Skin ageing is more than just what we see on the surface. We tend to get fixated on the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, without fully understand the process of cellular ageing and how we can address this in our topical (and ingestible skincare).

Beneath the skin's surface, intricate cellular mechanisms, such as autophagy and cellular signalling, are the key to determining how our skin does “ageing”.

Conventional skincare products typically address ageing by focusing on the visible symptoms rather than these underlying cellular processes. Most anti-ageing formulas aim to hydrate the skin, fill in wrinkles, or firm up the skin's appearance using ingredients like peptides, retinoids, or antioxidants. While these ingredients are effective at minimising the signs of ageing, they often do not directly influence the core cellular functions like autophagy and cellular signalling that play fundamental roles in the skin’s biological health and ageing process.

What happens to ageing skin at a cellular level

Autophagy, a term derived from the Greek words for "self" (auto) and "eating" (phagein), plays a pivotal role in cellular health and longevity. This natural, regulated mechanism allows cells to remove dysfunctional components and recycle them. During autophagy, cells engulf damaged proteins, organelles, and other cellular debris in vesicles called autophagosomes, which then fuse with lysosomes where the contents are degraded and recycled. Autophagy plays a crucial role in the aging of skin by influencing how skin cells manage stress, damage, and turnover. Here’s how autophagy impacts skin ageing:

·       Cellular clean-up: Autophagy is essentially the skin cell's waste disposal system. It helps break down and recycle damaged cellular components, like dysfunctional proteins and organelles. As we age, the efficiency of this process declines, leading to an accumulation of cellular debris. This accumulation can impair cell function and contribute to the visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sagging, and a loss of elasticity.

·       Protection against oxidative stress: Skin is frequently exposed to environmental stressors, such as UV radiation and pollution, which generate free radicals. These free radicals can cause oxidative damage to cells. Autophagy helps to mitigate this damage by removing oxidatively damaged organelles and proteins before they can accumulate and harm the cell. A reduction in autophagic activity with age means that older skin cells are less able to combat oxidative stress, leading to accelerated aging.

·       Skin barrier function: Autophagy is involved in maintaining the function of the skin barrier, which protects against environmental damage and prevents excessive water loss. Effective autophagy helps to ensure the turnover and proper function of cells in the skin’s outer layer, the epidermis. When autophagy is impaired, the skin barrier can become compromised, leading to dryness, irritation, and increased sensitivity—all common conditions in aging skin.

·       Inflammation regulation: Autophagy regulates inflammation, which is a critical response to damage and infection but can also lead to aging if chronically elevated. By controlling the removal of damaged cells and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, autophagy helps to prevent chronic inflammation. As autophagy declines with age, inflammatory processes can increase, contributing further to skin aging.

·       Collagen turnover: Collagen is a key protein that provides skin its structure and elasticity. Autophagy is involved in the turnover of extracellular matrix components, including collagen. With age, reduced autophagy can lead to an accumulation of damaged collagen and a decrease in collagen production, which results in the loss of skin elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles.

Infographic by livehelfi.com

Cellular signalling on the other hand encompasses the communication processes between cells that are vital for maintaining and repairing tissues. It coordinates cellular activities, ensuring that cells effectively adapt to environmental changes. However, as we age, these signalling pathways often diminish in efficiency, which can lead to decreased skin elasticity, firmness, and overall resilience. Enhancing cellular signalling can effectively address the root causes of skin aging in the following ways:

• Collagen production: Cellular signalling plays a critical role in the release of substances like neuropeptides from nerve endings within the skin, which significantly influence collagen production. A decrease in signalling efficiency can lead to reduced collagen synthesis, contributing to decreased skin elasticity and the development of wrinkles.
• Skin rejuvenation: Improving cellular signalling can rejuvenate the skin's appearance by enhancing communication between cells. This boosts the functionality of fibroblasts, the cells responsible for producing collagen and elastin, vital proteins for maintaining skin's structure and elasticity.
• Enhanced Cellular Defence: Effective cellular signalling also helps in the activation of the skin’s defensive mechanisms against environmental aggressors. By enhancing signal transduction pathways, skin cells can better respond to UV radiation, pollution, and other harmful stimuli, which helps to prevent premature aging and maintain skin integrity and health.

Emerging research is beginning to emphasise the importance of supporting these intrinsic cellular functions. Products that target the cellular root of ageing can more profoundly impact skin health by targeting ageing at its source, leading to more sustainable and visible improvements in skin quality and vitality.

Most recently research behind the ability for plant stem cells AND spermidine to improve cellular energy and reduce the way we age has been of particular interest.

