Reference Lab

April 13, 2022

Consider this: skin is our body's largest organ. Skin is our first line of defense against external stressors. It's not just there for looks - skin serves a real biological function, without which we would be defenseless against the outside world.

Yet when asked what we want from our skincare products, most of us will say: fewer wrinkles, smoother texture, radiant tone. It’s no wonder: with marketing buzzwords like tightening, perfecting and brightening, the skincare industry has taught us that the products we use every day serve just one purpose–improving our appearance. For decades, the skincare industry has been missing an essential truth: our skin is a vital organ that―like the heart, the brain and the liver―is central to our overall health and longevity. 

At OneSkin, we believe the purpose of skincare is not just to improve how we look, but to optimize our skin biology so that it is more resilient to the aging process. We create next level skin care.

At two square meters in size and making up over fifteen percent of our body weight, skin plays an essential role in the protection and preservation of our bodies. Not only does it shield our internal systems from external pathogens, the skin also provides key homeostatic functions that help the body regulate temperature and water balance.[1]

For years, scientists have known that skin strength deteriorates as we age, leaving the body more susceptible to infections that can have negative health effects system-wide. [2] But new research suggests that skin aging may also be a silent trigger of systemic inflammation– revealing that skin care may just be the missing link in extending human longevity.

To keep ourselves well as we get older, most of us consider a similar approach: eating a diverse diet rich in fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, and keeping our minds active. But few of us consider our daily skincare regimen as a tool for lowering our risk of age-related diseases. It’s time to shift that thinking: a recent study on aging and skin health found that age-related changes in the skin can contribute to systemic inflammation and related diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. [3]

Because the skin is directly vulnerable to both intrinsic and extrinsic aging factors like oxidative stress and UV exposure, there is a strong link between skin health and inflammaging, an age-related and continuous state of body-wide inflammation. [4] The root of this link begins when skin tries to repair age-related damage. In an attempt to restore hydration and mend vulnerabilities in its barrier function, aging skin increases the production of inflammatory molecules known as cytokines. As cytokine levels increase, they begin to accumulate in the blood, resulting in a body-wide state of inflammation that has direct connections to chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease.[5]

When it comes to skin care, treating the symptoms of aging rather than the causes of aging has long been the norm. Just look at the Botox industry, which has now reached a whopping $3.5 billion per year. Consider for a moment what Botox is actually treating: wrinkles, which are just the surface symptoms of an underlying decline in skin health. Just as you wouldn't treat an aged heart with injectable plumper to make it appear healthier, the goal of skin care shouldn't be to just treat appearances. Instead, we need to prioritize skin health first and experience better-looking skin as a result.

This concept is the foundation of our mission at OneSkin. Our goal is to treat the root causes of skin aging and degeneration, so skin doesn’t just look younger and healthier, it also functions like younger and healthier skin. We call this extending your skinspan.

Your skin has both a chronological age (how old you actually are) and a biological age (how old your skin cells act). Unlike chronological age, your skin’s biological age can be reversed or accelerated. For example, if you smoke cigarettes, your skin cells might act older than you actually are. By reducing your skin’s biological age, OneSkin extends your skinspan so your skin stays healthier for longer–forestalling the chronic inflammation that can trigger a system-wide decline in longevity.

The secret is our OS-01 peptide, a revolutionary molecule that has been shown to decrease key markers of skin aging and increase epidermal thickness and resilience. OS-01 is the cornerstone of our research at OneSkin and the key ingredient in our groundbreaking flagship product, OS-01 Face Topical Supplement.

The majority of "anti-aging" skin care focuses on the face, aligning with our key insecurities about aging. But in order to truly treat our skin like the body’s largest organ, we must address the fact that the majority of our skin is below the neck.

That’s why we’re so excited to launch our new OS-01 BODY Topical Supplement, which like our original face supplement, is powered by the OS-01 peptide, which works at the molecular level to reduce the accumulation of damaged cells and promote proper cell function so that your skin stays stronger, longer.

Research shows that using a lipid-rich cream results in improved hydration, better barrier function, and dramatically reduced cytokine levels. To create the ultimate body care formula that works on both the surface and molecular levels, we created a lipid-rich formula that improves barrier function and skin moisture as our OS-01 peptide works within to treat the root causes of skin aging.

Here’s how our OS-01 Body Topical Supplement works:

• Soothes, Hydrates & Reduces Irritation

  Rich in a natural form of hyaluronic acid that is 400x more moisturizing, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp mushroom extract works with Glycerin and Betaine derived from beets to calm irritation, minimize redness, and reduce flakiness as it softens and deeply moisturizes the skin.

• Firms & Improves Skin Tone

  Our signature OS-01 peptide enhances your skin's natural production of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and damage repair proteins, which reduces the look of sunspots and results in plumper-looking skin.

• Improves Barrier Function & Resilience

  Together with Centella Asiatica extract, which enhances mitochondrial properties to strengthen the skin barrier, OS-01 significantly improves epidermal thickness to restore skin resilience.

• Supports Whole-Body Longevity

  OS-01 effectively supports your overall longevity by preventing the accumulation of damaged cells that accelerate skin aging, helping your skin continue to protect your body from external aggressors and manage systemic inflammation.

By delivering the benefits of OS-01 beyond the face and to the majority of your skin, we are continuing our mission of bringing longevity science to your body’s largest organ.

• As our body’s largest organ, the skin plays several key protective roles in maintaining good health.
• Age-related skin changes have strong correlations with increased risk of infection, systemic inflammation, and chronic diseases.
• Extending your skinspan, the length of time your skin is healthy, is key!
• This includes treating not just your face but also your body to truly reduce the impact of skin aging on system-wide inflammation.

References

• [1] Functions-of-the-integumentary-system#:~:text=The%20skin's%20immense%20blood%20supply,evaporation%20and%20thus%20heat%20loss
• [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3840548/
• [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082166/
• [4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30835878/
• [5] https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2019/03/413576/skin-repair-eliminates-inflamm-aging-linked-chronic-disease