The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (ELC) and several of its brands presented research across a range of basic science and clinical findings at the 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) held last week in Dallas, TX.

“Since our founding, The Estée Lauder Companies has been pioneering skin science. In a landscape of ever-evolving insights and breakthroughs from the scientific and dermatological realms, the significance of skincare science has never been greater,” said Nadine Pernodet, PhD, senior vice president, bioscience, advanced technology pioneering. “Our presence at the SID allows us not only to share our newest research and data, but also to learn from key researchers in the field. To continuously advance innovation and the performance of our products, we are enabled by and implementing novel findings in our research and clinical laboratories.”

The data presented in poster, podium, and sponsored symposium presentations at the meeting. Here’s a look at the presentations and the key takeaways from each.

“Cosmetic peptide penetration and assembly in human skin: A tag-free approach,” presented by Elham Tavasoli, PhD, associate director, advanced technology pioneering.

Key Takeaways:
• This is the first use of 3D OrbiSIMS and SRS to identify, track, and demonstrate the hierarchical assembly of cosmetic self-assembling peptides (SAPs) during skin permeation and their effect on skin mechanics.
• We investigated the ability of well-known cosmetic Palmitoyl-pentapeptide-4 (PPP-4) and Palmitoyl-hexapeptide-12 (PHP-12) to diffuse, penetrate, and co-assemble in human skin.
• SAPs were shown to co-assemble into stable hydrogels when placed in contact with solutions of ECM components and chemical-specific imaging revealed skin barrier strengthening and increased water retention after SAP treatment.

• “Dichotomous attributes of BHT, vitamin E, and vitamin C as antioxidant and anti-glycation molecules in skin models,” presented by Nora Ruth, MS, principal scientist, advanced technology pioneering.

Key Takeaways:
• Topical treatment with antioxidants can inhibit glycation in skin models.
• Synergy between modulation of oxidative stress and glycation prevention is dependent on the specific concentration and antioxidant power of the individual molecules.
• This detailed understanding can inform fine-tuned approaches to formulating with active ingredients tailored to personalized skincare.

• “miRNA-146a is a critical target associated with multiple biological pathways of skin aging,” presented by Klodjan Stafa, PhD, associate director, advanced technology pioneering.

Key Takeaways:
• The loss of miR-146a in skin cells contribute to the aging process where it results in a loss of synchronization with circadian rhythm, repair efficiency as well as protein production and cellular proliferation with an increase of damaging factors such as inflammatory mediators and MMPs.
• Treatment with an Adansonia digitata extract, re-established a miR-146a level closer to young skin cells and helped mature skin cells to recover key activities to repair and rebuild a strong skin. As well, due to its exosomal transport, miR-146a will be able to move from one cell to another to amplify this positive benefit.
• These findings support that miR-146a is a key mediator of biological pathways related to fighting aging in skin cells; particularly associated with circadian rhythm, inflammation, and skin cell communication, damage repair and proliferation.

“The importance of cellular synchronization for skin health & integrity,” presented by Pernodet.

Key Takeaways:
• At a cellular level how synchronization and temporal rhythm are critical factors for maintaining a healthy and homeostatic balance in skin.
• After treatment with tripeptide-32, cells are resynchronized, therefore able to resist damage and increase repair/recovery to stay healthy.
• Night is the natural time for skin to repair and recover, ultimately optimizing youthfulness.

• “The importance of Nrf-2 technology combined with powerful collagen boosters to rebuild youthful skin and essential collagen: types I, III, and V,” presented by Jacqueline Trivero, Associate Director, Advanced Technology Pioneering.

Key Takeaways:
• Over three decades of research have led to the development of a blend of peptides, algae extract, and whey protein that significantly boosts collagen in human dermal fibroblasts.
• Adding an Nrf-2 activator to these collagen boosters further enhances production, particularly increasing types I, III, and V collagen, crucial for skin integrity.
• This potent combination helps mature skin cells rebuild and rejuvenate their structure, leading to stronger, more efficient cells and visibly younger-looking skin.

“Macrocystis Pyrifera ferment reduces inflammatory mediators derived from sensory neurons and skin cells,” Presenter: Jaime Emmetsberger, PhD, director, advanced technology pioneering and lead scientist, Max Huber Research Laboratories.

Key Takeaways:
• Preclinical studies on human skin show that topical application of Macrocystis pyrifera ferment (MPF) for 24 hours significantly lowers the expression of several inflammatory mediators like IL1B, IL6, CXCL8, IL33, and matrix metalloproteinases.
• MPF impacts the sensory neurons’ (SNs) inflammatory responses. In vitro co-culture experiments demonstrated that MPF, following capsaicin stimulation, notably reduced the release of inflammatory neuropeptides and cytokines such as CGRP, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and MCP-1 within 24 hours.
• The reduction in inflammatory mediators led to clinical testing using a multi-ingredient cream containing MPF. The test indicated that the cream significantly diminished the sensory perception of irritants in a lactic acid sting test, suggesting that MPF helps mitigate SN activity and decrease irritation.

“Combined validated questionnaire and lactic acid sting test to reliably assess and evaluate cosmetic product efficacy on sensitive skin,” presented by Qihong Zhang, PhD, principal scientist, R&D clinical testing.

Key Takeaways:
• Previous research has shown that the Lactic Acid sting test scores are positively correlated with Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) in subjects with self-perceived sensitive skin.
• This cohort study explored the feasibility of utilizing a combination of a validated questionnaire and a lactic acid sting test (LAST) to separate sensitive skin (SS) from non-sensitive skin (NSS) subjects and investigate the corresponding differences in biophysical properties in an Asian population. Efficacy validation of a lipid-rich matrix system (LRMS) that can normalize SS to NSS conditions was also assessed.
• The SS questionnaire, together with LAST, demonstrated segmentation of a sub-set of SS subjects with disrupted barriers in an Asian population. The LRMS also showed it can alleviate some sensitive skin symptoms and help to normalize skin conditions.