Stable foundations for longevity and anti-ageing

As the global population is ageing rapidly, ageing is an increasing concern for the consumer. Concepts such as 'longevity' and 'health span' are currently at centre stage for consumers, industry and academia.¹ The combination of both could be defined as the duration of an individual's life in a healthy state.² The ever-evolving skin care consumer clearly shows interest in longevity concepts. A shift is visible toward more proactive and preventive attitudes regarding the skin ageing process, with consumers starting to use skin care products that address the skin ageing process at a younger age in order to slow it down.³

With this shift in behaviour, skin care consumers also increasingly show a contradictory attitude. Their preventive attitude and their interest in longevity is combined with their continuing aspiration to not just preserve the appearance and feel of their skin, but to quickly improve them as well. They combine the 'old' anti-ageing mentality with the 'new' longevity way of thinking.⁴ This is reflected in the skin care marketplace. Virtually all skin care products which address the skin ageing process indeed claim to improve ageing phenomena, such as firmness and wrinkles.⁵

The skin is the largest organ of the human body, constituting about 15% of total body weight.⁶ It is an extraordinarily complex biological material that acts as the interface between the body and the environment, but it also possesses unique biomechanical properties that play an important role in protection against physical impact from the environment.