Written: January 2007
Scientists from US skincare brand Dermagenetics have developed a DNA Ultra Custom Night Cream, a skincare solution that is customised for each individual according to their DNA. It is a significant breakthrough in the skincare industry, tailoring skincare to a person’s genetic make up and taking the guesswork out of finding ingredients will yield the best results for them.
The technology behind Dermagenetics comes from work done in the Human Genome Project, which was completed in 2003. The goal of this project was to map the full set of genetic instructions on the human genome and, as a result of its completion, it is now possible for scientists to identify the everyday roles of specific genes in the body.
Using these principles, GeneLink Inc, the New Jersey-based biosciences company that manufactures Dermagenetics, has identified five specific genes that are responsible for enzyme creation, amino acid creation or cellular defence. These five genes are present in everyone and contribute to the way the body responds to photo ageing, environmental stress, irritation and two types of oxidative stress. Tiny variations in these genes, called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs – pronounced ‘snips’), mean that each of us respond to these stresses in a different way.
Dr Julie Epstein has been practising anti-ageing and preventative medicine since 1996, after more than 15 years as a specialist in general medicine, respiratory medicine and allergic disease.
“Think of your genes as little recipe books inside each cell,” she explains. “They’re responsible for how and when the cell produces an enzyme or amino acid. In simple terms, a gene recipe can either work well, not so well or hardly at all.”
With a simple mouth swab, it is possible to map an individual’s SNPs and determine which genes are not functioning at their optimum. Dermagenetics then uses this information to custom-blend a product with active ingredients tailored according to what that individual’s skin needs. The five key active ingredients – superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, microsomal peroxide hydrolase, matrix metalloproteinase and tnfAlpha – are known as SNPDerms.
It is important to note, however, that SNPDerms do not alter the genetic make up of a person or affect gene expression directly. Instead, they provide biochemical enhancers or suppressors that compensate for any weakness that is discovered by the DNA skin analysis. As Dr Epstein highlights, “We’re not treating the genes or performing any sort of cellular intervention. We’re simply making sure that the formula of the skin cream you use is optimised for your individual skin.”
Each gene evaluated in the Dermagenetics SNP test will be expressed in one of three variations: Homozygous Negative, which indicates the gene is functionally optimally; Heterozygous Positive, indicating that a portion of the protein molecules expressed by this gene are functioning sub-optimally; or Homozygous Positive, which indicates that certain elements of the gene are functioning minimally. This helps to determine whether an individual needs basic, added or maximum skin support.
“Effective skincare is all about choosing the right ingredients, and there are a lot of great ingredients out there in some very good products,” says Dr Epstein. “However, … sometimes an ingredient that works really well on one person works really badly on another. The only way to know exactly what is, or is not, going to work is to look at what your skin actually needs. And the most advanced way to do that is [with] an individual gene test.”
Ian Biner is the General Manager of Rejuvenation Plus, the anti-ageing oriented nutrition and skincare company that distributes Dermagenetics in Australia and New Zealand. He agrees with Dr Epstein that choosing the right ingredients for individual people is important.
“By individually selecting the ingredients, we can make sure we give the skin maximum support without overloading it with ingredients it does not need. Let’s say your gene number one is configured optimally. Your skin will produce the right amount of enzyme A, and so it doesn’t need support. If that same gene is configured differently, then your skin will not be producing the right amount of enzyme A and delivering additional support will help. However, if that gene number one is optimal and you deliver support that’s not needed, your skin now has to get rid of that active ingredient, causing additional and undesirable damage.”
In addition to laboratory tests, the Dermagenetics cream underwent a double blind clinical trial. In this test, women were given either a skin cream that was custom-formulated for them or a placebo, which was the base cream without the added active ingredients. 62 per cent of participants using the cream with the active ingredients reported significant reduction in the appearance of line and wrinkles after 14 days of treatment. After 56 days, the number rose to 70 per cent. Similarly, 56 percent reported improved skin firmness after 14 days, rising to 70 per cent after eight weeks. Less than 10 per cent of the placebo group reported a significant reduction in the appearance of lines and wrinkles or increased skin firmness and tightness.
Ian Biner says these results will continue to improve over time. “Of course there’s going to be a limit to the extent of improvement and we’re not going to tell a 50-year-old that we’ll make her skin look like an 18-year-old’s, but continued use of the cream offers both ongoing improvement and support against additional damage normally associated with ageing.”
Because Dermagenetics is customised, it is suitable for all skin types and has a lowered risk of rejection or allergic reaction. It can also be used at any age, although it is not recommended for children under the age of 13.
“What I tell my patients is that the younger you start, the longer we can keep you looking younger, but it doesn’t matter how old you are – when you start giving your skin optimal support you will see a difference,” says Dr Epstein.
For further information on Dermagenetics, contact 1300 663 924 or 1300 566 546.
I’d rather invest in skincare with DNA repair enzymes.
Paris Hilton has a good skincare line containing DNA repair enzymes!