A new anti-aging serum claiming to reverse visible signs of skin damage is raising both interest and skepticism in the beauty industry, as experts debate whether the science represents a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing.
Researchers at the University of Manchester and No7 report discovering what they describe as a skin repair “rush hour” between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., when genes responsible for cell renewal allegedly increase their activity. The team claims that sun-damaged skin experiences a form of “skin jet lag,” with repair genes activating later than in healthy skin.
“Chronobiology is a relatively new and rapidly evolving field of science that examines circadian rhythms in living organisms,” said Qing Jun Meng, professor of chronobiology at the University of Manchester, whose team is behind the research supporting No7’s new product line.
However, some experts question whether this represents truly novel science. Professor Peter Smith, doctor of allergy and immunology who owns Natural Pearl Skincare, offered a more measured perspective: “The 2017 Nobel Prize was won for work related to clock genes. Essentially it shows there are a range of genes that result in the majority of inflammation occurs in the early hours of the morning. It’s a time when our steroids, which are anti-inflammatory, are at the lowest level. This is not an unexpected finding, but using existing science to sell a new angle on something that already exists.”
The collaboration identified an extract from Lindera Strychnifolia, an evergreen shrub used in East Asian traditional medicine, which they claim helps restore disrupted skin rhythms. This ingredient has been added to No7’s Future Renew peptide blend, the foundation of their newest product line.
While the University of Manchester and No7 have collaborated for 20 years, leading to successful products including the Protect & Perfect serum that gained popularity after a 2007 BBC Horizon program, some industry watchers note that the basic principles of nighttime repair have been understood for decades.
The companies claim their research will be presented at The British Society of Investigative Dermatology’s annual conference, with details to be published in the British Journal of Dermatology. However, as of this writing, full peer-reviewed papers demonstrating the efficacy of their specific approach have yet to be published.
Dr. Mike Bell, No7’s head of science research, explained the company’s position: “Our sleep, wake cycle is an example of a circadian rhythm and it’s all about allowing the body to adapt to what’s coming next.” But critics note this is hardly revolutionary information in the skincare world, where products targeting nighttime repair have been commonplace for years.
The product’s mechanism reportedly works through a “world-first super peptide blend” that supposedly “tricks the skin into thinking that it has been damaged which leads to renewal of key proteins such as collagen and fibrillin,” according to company materials. This technology is exclusive to No7 and resulted from what they describe as 15 years of research.
No7 reports conducting 37 studies on over 4,200 people, with 97% of women in clinical trials showing improvements in three or more visible signs of skin damage. These company-sponsored studies, while extensive, have not all been independently verified.
The marketing push for this new Night Serum claims to represent a major advancement in anti-aging technology. But skeptics suggest the impressive-sounding science may be largely repackaging existing understanding of skin repair processes to differentiate products in a saturated market.
Dr. Emma Wedgeworth, consultant dermatologist, called it “a breakthrough range,” endorsing the products in company materials. However, the beauty industry has a long history of making dramatic claims about “revolutionary” ingredients that often amount to incremental improvements at best.
While the partnership between the University of Manchester and No7 has indeed produced commercially successful products, consumers may want to wait for independent verification of these specific claims before investing in what is essentially an updated version of existing skin repair serums.