Enhancing skin health through science

Shopping for skincare and anti-aging products—a booming billion-dollar industry—can be a bewildering experience: consumers are flooded with dubious “before and after” images, breathless marketing claims, and endorsements from peripheral celebrities. Offering a welcome alternative to the hype carnival is OneSkin, a San Francisco–based bio-technology firm that is growing a flourishing product line with the power of science. 



The scientists who cofounded OneSkin—four women working in four different fields—did not set out to create a skincare company. Their original plan, in fact, was to provide a service to other companies in the market to validate the real and quantifiable effectiveness of anti-aging products. After extensive tests on lab-grown human skin, they could discover no signs of rejuvenation at a cellular level—with some samples even shown to accelerate the aging process. The team was unimpressed. And believed that consumers deserved better.







“Science is our root,” says Alessandra Zonari, OneSkin’s cofounder and chief scientific officer. “As scientists, we have the opportunity to show the science behind our product, which not many other companies are doing.” This laboratory-backed approach—which goes against the industry norm—has earned OneSkin a place on Fast Company ’s list of the world’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024. 



A BREAKTHROUGH MOLECULE



Too many skincare companies rely on consumer perception studies, subjective measurements, and empty marketing claims to sell their anti-aging products, says OneSkin CEO Carolina Reis. OneSkin relies on data over marketing. Using human lab-grown and ex-vivo skin (derived from plastic surgeries), researchers test specific ingredients applied topically and closely observe for any measurable effects on markers of aging, inflammation, and collagen production. The results of this rigorous testing yield a product line based on proven scientific mechanisms. 



Years of research led the company’s founders to their breakthrough discovery of OS-01, OneSkin’s proprietary peptide. (Peptides consist of a string of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.) Studies and clinical tests have proven OS-01 helps promote DNA damage repair and increases the population of healthy cells. These effects can help reduce skin’s biological age—giving the skin, in some tests, the comparable health of someone more than two years younger.



How does OS-01 work? As we age, our cells accumulate DNA damage and become senescent, turning them into what are sometimes referred to as ”zombie cells.” Just as voracious as their undead cousins, they make surrounding healthy cells age faster, causing visible effects like wrinkles, loss of elasticity, crepiness, and thinning. OS-01 can target and reduce the number of zombie cells, improving the skin barrier and boosting collagen production.



BETTER SKIN, BETTER HEALTH



OneSkin’s work isn’t just about improving the appearance of the skin for aesthetic purposes. As the body’s largest organ, our skin plays a vital role in protecting against inflammation and maintaining overall health. 



As people age, their skin becomes m ore susceptible to inflammation, which can lead to a host of health problems. “We think about taking care of other organs like our heart and liver, but we don’t think about creating stronger, more resilient skin to fight against this accumulation of new inflammation,” Zonari says. Protecting the skin can help people age in a healthier way. 



“Our goal is to transform the perspective that we all have about aging,” Reis says. “It shouldn’t be a painful process—it should be a joyful process that we celebrate. Science is allowing us to get there.”