FutureDerm

The FutureDerm Guide to Neuropeptides, Plant Stem Cells, DNA Repair Factors, Growth Factors, and Other New Tech in Skin Care

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When readers ask me to name my favorite skin care products, the following are needed across the board:

  • Antioxidant-rich, concentrated vitamin CE serum for the daytime
  • Broad-spectrum, UVA/UVB sunscreen with zinc oxide for the daytime
  • Retinoid for nighttime
  • A combination of peptides, amino acids, and niacinamide or nicotinic acid (vitamin B3) in serums, moisturizers, or other treatments.

I don’t shy away from this. These are the ingredients that are most proven in peer-reviewed, independent scientific research studies to work time and again in preventing and improving the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and years of cumulative sun damage, DNA assaults, glycation, and inflammation.

But there are always a multitude of newfangled ingredients that people swear by. From Cindy Crawford’s skin care containing a “rare melon extract” to La Prairie’s claims that caviar is divine for the skin, there is no shortage of ingredients for me to check out and research for my readers. Over that process, I’ve narrowed it down to neuropeptides, plant stem cells, DNA repair factors, and growth factors that hold the most promise for the skin of the new technologies. For how each category of ingredients is proposed to work, the best products I’ve found containing the ingredients, and how to incorporate these into your existing skin care regimen, read on!

Neuropeptides are Designed to “Freeze” Wrinkles, Mimic Botox®

Neuropeptides are not to be confused with collagen-stimulating peptides. Neuropeptides include ingredients like argireline and the new XEP-30. Collagen-stimulating peptides, on the other hand, include ingredients like palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 and palmitoyl oligopeptide. Both improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but neuropeptides work in the short-term and the long-term, whereas collagen-stimulating peptides chiefly present a long-term effect.

How to understand the action of neuropeptides? The best way is to look at injectable Botox®. Once injected, Botox® works by weakening facial muscles that frequently contract during smiling or frowning by attaching itself to the junction between nerve and muscle. By blocking muscle activation, creases are not permitted to form on your face, which allows your existing lines to slowly fade or disappear completely. Similarly, once topically applied to the skin, neuropeptides like argireline or the new XEP-30 are designed to inhibit some degree of facial muscle activation. Neuropeptides like argireline work in two ways, according to the Textbook of Aging Skin:

  • Stop formation of a complex necessary for neurotransmitter release, called the SNARE complex.
  • Inhibit the release of neurotransmitters, including catecholamines, noradrenaline, and adrenaline.

In this way, creases do not form on your face, and existing lines will, over time, fade away.

Botox vs Argireline

The benefit of a topically-applied neuropeptide over Botox® is that neuropeptides will not create an overdone, or “frozen,” appearance. While Botox® can expertly be injected at certain angles and specific spots of the skin to keep muscle movement looking natural, some who administer Botox® do not have this level of precision. Treatments with argireline, XEP-30, or other “freeze” peptides may be able to act like Botox®, without the “frozen” look.

Where to find it: Using a treatment like ERASA XEP-30 Extreme Line Lifting and Rejuvenation Concentrate may improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, without the risk of looking stiff, unnatural, or “frozen.”

Erasa-Neuropeptides

Plant Stem Cells May Reduce the Appearance of Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Plant stem cells were mocked for years in the dermatological community. They were believed to play off of consumers’ lack of knowledge about skin care and biology, and their willingness to trust anything that sounded natural or scientific.

The chief claim against plant stem cells were that only human stem cells could detect damage within human skin and signal repair mechanisms to neighboring cells. However, as studies have shown, the actions of both human and plant stem cells are dictated by the environment, not by the origin of the cells or their internal genetic programming.  For instance, isolated plant stem cells from a single leaf are able to form entire plant organs when exposed to the right signaling factors (Cell, 2003).

FUTUREDERM Plant Stem Cells

Plant stem cells also appear to have some promise in cell signaling when applied to human skin. When found within a plant, plant stem cells are able to detect genetic damage in their environment, and kill off those damaged cells before the damage spreads (Science Daily, 2009). In human skin, small but significant changes have been detected in human skin after using plant stem cells.  After two weeks of using a product containing these plant stem cell extracts, consumers have seen a significant reduction in the depth of crow’s feet wrinkles by 8 percent; the reduction in the depth of crow’s feet after four weeks reached 15 percent (Inside Cosmeceuticals, 2009). That’s about nearly results studies with retinoids typically exhibit, indicating that these therapies may really show some degree of promise.

What I have noticed most about persons using plant stem cells is that some seem to swear by them, while others don’t really notice many changes at all. Some of this may be due to a lack of compliance — most people fail to apply skin care treatments daily, much less the recommended twice-daily — but some of this may be due to differences in how plant stem cells detect damage and signal trouble to neighboring cells in different people’s skin. It’s hard to say, especially until more research is conducted.

