Leading scientists from L'Oréal, Unilever, Procter and Gamble, academic researchers from diverse backgrounds, and global industry experts came together to speak at the Anti-Ageing Skin Care Conference this week, for a milestone tenth edition of the event.
The Anti-Ageing Skin Care Conference has been a leading forum for advancing science and innovation in this industry category since 2008.
This year's conference explored the key theme of 'Systems Biology and Skin Ageing', with systems biology being defined as the study of interconnected biological systems, and their influence on health and function.
In her opening address, Dr. Katerina Steventon, the Scientific Programme Director of the Anti-Ageing Skin Care Conference, said: “You will have many lenses on the science of ageing, but you will all agree that healthy skin ageing is shaped by all the interactions between the biology, the environment, and also our behaviour, of which we are learning more and more.
“As our understanding of skin health continues to evolve, it is becoming increasingly clear that ageing cannot be understood through individual pathways alone – we must consider the complex interactions between biological systems that influence how our skin functions, adapts and ages over time.”
The first day of the conference was split into two sessions, with the morning session, 'Defining healthy skin ageing through systems biology' exploring the interconnected biology mechanisms that drive skin ageing and resilience.
The afternoon session, 'Intervening in the system – from actives to holistic strategies - examined approaches to supporting skin health through ingredients, formulations and wider lifestyle interventions.
Below, Cosmetics Business brings you the highlights from this first day of inspiring and insightful presentations and themes.
Professor Rachel Watson, Executive Director of A*Star Skin Research Labs
Referencing the famous 'Hallmarks of Aging' framework, which was updated and revised in 2023 from 9 hallmarks to 12, Professor Rachel Watson, Executive Director of A*Star Skin Research Labs, explained how there is a tendency in skin health and skin ageing research, to focus on niche areas independently, without cross correlating them with other areas of biology.
“If there's one take-home message from our discussions, it's around integrating that data set with other aspects of skin health,” said Watson. “What we need to do here today is think about our ability to interact better with each other, to have a more holistic view of skin health and ageing, because when we study just one aspect of the process, we neglect to see the big picture.”
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