Cosmeceutical Research

At the Estee Lauder Companies, scientists are using systems biology to advance precision skincare². As part of this approach, they have been mapping the metabolites in skin cells and whole skin tissue because, according to Estee Lauder product team lead Dr. Nadine Pernodet, “It offers a more direct link to the phenotype than any of the other ‘omics’ by taking into account how the environment influences the behavior of the skin.”

Exposure to sunlight, pollutants, or other environmental factors may affect the skin more than one’s genetic makeup and profiling the metabolome can reveal the impact of those exposures on skin health. By understanding how age-accelerating factors affect specific metabolic pathways products that target and reverse these pathway disruptions can be developed. The ultimate goal for this product development team is to move to more personalized skin treatment.

To this end, they are currently defining metabolomic profiles associated with acne, sensitive skin, dry skin, and more to determine how these traits affect the skin’s appearance. This team’s work demonstrates the benefits of applying metabolomics is cosmetic research and the potential that it holds for advancing the field.

Anti-aging products may contain chemicals of concern including retinol and polyacrylamide. A 2015 report showed a toxic contaminant linked to cancer known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) found in anti-aging products from Garnier and CoverGirl³.

This is one example that has spurred the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics⁴ to identify safe alternative products to replace potentially harmful ones. This study has been driven by metabolomics owing to its ability the ability of metabolites to closely reflect environmental exposures and provide actionable insight based on metabolic disruptions. Altogether, these efforts have helped millions of people find and advocate for safer cosmeceuticals.

Impairment of the skin barrier is the root cause of several skin conditions including acne, dry sensitive skin, and oily sensitive skin (OSS). In clinical dermatology, OSS is one of the most prevalent complaints, and it is often resistant to available treatments.

To better understand the biology behind OSS and identify novel therapeutic targets for the condition, one group used a global metabolomics screening technique to evaluate the biophysical properties and metabolism in healthy and OSS facial skin of 47 study participants⁵. 887 metabolites were identified, and a partial least squares discriminant analysis model was applied to identify differences between healthy and OSS skin metabolomes.

Findings revealed that as oily skin sensitivity increased, the abundances of 15 metabolites increased and 48 metabolites decreased, with the greatest disruptions found in sphingolipid and amino acid metabolism. Overall, these findings revealed a biological consequence of skin barrier impairment and identified potential targets at the metabolite level for both screening and treating skin barrier damage.

The skin sustains a microbiome that is unique to each individual and varies considerably across the body. Previous short-term studies (7-10 days) have shown that using skin products including cosmetics and antiperspirant/deodorant affect the skin microbiota. However, very little is known about the longer term impacts one’s care routine has on skin chemistry and its microbiome. Addressing this gap in knowledge will have implications for precision beauty products and therapies for skin disorders.

To evaluate the skin microbiome and chemistry in response to beauty products, one group used a multi-omics approach that integrated global metabolomics and microbiome data from skin samples of 11 healthy study participants who used a specific facial lotion, moisturizer, foot powder, and deodorant over 6 weeks⁶. This 6-week period was followed by a 2-week washout period where participants refrained from using all skin products and a 1-week period where participants returned to their normal care routine. Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate longitudinal variation of skin metabolomic signatures.

Results showed that using products enhanced molecular and bacterial diversity of the skin. Refraining from using products had the opposite effect. Over the 9-week study period, distinct individual metabolic and microbial trends were associated with the arm, armpit, face, and foot. Significant differences in molecular and microbial patterns were associated with stopping and resuming product use. Altogether, this study demonstrated longer-term effects of product usage on skin chemistry and microbial makeup. It also provides a framework for future studies aimed at understanding how external factors affect skin health.