Has a unique 'skin fingerprint' unlocked the secret to the fountain of youth?
VANCOUVER, B.C. — Do you ever wonder why some women look much younger than their age? Could it be her genes, does she use a “magic” cream or has she had a cosmetic procedure? Research from Procter & Gamble’s Olay shows how gene expression changes impact the appearance and quality of women’s skin as they age across every decade.
Olay’s Multi-Decade and Ethnicity study reveals biological commonalities among a unique subset of women who look exceptionally younger than their age. In addition, the research found specific gene expression changes that impact the skin aging process during each decade of a woman’s life.
The MDE study, which was initiated in 2012, marries genotypic and phenotypic science and examines women in nearly every decade of life – from their 20s to their 70s – and across ethnicities – Caucasian, African, Hispanic and Asian. The study is led by Alexa Kimball, professor of dermatology, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, and other scientific and analytical research partners in the fields of systems biology, skin biology, and 3D imaging and hormone mapping. For the first time, Olay entered into a collaboration with 23andMe, a personal genetics company, to further understand the genes linked to skin aging and their biological variability across different ethnicities.
The initial findings of this MDE study include data from Caucasian and African research participants. From these, there are two key takeaways that will help determine what’s possible when it comes to cosmetic skin care and looking ageless.
First, there are similarities among women who have not undergone cosmetic procedures but still appear to be “ageless.” Through advanced bioinformatics analysis of approximately 20,000 genes, Olay identified a unique skin fingerprint among these “exceptional skin agers” comprised of around 2,000 genes. They are responsible for a range of key biochemical pathways, including those involved in cellular energy production, cell junction and adhesion processes, skin and moisture barrier formation, DNA repair and replication, and anti-oxidant production. The MDE study found that although we all have these genes in our skin, how strongly these genes are expressed in the skin is distinct in “exceptional skin agers” – and that can be influenced by environmental factors, lifestyle choices and even skin care habits.
“What’s exciting about these findings is that the genes that make up the unique skin fingerprint of ‘exceptional skin agers’ may hold the key to successful aging, and decoding which pathways they affect and why they are acting differently in these women – nature or nurture – can enable Olay researchers to help more women achieve skin that looks like the exception, not the rule at any stage of life,” stated Rosemarie Osborne, P&G Beauty research fellow.
In fact, research conducted in-vitro has confirmed that Olay’s top-performing ingredients, such as Niacinamide (vitamin B3), pal-KTTKS (peptide), Olivem and Lyslastine are key components to address skin aging.
The second key takeaway from these initial findings is that based on the study of a subset of Caucasian women, there are distinct gene expression “tipping points” that occur in each decade as we age:
1. Decline in antioxidant response (20s)
2. Decline in skin bioenergy (30s)
3. Increase in cellular senescence (40s)
4. Decline in skin barrier function (50s)
5. Acceleration of all the above (60s)
Olay is continuing to collect and analyze samples from Asian and Hispanic women in their 20s to 70s to broaden the application of the study’s findings. Once completed, the MDE study will have examined female skin aging throughout six distinct decades and across four different ethnicities. In totality, this research positions Olay at the forefront of skin biology research, which may lead to transformative skin care products.