Diving deeper into Dead Sea water exploration for further anti-aging skin care benefits
17 Jan 2024 --- Researchers from the University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, re-examine Dead Sea water (DSW) use in anti-aging and rejuvenating the skin in cosmetic applications.
DSW is known for its dermatological benefits and is used in dermatological therapy and skin care for conditions such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and photoaging.
However, researchers say the anti-aging and rejuvenating effects of DSW and the related biological pathways that have attracted increasing attention are not fully understood.
This latest study investigates the anti-aging and rejuvenating effects of DSW and explores the related potential biological mechanisms of DSW under different environmental conditions.
According to the study’s authors, their work “provides new perspectives for understanding the anti-aging and rejuvenating effects and mechanisms of DSW. The new findings also provide a theoretical basis for further developing age-related strategies.”
Watching DSW change skin
The researchers claim external environmental stressors and internal factors significantly impact the skin, causing inflammation, aging, reduced immunity and other adverse responses.
Age-related changes also vary from the molecular level to the morphological structures in human skin.
Transmission electron microscopy images of hemidesmosomes in 3D reconstructed full-thickness skin models. The effects of DSW were investigated using in vitro human dermal cells and reconstructed skin models. Extracellular matrix (ECM) components and the morphological changes at the dermal-epidermal junction in a 3D human skin model were evaluated after DSW treatment.
RNA sequencing analysis of human dermal fibroblast models after DSW treatment was performed to explore the potential mechanisms of action of DSW under regular and UV stress conditions.
Comparing previous and current
In previous research, the anti-aging function of DSW was evaluated and demonstrated by the morphological alteration of aged keratinocytes and senescence markers on both epidermal cells and skin tissue models but the scientists say a comprehensive understanding of the anti-aging effect and mechanism of DSW from previous findings is insufficient.
The ECM is essential for skin homeostasis, wound healing, elasticity and firmness and is the leading research target in skin regeneration and anti-aging studies. Several biological mechanisms, such as a decrease in ECM protein synthesis (e.g., collagen, elastin and proteoglycans) or an increase in degradation, are known to be altered by skin aging.
The researchers reported that the application of DSW to fibroblasts could significantly increase the secretion of procollagen-1 and elastin in a dose-dependent manner, indicating the anti-aging activity of DSW in dermal skin.
The findings in this work present the biological functions of DSW, including procollagen-1 and elastin secretion, hemidesmosome increase and epidermal basal cell regeneration.
In related research, scientists suggested new applications for DSW, such as its use in sunscreen and skin microbiome products. Potential concerns were also raised about its interactions with other active ingredients in beauty formulations.
By Sabine Waldeck