Where to find it: The highest concentration of plant stem cells can be found in Lancôme Absolue L’Extrait, which contains over 2 million plant stem cells from the Lancôme Rose.

Lancome-absolue-l'extrait

DNA Repair Factors May Prevent UV-Induced Damage

Within each of your trillion cells, there is DNA. As you go through your day to day activities, normal metabolic activities and environmental factors (like UV light, pollution, etc.) cause damage your DNA. You can get as many as 1 million bits of damage per cell per day (source).

Luckily, your cells naturally have DNA repair enzymes, which rush in to the scene. These DNA repair enzymes are of different kinds: Some enzymes are federal, and are called in for investigation (and repair) of breaks that cut clear through DNA, i.e., double-strand DNA breaks. Some enzymes are like police, and called in for local assaults.

Photolyase is one of these local assault DNA enzymes. When included in a skin care product, photolyase has been shown to reduce UVB radiation-induced DNA damage markers by 45% and to increase UV protection by 300% (NEOVA).

DNA Repair Enzymes NEOVA

According to Dr. Daniel Yarosh, author of The New Science of Perfect Skin, photolyase is delivered to the skin within an hour of application.  It requires light for its activation, though any mild indoor light that passes through sunscreen should be enough for it to work properly.

For those of you who are curious, photolyase used in skin care is derived from sea plankton, and can be identified on skin care products as plankton extract from Anacystis nidulans.  Its job is to undo DNA damage in cells and prevent cell death caused by UV exposure.

Where to Get It: My favorite product with DNA repair enzymes is NEOVA DNA Total Repair, which contains photolyase, as well as the potent antioxidant ergothionene and other potentially reparative DNA enzymes.

NEOVA-DNA-Total-Repair

Growth Factors May Promote the Appearance of Younger, Fresher, Renewed Skin

Growth-Factors Futurederm

Like DNA repair enzymes, growth factors are naturally found within the skin. As you age, your body’s natural production and preservation of growth factors slows dramatically.

Growth factors are typically specialized. For instance, the growth factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) lays down fresh blood vessels, whereas the growth factor keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) stimulates skin care growth.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-B) Stimulate collagen secretion
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) Stimulate new blood vessel formation
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) Stimulate new blood vessel formation
Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) Stimulate epithelial cell growth
Interleukins (IL-6, IL-7, IL-8) Reduce inflammation
Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) Promote formation of new blood vessels
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) Promote cell growth and multiplication
Platelet-derived growth factor AA (PDGF-AA) Regulate cell growth and division
Transforming growth factors (TGF-B2 & B3) Stimulate collagen secretion
Granulocyte monocyte colony stimulating factor Increase number of white blood cells

While there are many different types of growth factors, they all essentially do more or less the same things, exfoliating the skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and improving skin firmness.

Studies also suggest growth factors may increase cellular turnover and regeneration (Clinical Aesthetic Dermatology, 2010; Dermatologic Therapy, 2007).

In addition, according to one company that manufactures a growth factor-containing serum:

  • Skin looks significantly younger with regular use
  • Diminishes wrinkles and fine lines
  • Gives skin a youthful glow and gradually fades sun/age spots
  • GF (growth factor)-technology restores youthful skin function to repair damage

Where to Get It: I like AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum, for instance, contains a concentrated blend (over 40%) of stem cell derived growth factors, the highest of any brand that I have seen or that has actually reported concentrations.

 

AQ-solutions-Active-Serum

Bottom Line

Dramatic results have been achieved in limited numbers of published independent studies for neuropeptides, plant stem cells, DNA repair factors, and growth factors. While I do not advocate giving up antioxidant vitamin CE serums, sunscreen, retinoids, amino acids, peptides, or niacinamide/nicotinic acid, I do think there are other ingredients with less research backing that hold promise.

If you can, I would add in a few products with neuropeptides, plant stem cells, DNA repair factors, and growth factors to your skin care regimen over the next few weeks. Add in products one at a time, so you can properly assess where the results come from. Make sure you use each product for at least 4-6 weeks, as it takes 21-40 days for skin cells to completely renew and finish a total cycle of cellular turnover. (The variance in time is due to differences in skin physiology based on age, race, health, metabolic rate, hormonal activity, sun exposure, environmental pollution, internal stressors, and more.)

If you are concerned about signs of aging and looking for something new, I definitely recommend neuropeptides, plant stem cells, DNA repair factors, and growth factors!

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Nicki Zevola is the founder and editor-in-chief of FutureDerm.com. Named one of the top 30 beauty bloggers in the world by Konector.com since 2009, Nicki

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