazy or are too damaged to perform their designated roles, cytokines, variants of molecules which act as cell messengers, tell the cell nucleus how to perform and regulate things such as inflammation and cell regeneration
Stem cells in skincare
Although embryonic stem cells have often been used for various medical purposes – a practice which has led to significant ethical debate – this is not something we need to concern ourselves about when it comes to skincare.
This is because the types of specialised stem cells found in many skincare formulations are usually “mesenchymal stem cells”, which are mature, or “adult”, stem cells found throughout the body. These are a sort of specialist stem cells present in people of all ages.
It’s important to note that these skin care products don’t arrive packed full of actual stem cells. Instead, they contain molecules that are derived from stem cells and are carefully packaged in ways to ensure that they are delivered to the skin safely and efficiently.
Stem cells that come directly from humans are usually put through a lab process in which their protein molecules are released into Petri dishes and separated from their source. These are then placed within exosomes or lipids to make sure they are more easily made use of by the skin.
In addition to using stem cells taken from the human body, many manufacturers either synthetically produce stem cells (normally listed on packaging as recombinant material) or source them from plants. These types of products are also effective but, in the case of plant-derived ingredients, in particular, will usually possess more antioxidant qualities rather than restorative ones.
Choosing an effective stem cell-based product
Stem cell-based skincare is so vital as it helps the body to better manage the onset of ageing, allowing it to replenish what has been lost and providing a workable solution to a natural process that is so often exacerbated by environmental damage.
As mentioned above, the most effective of these products are normally those that feature molecules sourced from human stem cells.
These will be clean formulations that contain a high percentage of stem cell-released molecules and a handful of other ingredients. This allows the user to enjoy only the most regenerative aspects of these skin cells and play host to a healthy skin environment in which active ingredients can work properly and health concerns such as chronic inflammation (which affects organ function as well as the skin) can be reduced.
What I recommend
NeoGenesis uses cutting-edge technology to help return both the hair and the skin to glowing health. The stem cells contained in their products are taken from the adipose layer and the dermis of certified human donors, which means that skin maintenance and repair comes to them as second nature.
Available in concentrations ranging from 20-70%, NeoGenesis products are packaged in exosomes to ensure smart delivery to the skin, passing through skin barriers to create a natural healing environment without causing any unwanted side effects.
These can be used by people of all skin types and are oncology-safe, drawing on rich, anti-ageing formulas to restore the skin to its optimum condition and heal any conceivable form of trauma.
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