Increasing customer awareness is a growing challenge for the dermocosmetic brands: consumers are looking for holistic products that will improve their specific skin problems in a safe, efficient and comfortable way.

Right now, there is no standard definition of dermocosmetics. However, we can say that dermocosmetic products have some key characteristics. They are typically inspired by medical considerations, for example. This means they feature claims related to support comfort and long-term skin health, and these claims are backed by scientific evidence. It is not unusual for products in this category to be used or recommended by dermatologists as a supportive solution to address common skin challenges. These challenges can include skin that is oily, prone to acne or atopic dermatitis, as well as sensitive or aged skin. Dermocosmetics open up exciting potential for companies in the cosmetics industry. 

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Challenging formulations to address skin issue

A lot of dermocosmetic products on the market use well-known molecules like hyaluronic acid, retinoids, or niacinamide. However, we are also seeing brands adding new and trendy solutions to their existing formulations – such as natural ingredients, microbiome-friendly technologies or well-known peptides.

Molecules & Peptides

High performing molecules & peptides, clearly defined and safe for skin

Microbiome

Personalized solutions following a microbiome pathway to target skin issues

Nature

Focus on strong power of nature with powerful phytochemicals

44%

44% of French adults trust beauty/grooming products created with scientifically proven ingredients/formulas

26%

26% of consumers do not trust ingredient claims unless they are backed by science

Mintel «Ingredient trends in beauty and personal care» – October 2020 - The new shapes of health and wellness

29%

In the UK 29% of consumers are worried about stripping away good bacteria from their skin due to hot showers or daily baths

52%

52% of women believe “it is beneficial to use cosmetic products to take care of the skin microbiota

Mintel «Patent insights: what's next in anti-acne skincare» - Ingredient Trends in Beauty and Personal Care - The new shapes of health and wellness

44%

44% of U.S. female consumers agree that natural ingredients are safer than mainstream ingredients in beauty products

26%

26% of consumers want natural ingredients linked to the desire of "back to basics"

«Facial Skincare» - US – 2021 - Skincare Ingredients and Format Trends)

Focus on skin conditions

The main objective of these products is to offer complementary efficient and sensorial solutions to dermatological prescriptions for skin challenges. The five most common conditions are oily or acne-prone skin, sensitive skin, dehydrated skin, aged skin, and dry or atopic prone skin. Dermocosmetic products offer proven efficacy and safety. But they also give consumers comfort and sensory improvements that address the physical impact of these conditions, as well as the mental impact such as loss of confidence.

At BASF Beauty Care Solution, our innovators are incredibly active. We operate three platforms that make it possible for BASF to offer breakthrough technologies for different skin applications – extraction, microbiome and epigenetics. And we use our 3D-modelling expertise to demonstrate the efficacy of new ingredients.

Our key drivers

Tested on specific volunteer panels

Strong in vitro performance

Perceivable benefits supported by images and/or consumer surveys

Answering ingredient dermo-trends

Skin conditions over time

The signs of aging

Aging is not a question of age, but a personalized look on our skin beauty

With age and external factors, skin mechanisms are slowing down due to cell senescence. Unfortunately, our environment and lifestyle are not helping to keep our skin in a youthful look, and this becomes visible on the skin at different times of our life.

The skin harmony is thus affected by the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, pigmented spots, lack of firmness and elasticity, and sometimes by skin dryness and pores enlargement.

Wrinkles are linked to a decrease of collagen I synthesis. In the skin, there is a crucial balance between new collagen fibers synthesis and degradation of old fibers. With age, this balance is broken and affects the optimal collagen regulation.

➔ Our solutions: Nephoria®, Replexium®, Seanactiv®

With aging, the skin’s fiber network weakens, and the skin sags as it loses its support structure. It is a result of biological, physical and biomechanical processes causing loss of firmness, dermal density and leading to face sagging.

➔ Our solutions: RNAge^®, Peptovitae^® Matrix

Skin pigmentation is due to the production of melanin within melanosomes by melanocytes. Limit melanogenesis by reducing tyrosinase expression will help to reduce the appearance of pigmented spots and/or improve skin radiance.

➔ Our solutions: Peptovitae^® Bright, DN-Aura^®, Actiwhite^®

Focus on Seanactiv

Fucoidan-rich algae-based active / algae extract to delay eye-aging and to quickly achieve a healthy radiance

• -8% Reduction of dark circles vs placebo after 7 days of use
• -7% Reduction of crow's feet vs placebo after 7 days of use
• +2% Enhance vitality with improvement of luminance vs placebo the first week

Visible benefits

Volunteer inclusion criteria: 24 healthy female volunteers, between 18 to 65 years old, having crow's feet wrinkles and undereye dark circles.

