Perfecting properties of a marine exopolysaccharide

To respond effectively, a comprehensive strategy is needed; the three major skin functions must be rebooted: physical barrier function, chemical barrier function, and hydra memory function. This reboot involves readjustment of the four parameters of ‘good’ skin health as innate immunity, skin renewal, chronic inflammation and rehydration. Working on the development of original molecules through blue biotechnologies, Codif’s laboratories have discovered a marine exopolysaccharide, mainly composed of galactose, and N-acetylglucosamine (Fig. 1), and which has been demonstrated to have a multi-faceted approach to the good health of skin as well as for its perfecting of the surface aspect.

Rebooting the physical barrier function

Disorganisation of the skin’s physical barrier leads to skin dehydration and increased skin roughness; it also causes a loss of skin radiance (dull complexion). An impaired skin barrier also facilitates contact with allergens and the development of unwanted bacterial flora. Keratinocyte differentiation and epidermis renewal are the two main mechanisms affecting physical barrier quality. The primary function of the epidermis is to produce the stratum corneum which forms a semi-permeable protective layer. It is formed through the differentiation of keratinocytes from the basal layer to the skin’s surface layer. Many proteins and enzymes are involved at each stage of keratinocyte differentiation. Among them, nine are stimulated by Epidermist 4.0 used at 1% on reconstituted human epidermis: involucrine (+250%), transglutaminase 1 (+130%); small proline rich protein: SPRP1A (+750%), SPRP1B (+490%), SPRP 2A (+510%); late cornified envelop protein LCE3D (+1380%), LCE2B (+60%); corneodesmosine (+260%) and NICE-1 protein (+1911%). This improvement of keratinocytes differentiation is coupled with an increase in skin renewal rate. Tested at 1% on 17 volunteers, Epidermist 4.0 increases the cell renewal rate by 100% in just one week (Fig. 2). Both actions will promote better epidermal cohesion and better elimination of dead skin cells and skin roughness. By rebooting the skin’s physical barrier, Epidermist 4.0 (now referred to as ‘the new skin builder’) provides a smoothing and softening effect on skin texture, appreciated by the volunteers during clinical self-assessment.