Reference Lab

NOV 11, 2021

Let me start by introducing myself. I’m Alessandra, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at OneSkin. I have a special announcement that I am excited to share with you! But before that, I would like to offer some context on the topic.

Have you ever felt afraid of aging? As I was growing up, the idea of getting older always scared me. For me, getting older meant stopping enjoying life, getting sick, and not being close to loved ones anymore. I didn't want that. I didn’t want my parents to get older. I didn’t want myself to get older. I wanted to stop time. At a young age, I became interested in science after seeing the news about Dolly the Sheep (the first mammal cloned). I imagined a future where I could clone my family and even myself. We would always be young. Eventually, I found out that is not how things work.

Later, I realized that my fears came from my experiences. I grew up in a small town in Brazil. I never met my grandparents from my father's side, because they passed away before I was born (from cardiovascular disease and cancer, both age-related diseases). From my mother’s side, my grandparents lived far away, and I didn’t see them very often. When I was 10, I had the most remarkable summer vacation with my grandparents. The memories of my Grandpa playing the piano, teaching me how to play tennis, and all the pillow fights that we had are still so alive in my mind. A few months later, my Grandpa was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor, and less than a year after, he was no longer with us.

As I began my career in science, I dedicated myself to studying the biology of stem cells and how we could replace organs in our bodies. I focused on skin regeneration, biomaterials, tissue engineering, and drug discovery.

Since I joined the co-founders of OneSkin, I have been fortunate to connect my passion and knowledge of science with my dream of extending the years we live in good health. Researching the science of aging, understanding the biological processes that cause aging, and how this process is malleable has empowered me to take action on my health and let that fear go away. Developing scientifically validated products that help our bodies to function younger has become my main purpose and daily motivation.

I have now come to recognize aging as a beautiful and natural process of life that builds up our experiences, brings wisdom, and gives meaning to our path. Luckily, how our body experiences aging is dependent more on our lifestyle choices than our genetics. Technology and science are helping us understand this process and develop interventions that can slow or even reverse this biological aging process so that we can live our life with our bodies working at their best capacity, for longer.

This has been one of the core values and mission at OneSkin: to empower healthy aging. To help everyone embrace this process and live life at their best. There is no reason we can’t be happy, productive, motivated, and passionate at 30, 50, or 80 years old young.

Committing ourselves even further to this mission, we are delighted to announce that starting today, OneSkin will be donating 1% of our total sales to Shepherd’s Centers of America: a non-profit organization that provides enriching opportunities for lifelong learning, volunteer service, healthy living, and community connections — all the things that give life meaning as we age.

Shepherd’s Centers of America was founded on the concept of a ‘Shepherd's Center’, which is a community of older adults who come together for social, educational, and civic activities that promote aging in place. It's often described as a "center without walls." Shepherd's Centers create relationships that bind society together, advance opportunities to reduce isolation and encourage individuals to take on new challenges, learn new skills, make new friends, and serve others.

We are happy to support a community that helps people find their happiness, purpose, and well-being throughout aging. We are also committed to bringing awareness to this conversation and we intend to produce relevant content on the topic, hosting webinars, events, and more.

We invite you all to reshape your mindset of aging and take charge of your health by making thoughtful choices in your daily life and embracing aging as the beautiful process that it is.

Alessandra Zonari, PhD & the OneSkin team

Originating in 1972 in Kansas City, MO, the Shepherd's Center Network has changed the lives of more than 2.1 million older adults and families.

The Shepherd’s Centers of America network connects 166,000 older adults to enriching and meaningful programs throughout the United States and engages communities in the national conversation for aging well.

No two Shepherd’s Centers are exactly alike. Each develops based on the needs in the community and interests of older adults. Innovation and creativity are welcomed!

Every day, 10,000 people are turning 65. In about a decade, 1 in 5 residents will be at retirement age, and older adults will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history. But with age, many individuals lose connections with family, friends and the community. Loneliness and isolation affect one-third to one half of older adults. And these feelings act as a fertilizer for disease and illness, such as cognitive decline, heart disease, high blood pressure and depression. Any one of these can have a profound impact on one’s health; among older adults, up to 60% manage two or more chronic conditions.

Learn more here.