Stem cell activation for smoother, more even skin

This layer is constantly renewed; cells that are shed from the outer layer, the stratum corneum, are replaced by newly formed cells from the inner layer of the epidermis. This constant renewal is important for the quality of the barrier and keeps the skin smooth and even. The epidermal turnover time is about one month. But between our thirties and eighties the turnover rate reduces by 30% to 50% leading to a much longer turnover time. The consequence of the slowdown of the renewal in elderly people is a dry, rough, uneven and dull skin.

Tissue regeneration depends on adult stem cells

Stem cells possess three key properties: they are unspecialised, they can renew themselves over long periods, and they can develop into cells with specific functions. They are broadly classified into two types, embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning that they can develop into all cell types of the body, and are thus capable of forming an entire organism. In contrast adult stem cells in general are multi-potent, only able to develop into the different cell types of the tissue in which they are found (a process known as differentiation). Adult stem cells are found in virtually all tissues. Using a remarkable process known as asymmetrical division, they are able to both maintain the pool of adult stem cells throughout an organism’s entire lifespan, and to provide the continual supply of new cells essential for repair and regeneration. Without an effective pool of adult stem cells able to proliferate as required, the continual loss of fully differentiated cells cannot be replenished, and the tissue soon loses the ability to function.