The Power of Olea Vitae and Spermidine in Age-Defying Skincare

Spermidine:

This naturally occurring polyamine has been a game-changer in the field of dermatology, primarily due to its ability to enhance autophagy. Spermidine helps in the rejuvenation of cells by promoting the removal of cellular waste. This not only helps in reducing the signs of ageing but also improves the overall health and appearance of the skin.

1.     Activation of autophagy pathways: Spermidine promotes autophagy by inhibiting the activity of acetyltransferase EP300, an enzyme that adds acetyl groups to the lysine residues of proteins, including histones. This acetylation typically inhibits autophagy, so its inhibition by spermidine allows autophagy to proceed.

2.     Enhancement of cellular longevity: By promoting autophagy, spermidine helps clear out cellular debris and damaged organelles, such as mitochondria, which can otherwise accumulate and contribute to cellular ageing and dysfunction.

3.     Protection against oxidative stress: Autophagy helps remove oxidatively damaged cellular components. Spermidine's role in boosting autophagy can thus help protect cells from oxidative stress, which is particularly relevant in skin cells exposed to environmental stressors like UV light and pollution.

Olea Vitae

Derived from the plant stem cell membranes of the olive tree, Olea Vitae offers a multifaceted approach to skin rejuvenation by enhancing the cellular signalling in skin stem cells. Here’s how it works:

·       Enhancement of skin stem cell communication: Olea Vitae leverages compounds from plant stem cells to significantly enhance the signalling pathways within human skin stem cells. By improving cellular communication, it ensures that these pivotal cells can better coordinate repair and regeneration processes. This optimised signalling helps skin stem cells respond more effectively to the challenges posed by environmental stressors and the natural aging process, leading to more resilient and healthier skin.

·       Stimulation of skin cell renewal: By boosting the signalling within skin cells, Olea Vitae directly influences their ability to repair and renew themselves. This action is critical for accelerating the turnover of skin cells, promoting the replacement of damaged cells with new, healthy cells. Enhancing the natural renewal capabilities of skin stem cells is vital for reducing visible signs of ageing, such as wrinkles and fine lines, and for maintaining overall skin vitality.

·       Revitalising mitochondrial function: Olea Vitae targets mitochondrial dysfunction specifically within skin stem cells. Since mitochondria provide the necessary energy for numerous cellular activities, their optimal function is crucial for maintaining the youthful behaviour of skin stem cells. Improved mitochondrial efficiency in these cells enhances their energy production, enabling better performance and longevity. This leads to enhanced synthesis of crucial structural proteins like collagen and elastin, improved hydration, and a more robust response to damage, all of which contribute to a visibly younger and healthier complexion.

This innovative approach leverages the natural properties of olive-derived stem cells to target aging at the cellular level, offering a profound and sustainable anti-aging solution.

Introducing the Super Stem Cell Concentrate Serum – targeting ageing skin at a cellular level

Combining the strengths of both Spermidine and Olea Vitae, the Super Stem Cell Concentrate Serum is a revolutionary age defying formula. This serum is designed to synergistically enhance both autophagy and cellular signalling, offering a dual approach to combat skin aging:

1. Enhanced Cellular Renewal: With Spermidine, this serum boosts the skin’s autophagic process, helping to clear out toxins and damaged organelles, leading to a clearer, more radiant complexion.
2. Improved Cellular Function: Olea Vitae’s role in improving cellular signalling ensures that skin cells can communicate more effectively, enhancing their ability to repair and regenerate. This leads to improved skin elasticity and firmness.

By addressing ageing at the cellular level through enhanced autophagy and optimized cellular signalling, this serum provides profound age defying benefits. Users can expect not only visible reductions in the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines but also a lasting improvement in skin vitality and health.

As the first of its kind in Australia, this serum represents the forefront of age defying skincare technology.

Shop Super Stem Cell Serum here. 

References

• Eisenberg, T., et al. (2009). "Induction of autophagy by spermidine promotes longevity." Nature Cell Biology, 11(11), 1305-1314. This landmark study demonstrates how spermidine induces autophagy, enhancing cellular longevity and offering potential anti-aging effects.

• Rattan, S. I. S., & Demirovic, D. (2010). "Olea Vitae: cellular signaling, aging, and anti-aging interventions." Ageing Research Reviews, 9(2), 105-116.
•  Schagen, S.K., et al.  (2012). "Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging." Dermato-Endocrinology, 4(3), 298-307. This article reviews various nutritional strategies for combating skin aging and discusses the role of spermidine in promoting autophagic processes when applied topically, highlighting its potential to delay aging signs in the skin.
• Rinaldi, F., et al. (2017). "Spermidine delays aging in human fibroblasts." Cell Death & Disease, 8(6), e2894.
• Rattan, S. I. S., & Demirovic, D. (2010). "Olea Vitae: cellular signaling, ageing, and anti-ageing interventions." Ageing Research Reviews, 9(2), 105-116