Placebo

Seanactiv^® 1%

Atopic prone skin

Atopic prone skin is a not only a persistent skin concern, it also has a huge impact on self-confidence

Atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, is a complex skin problem that affects consumers around the globe. The condition arises from dry skin. This may be caused by factors including genetics, pollution, allergies, hormonal changes, stress or an impaired immune system. Dryness makes the skin fragile. If the physical, microbial and immune barriers of the skin are not repaired and strengthened, this can lead to atopic-prone skin, or atopic dermatitis. This inflammatory condition is characterised by extreme dryness and red patches that are often covered with small vesicles or blisters that cause intense itching.

Atopic prone skin is mainly due to an alteration of the 3 barriers of the skin (physical, immune and bacterial) leading to an over-reaction of sensory receptors, which can finally cause itchiness, redness and intense dryness.

➔ Our solutions: Castaline^®, Peptovitae^® Derma

Focus on Castaline^®

Multi-functional solution calming atopic prone skin

• -21% Strong decrease of TEWL in 28 days
• -8% Strong decrease of TEWL vs Placebo in 28 days
• 73% Of women confirmed that the skin is softer in 14 days

Visible benefits

Volunteer inclusion criteria: Tested on 22 females and men / 18-66 years old with mild to moderate AD (EASI score from 3 to 11)

Placebo

Castaline^®

Oily skin with imperfections

Combination of good hygiene of life and the right beauty routine is the first step to limit oiliness and blemishes

Oily skin prone to acne concerns consumers all around the world, often teenagers, but also people at different periods of life. Skin shininess is mainly due to an overproduction of sebum, triggered by external factors, stress or hormones. Hyper-keratinization may cause pimples and skin imperfections, worsened by inflammatory processes. As a result, the skin will more easily develop blackheads, pimples or blemishes, leading to redness, rashes or breakouts. Both skin and scalp can be affected.

Combination of good hygiene of life and dermatological prescription is a good way to take care of oily acne skin, but very efficient dermocosmetic solutions also help to support skin crises, and help consumer to reduce their blemishes, reduce their acne, or limit oiliness on both skin and scalp.

Enlarged pores are favored by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes causing hyper-keratinization

➔ Our solution: Betapur^®

Virulent bacteria such as C. acnes secrete lipase that triggers inflammation and creates imperfections

➔ Our solution: Peptovitae^® Clear

Oily skin is linked to hyperactive sebaceous glands that produce too much sebum

➔ Our solution: Bix’Activ^®, Scalposine^®

Dehydrated Skin

From natural solutions to hydra-protect technology, let’s keep our skin deeply hydrated.

When the skin barrier is impaired, water can evaporate, leading to dehydrated skin that lacks suppleness and can cause discomfort. To reverse dehydration and correct skin dryness, we can also reinforce the skin’s lipid barrier and defense by creating a favorable environment for a balanced skin microflora, which in return helps to preserve an optimal skin moisturization.

Dehydration is linked to a fragile stratum corneum and a lack of cell cohesion. The barrier function weakens, skin looks dull, fragile and loses more water. Skin-own water channels such as Aqua-glyceroporin 3 (AQP3) are essential for moisturisation.

➔ Our solution: PatcH2O^®, Hydagen^® Aquaporin

An impairment of the skin’s barrier function disrupts the cutaneous ecosystem and alters our skin’s natural microbial biodiversity. This change in the microbiota leads to dehydration. The resulting dryness in turn provokes an imbalance in the flora: the skin dehydrates itself.

➔ Our solution: Phytosoothe^®, Relipidium^®

The signs of sensitive skin

A minimalist and personalized solution is the basis to improve skin comfort and health.

When the skin overreacts to a normal stimulus, mainly due to barrier disruption, we talk about skin sensitivity. With cold, wind, sun, pollution, emotion or stress, our skin can become more sensitive, resulting in redness, rashes, dryness and general skin discomfort such as tightness, tingling, or itchiness. The skin may not tolerate cosmetic products anymore. Fortunately, with a good hygiene, some comfort tips and the beauty routine fitting to our personal skin issue, we can easily recover a healthier skin.

Overreaction to external stimuli such as irritants or microorganisms. This reaction is exacerbated if irritants and microorganisms can easily penetrate the skin (eg via impaired barrier). Irritants make the epidermal cells produce inflammatory messengers (such as interleukin IL-8)

➔ Our solution: Sacred Patch^®

Redness is linked to the skin cell release of pro-inflammatory mediators – IL-6 and IL-8. The skin is reactive with visible redness.

➔ Our solution: Inolixir^®

Sensitive scalp is characterized by a disturbed stratum corneum with higher pH and skin irritation, that may also facilitate dandruff generation. Scalp becomes increasingly sensitive; triggered by external factors such as heat, cold, humidity, dry air, sun, pollution and excessive use of unsuitable shampoos.

➔ Our solutions: Hydrasensyl^® Glucan Green, PeptAIde^® 4.0