Greentech unveils a new skin care ingredient that acts on the holobiont

Holobiosys, the latest achievement of Greentech’s research, is a wild yellow gentian roots extract enhanced by an upcycled fermentation process with a rare and cold-tolerant bacteria from French aerobiota. According to Greentech, it restructures skin from surface to its heart, boosts hyaluronic acid and lipids synthesis and restores skin hydration with smoothing effects, while invigorating the skin holobiont.

To counteract skin dryness and smooth wrinkles

To counteract dehydrated (lack of water) and dry (lack of lipids) skin, Holobiosys boosts hyaluronic acid (HA) synthesis both in the epidermis and the dermis. It also stimulates HA receptor CD44 and its signalling cascade allowing the reinforcement of epidermal barrier. Indeed, tight junction and differentiation markers are upregulated as well as lipid synthesis in keratinocytes for a more cohesive epidermis able to lock in skin moisture. Holobiosys also stimulates dermal-epidermal junction markers expression for a better diffusion of water bound to HA within the skin. Finally, antioxidant cell responses are upregulated after treatment with Holobiosys both in keratinocytes and fibroblasts for a protection against HA degradation by free radicals.

Clinically tested on volunteers with dehydrated skin, Holobiosys increases skin hydration index after 28 days of application at 1% vs placebo and smoothes wrinkles. It also protects hydrolipidic film and has even a lipid-replenishing effect on a sub-panel presenting dehydrated and sebum-deficient skin.

A youthful and invigorated skin holobiont

However, with Holobiosys, Greentech R&D goes a step further by studying the skin holobiont (the assemblage between the skin and its microbiota) with a metaproteomic study.

With age and loss of hydration, the Greentech research shows that there is a slow-down of skin barrier and antioxidant functions both from human and microbial origins. “By focusing on the host/microbiota interactions, Holobiosys stimulates these functions and contribute to a more harmonized and invigorated holobiont, allowing a deep hydration-restructuring action,” explains Greentech.

According to Greentech, studying the holobiont provides a comprehensive view of the interactions between the skin and its microbial ecosystem, helping to take a step further than a simple study comparing the skin on one side and the microbiota on the other.