Exosomes are revolutionizing aesthetic medicine and dermocosmetics. They have originally attracted considerable attention in the biomedical field because of their potential benefits for therapeutic applications such as regenerative dermatology and plastic surgery. Indeed they are able to promote tissue repair, angiogenesis, regeneration and to modulate inflammation, thus improving skin health and aesthetics.
Due to their ability to influence multiple cellular processes, exosomes represent a promising research frontier for next-generation actives and are becoming increasingly popular also in cosmetics, particularly in skincare products.
Exosome-based formulations in cosmetics are evolving rapidly, with a growing focus on plant-based sources as they are more accessible, vegan-friendly, and present fewer regulatory concerns. Common formulations include serums, creams, face masks and hair care products.
Moreover, exosomes represent an innovative system to deliver therapeutic compounds in biomedical applications and also active ingredients to skin cells in cosmetics, by improving their stability and bioavailability.
Let’s take a step back: what are these cutting-edge ingredients that everyone is talking about?
Exosomes are nano-sized and micro-sized bilayered extracellular vescicles with a diameter ranging approximately from 30 to 150 nm. They are naturally released from various cell types into the extracellular enviroment.
They contain many bioactive molecules including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and metabolites involved in intercellular communication.
Intelligent intercellular communicators, each equipped with a precious cargo to influence the behaviour of recipient cells, could be imagined. This leads to more targeted and effective solutions for beauty and the cosmetic industry.
The sources of exosomes vary from various animal cell types, including human stem cells, to plants, bacteria, fungi and microalgae. Each source contributes a tailored value to the formulation.
Their cargoes have been shown, both as topical or injectables, to play pivotal roles in alleviating oxidative stress, improving pigmentation problems (dark spots or uneven skin tone), improving skin elasticity and moisturization, reducing wrinkles, stimulating collagen and elastin synthesis.
Their key benefits also include skin regeneration and repair, by promoting wound healing and improving the appearance of scars.
Beyond skin, exosomes represent a powerful tool in trichology, since regenerative capacities also extend to dermal papilla and follicles, thus promoting hair growth and preventing hair loss.
A clinical evaluation has been conducted in our laboratories on a panel of 22 volunteers aged between 18 and 65 years old, with both normal and thinning hair. Treatment with a proprietary serum gel containing plant-derived exosomes has demonstrated measurable benefits, such as improved hair density and length after 4 weeks of application in a predefined shaved area of the scalp (data not shown).
The evolving landscape and hurdles
Exosomes are a fascinating and continuously evolving field, but further challenges remain to better address their production methods (isolation, scalability, high costs, variability) as well as to improve their stability.
Advanced extraction strategies have been adopted to isolate and purify exosomes while retaining their bioactivity. Ultracentrifugation, ultrafiltration, chromatography, polymer-based precipitation, affinity capture on antibody-coupled magnetic beads were all considered. The scale-up process depends on their specific type. Stability is a critical factor for exosomes since they are particularly sensitive to temperature, oxidative stress, pH and shear stress.
Advanced encapsulation techniques are essential solutions, and manufacturing conditions must be carefully designed to ensure vesicle integrity without compromising bioactivity. Different approaches are available to quantify and characterize exosomes based on their physicochemical properties (size distribution, presence of antigens, cargoes they are loaded with…), among them Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), Dynamic Light Scattering, Resistive Pulse Sensing, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Flow Cytometry.
These valuable tools allow for the initial characterization and also the evaluation of the stability over time in finished products, a critical point to achieve the desired effectiveness.
Conclusions
Beside therapeutic applications, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine exosomes are gaining more and more emphasis in the cosmetic field, since their unique bioactive cargoes display many beneficial effects for skin and hair care, thus promoting a youthful appearance.
Despite obstacles in purification and maintaining stability, they promise to drive an incredibly valuable change in cosmetic applications and to revolutionize the beauty field.
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Giulia Menchini
Product Marketing & Graphic Specialist
