Muttenz, April 3, 2019 – Clariant, a focused and innovative specialty chemical company, and its Active Ingredients business hand cosmetics formulators the key to a revolution in anti-aging. New seaweed active ingredient Epseama pioneers the targeting of long non-coding RNA nc886 to improve signs of rejuvenate skin, reinvigorate its self-defense abilities and preserve skin youth.

Consumers’ fascination with slowing down the aging process shows little sign of waning. Indeed, the global anti-aging products market size will grow by USD 17.2 billion during 2019-20231, with the increasing older population between the ages of 30-45 and motivation to look younger among the key drivers for this expansion.

Commonly known causes of aging are the genetically-determined factors (chronoaging), extrinsic factors like UV exposure (photoaging), and chronic inflammation. They are also at play in causing the decay of skin structure.

Epseama takes an innovative and differentiated approach and goes down to the root cause triggered by these three factors. It does so by targeting the long non-coding RNA, called “nc886”, recently recognized as a key regulator of PKR, a protein known for inducing premature aging in various diseases and organs. Subsequent ground-breaking research by Clariant Active Ingredients into the unexplored impact of nc886 in the skin, demonstrated the correlation between aging and the decrease of nc886 expression. The result: when properly expressed nc886 is a fundamental player in the rejuvenation of skin. With Epseama, the industry can develop effective skincare directed at the true causes of aging.

Derived from a “superfood of the sea”, Epseama draws on the extensive nutrient power of a brown seaweed Laminaria japonica (Kelp or Kombu) for its effectiveness. It is farmed off the coast of a South Korean island and involves “ugly-food” sourcing.

Epseama through in vitro, ex vivo and clinical tests has proven to be the best candidate for skin rejuvenation as it targets chronoaging, photoaging and inflammaging at once – the three important players in aging and the cause of drastic alterations to skin structure, pigmented spots and impairment of the epidermis thickness, for example.

It gets to the heart of these problems by addressing the real cause of aging and reverting its natural course. It does so by increasing nc886 production in order to prevent damage to the dermal-epidermal junction. As a result, wrinkles, skin roughness and skin dehydration all show signs of improvement. It prevents collagen IV degradation through direct inhibition of MMP-9, and boosts it so that the junction between the epidermis and dermis is strengthened. Epseama heightens keratinocytes proliferation by improving the synthesis of CD44 hyaluronic acid receptors. It also enhances epidermis thickness, and inhibits the inflammasome pathway.

Its outstanding performance is confirmed in clinical trials on 19 women over 50 after only four weeks. In terms of wrinkle reduction, Epseama achieves outstanding consumer benefits. Difficult to remove nasolabial wrinkles are smoothed - reduced by 19% in volume and 10% in roughness after only four weeks. Spots decreased by 10% and skin moisture levels increased by 14.2%.
 

Epseama makes its market debut at in-cosmetics Global 2019 Booth E70, April 2-4, 2019, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. Visit www.clariant.com/in-cosmetics for an overview or attend the Epseama in-cosmetics lecture by Alexandre Lapeyre, Head of Marketing Active Ingredients on April 3, 2019 Theater 1 9.20-9.50.

Show visitors can also sample Epseama at work in the inspiring silky-textured day cream Sc[ai]turalist™ – Seamless Rejuvenating Cream that harnesses Epseama’s rejuvenating powers and the Traditional Chinese Medicine properties of Herbex Korean Ginseng for a holistic approach to aging well.