Epigenetics is the latest big trend hitting the skin care industry…
And it offers an exciting new era in the development of anti-aging products.
So what is epigenetics? The biological process enables gene expression to be modified without changing the DNA sequence.
Epigenetics is putting the nature vs nurture /biology vs psychology argument to rest.
According to discovermagazine.com:
“Since the 1970s, researchers have known that the tightly wound spools of DNA inside each cell’s nucleus require something extra to tell them exactly which genes to transcribe, whether for a heart, liver, or brain cell.
“One such extra element is the methyl group, a common structural component of organic molecules. The methyl group works like a placeholder in a cookbook, attaching to the DNA within each cell to select only those recipes — er, genes — necessary for that particular cell’s proteins. Because methyl groups are attached to the genes, residing beside but separate from the double-helix DNA code, the field was dubbed epigenetics.”
The Queen Bee of all discoveries
In 2011, Japanese scientists discovered that honeybees modify their genetic code by consuming royal jelly.
Although the queen bee and worker bees share the same DNA, they differ significantly in appearance, longevity and behaviour.
The scientists found that a protein in the juice of royal jelly modified gene expression in honeybees without changing the DNA sequence, a biological process called epigenetics.
The royal jelly protein was named royalactin (“queenmaker”) as it determines the fate of honeybees.
An example product is a Naturally bleached beeswax available at Trulux.
Inspired by bees
RoyalEpigen P5 and Lipotec PEPROAGE are biologically-active peptides that mimic the function of royalactin.
Among the biological processes regulated using epigenetics is controlling the fate of progenitor cells located in the basal layer of the epidermis.
The epidermis is one of the most active tissues in terms of regeneration, thanks to the ability of the stem cells from the basal layer to divide and renew themselves.
With age, this regeneration and overall function of the epidermis are reduced, resulting in signs of skin aging, such as the appearance of wrinkles and loss of elasticity and radiance.
The RoyalEpigen P5 and Lipotec PEPROAGE peptides accelerate epidermal regeneration, activate cellular cleaning, and delay skin aging.
True to form, Trulux keeps you, our readers, abreast with breaking industry news and skincare trends. Epigenetic science is the latest discovery that’s opening new doors in developing anti-aging skincare like Anti-aging Body Lotion, anti-aging body wash and anti-aging Lifecell serum.
Main image courtesy of discovermagazine.com/
Bee image courtesy of mdpi.com/2072-6643/7/3/1787/htm