Seppic launches skin-firming active, inspired by zero-gravity plants on International Space Station

20 Jun 2023 --- Seppic is unveiling Sagacious, a biomimetic and eco-designed active ingredient that restores skin firmness. The company is targeting consumers with mature skin as the ingredient provides anti-aging and anti-sagging benefits.

“Sagacious is an innovative active ingredient, thanks to its biomimetic sourcing and its eco-designed process patented by Seppic, which allows for the first time to extract glycolipids from Himanthalia elongata seaweed. All this for proven and visible effectiveness from one month on the signs of facial sagging,” says Audrey Bonnard, Active Product manager at Seppic.  

Sagacious is said to act on all the layers of the skin, making them “significantly firmer.” The company has observed that signs of facial sagging are less visible after use.

Mimicking zero-gravity behavior
The new active ingredient is inspired by the behavior of plants at the International Space Station. These plants synthesize specific molecules from the glycolipids family to maintain “their integrity in zero gravity.”

Using an eco-designed and patented process – Coeur d’algue – Seppic extracted the molecules of the glycolipids family from Himanthalia elongata seaweed. 

“Himanthalia elongata is a brown seaweed harvested with respect for biodiversity in France,” says Seppic.

Sagacious is compliant with Chinese regulations and is COSMOS and Natrue approved with a 100% naturalness rate according to ISO 16128.Seppic extracted the molecules of the glycolipids family from Himanthalia elongata seaweed.

Demonstrating benefits
After 28 days, Sagacious was tested to improve skin firmness by eight times more than the placebo while decreasing the visibility of vasogenic folds – also known as smile lines.

In vitro, testing demonstrated a “restoration of mechanical properties of fibroblasts close to the value of a fibroblast 28 years younger.” This is because Sagacious stimulates specific molecules at different levels of the skin, such as at the dermo-epidermal junction, for better cohesion between the epidermis and dermis.

Sagacious also affects the dermis for better “biomechanical and tensile properties of fibroblasts” and at the dermo-hypodermal junction for better cohesion between the dermis and hypodermis. 

“It’s a new approach proposed by Seppic for a global and effective anti-aging strategy,” shares the company. 

EveLab Insight recently revealed factors influencing skin aging through a study of 431,321 participants utilizing its AI-driven skin analysis platform, Eve M.

Recent developments
Smiling, talking and eating make the mimic muscles in the face contract. Repeating these expressions cause lines on the forehead, nose and around the eyes and mouth as skin elasticity decreases. 

In related news, Roelmi HPC created an active ingredient, Ener-GY plus, to target this form of aging.

Personal Care Insights previously highlighted the difference between Earth and space-based personal care and essential ingredients that protect skin health. 

Also, the Colgate-Palmolive Company and NASA signed a contract to investigate ways to improve skin, oral and personal care for astronauts and people on Earth.

Meanwhile, a study on seaweed highlighted several uses for cosmetics as its bioactive compounds are touted to provide solutions to mitigate climate change, lower the use of synthetic ingredients and boost the industry’s move toward natural sources.

High-purity seaweed extractor Marinova shines light onto fucoidans’ therapeutic and skin healing uses, “highly bioactive polysaccharides derived from select species of brown seaweed.”

By Venya Patel