The revelation of stem cells
Pioneers in the cosmetics industry for research on stem cells in the skin and hair, L’Oréal's Research and Innovation teams draw insights for new anti-aging strategies from their knowledge of stem cells.
Cultivated in vitro, a single stem keratinocyte from the epidermis can produce more than 100 billion keratinocytes, or the equivalent of the skin surface of 1,000 adults!
A reservoir of innovation
Our skin is the reservoir of several types of adult stem cells, that are responsible for renewing the epidermis, the dermis, hair and nails, or even ensuring the formation of scar tissue and repair of the skin in the event of aggression. Rare but imbued with an impressive potential for proliferation, these cells are of course of capital interest for cosmetics. L’Oréal's Researchers have been interested in them for a long time and have forged many collaborations in this field with international scientific teams. Their ambition? To develop new strategies to prevent and treat the aging of skin more effectively and, in the future, to advance to new applications in the realm of beauty.
Protect to regenerate
Stem Cells
L'Oréal's teams already have an asset in the decisive advances they have made. To fight against the aging of the skin, they work toward preserving the environment of stem cells to improve their regenerative potential, which diminishes with age. As a result, the researchers have succeeded in identifying active molecules for which the effectiveness on the regenerative potential of keratinocytes has been proven in vitro on reconstructed skin models. The first product to benefit from these advances was Absolue Precious Cells by Lancôme, launched in September 2009. Another avenue of research, devoted this time to hair: understanding the mechanisms for graying and hair loss. To combat these problems, the researchers are in particular exploring the avenue of protection of the stem melanocytes and keratinocytes that tend to disappear progressively with age.
