DSM gains further understanding of pigmentation’s role in skin repair

Last month DSM Personal Care presented new data under its CorneoCare innovation platform demonstrating the differences in skin hydration among different skin ethnicities.

The latest study reveals that pigmentation does not appear to play a role in the facial stratum corneum barrier integrity and repair capability.

Previous thoughts​

One of the protective pigmentation evolution theories states that people with darker skin tone have a better barrier function.

This is based on the thought that epidermal pigmentation evolved in response to environmental stress to the permeability barrier leading to the formation of a more compact and cohesive stratum corneum in relation to the pigmentary process, and therefore led to an enhanced barrier function.

However, DSM’s study found that Albino African subjects’ cheek skin barrier integrity and repair capability proved to be superior to that of Black African and Caucasian subjects.

It also suggest that the top layer of skin of the Albino African group was found to be approximately 67% thicker (p≤0.001) on the cheek compared with the Caucasian group and 35% thicker than the Black African subjects, whereas this data point was comparable between the Black African and the Caucasian groups. 

Dedicated solutions​

So what does this mean? DSM says that a thicker stratum corneum and relatively faster repair capacity on the cheeks of the Albino African subjects suggests that their skin has responded to an external UV challenge to strengthen essential skin barrier functions in order to protect the skin against UV radiation.

Such drastic differences among different skin ethnicities confirms the demand for dedicated solutions to answer the needs of millions of consumers worldwide.

“At DSM Personal Care understanding the differences among ethnic groups remains one of the key focus areas in the epidermal science,”​ says Rainer Voegeli, Senior Scientist Skin Biology at DSM.

“This research work builds on the unmet need of millions of consumers looking for tailor-made solutions. The reasons for our findings are currently under investigation at the biochemical level and will provide the solid base for future substantial innovations in effective, multi-ethnic moisturizing care.” ​

DSM completed this study in cooperation with the Photobiology Laboratory, Medusa Campus, UL, South Africa and AVR Consulting, UK.