How the OS-01 Peptide Works to Reverse Skin’s Biological Age

The first scientifically-studied peptide that may reduce skin’s biological age

As our largest organ and first line of defense against environmental aggressors, our skin can have an enormous impact on our overall body health.

When we’re young, building a skin care routine is relatively simple: a face wash, moisturizer and sunscreen will do the trick. But as we grow older and develop visible signs of aging skin, our needs change. A truly effective skin care routine should support your skin’s health first and improve the way it looks as a result.

That’s where OneSkin comes in. Over the course of 5+ years, the founding team of female PhDs at OneSkin developed the OS-01 peptide, the first peptide scientifically studied to reduce skin’s biological age⁰¹ by targeting a central aging process: cellular senescence⁰².

OS-01 prevents the accumulation of senescent cells⁰². Through in vitro studies, it has been observed to:

• Support cellular repair pathways⁰³, so skin can bounce back from environmental stress.
• Promote key markers associated with collagen and hyaluronic acid production⁰³ for firmer, more resilient and hydrated skin.
• Reduce melanin deposits in skin⁰⁴, which can minimize the appearance of sunspots and improve skin tone.
• Enhance epidermal thickness of skin⁰³, to improve the appearance of wrinkles and promote a stronger skin barrier.

⁰¹ Measured in lab-based studies by analyzing DNA methylation after exposing ex vivo human skin samples to the OS-01 peptide, and using MolClock, a proprietary algorithm that predicts skin’s biological age based on DNA methylation (Zonari, et al, preprint)

⁰² Shown in lab-based studies analyzing in vitro fibroblast cultures from patient derived samples (Zonari, et al, preprint

⁰³Shown in lab-based studies analyzing ex vivo human skin samples (Zonari, et al, preprint)

⁰⁴Shown in lab-based studies analyzing in vitro human melanocytes (melanin-producing skin cells) 

 

Understanding Biological Skin Aging

If you’ve ever had a doctor tell you that you have the “heart of a 20 year old”, you’re already familiar with the concept of biological age. No matter how many candles are on your birthday cake, your body might function like an older or younger body based on your health status. Unlike chronological age, biological age is malleable and can be increased or decreased based on your daily habits. For example, if you regularly wear SPF, your skin is likely biologically younger than it would be if you experienced a lot of unprotected sun damage. So how does the OS-01 peptide reduce our skin’s biological age? By targeting one of the main drivers of aging: cellular senescence.

 

How OS-01 Works: Reducing Senescent Cell Burden in Skin

Cellular senescence is the end stage in a cell’s life cycle when it stops dividing. When we’re young and healthy, senescent skin cells are quickly cleared away and replaced with new cells. But as we get older, our body becomes less efficient at clearing away senescent cells. Like rotten apples that spoil the bunch, senescent cells drive healthy neighboring cells into senescence, triggering widespread damage that can make our skin look and function like older skin.

By preventing the accumulation of senescent cells in the skin, senomorphic compounds like the OS-01 peptide have the potential to slow down and even reverse biological skin aging. Just how much can the OS-01 peptide reduce senescent burden in the skin? Scientists ran an experiment to answer that exact question. Using beta-galactosidase, an enzyme that selectively stains senescent cells blue, they found that OS-01 reduced senescent cells by up to 50% in in vitro fibroblast cultures from patient derived samples. The OS-01 peptide also maintained the total number of cells, meaning it promoted not just the reduction of senescent cells, but also the renewal of healthier ones.

 

What OS-01 Does For Mature Skin?

Now that we know how the OS-01 peptide works, let’s talk about what the OS-01 peptide actually does for mature skin. To analyze OS-01’s effects on the skin, OneSkin’s research team utilized skin cells from a variety of donors of different ages, ethnicities, and skin types to culture human skin models. By first exposing these skin models to the OS-01 peptide, then utilizing quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques, the researchers measured the effects of the OS-01 peptide.

Let’s take a deeper look at these effects.

 

OS-01 May Increase Epidermal Thickness & Improves Cellular Structure⁰¹

If you feel like your skin is getting more delicate with time, you’re not alone. As we age, our epidermal layer thins – resulting in telltale signs of aging like wrinkles, crepiness, and skin fragility. This thinning impacts not just the skin’s appearance, but also the body’s overall health. As the epidermis becomes thinner, the skin becomes more susceptible to tearing and injury–leaving the body more vulnerable to external pathogens.

The OS-01 peptide restores epidermal thickness⁰¹ to keep your skin stronger, firmer, and smoother. In the lab, this impact is obvious just by examining the skin structure under a microscope before and after treatment with the OS-01 peptide. By comparing these histology images of ex vivo human skin models, you can see that after exposure to OS-01:

• Epidermal thickness increased by up to 28%
• Cellular structure became more defined
• Connectivity improved

Image 1: Histology analysis of ex vivo human skin samples from a 55 year old donor exposed to the OS-01 peptide (12.5uM). Epidermal thickness analysis revealed a 28% increase in epidermal thickness following treatment with the OS-01 peptide (Zonari, et al, preprint, Fig 3D).

 

Image 2: 

Shown by exposing ex vivo human skin samples to the OS-01 peptide (12.5uM) over 5 days, and using MolClock, a peer-reviewed proprietary algorithm, to predict skin’s biological age based on DNA methylation.

 

OS-01 May Reduce Skin’s Biological Age⁰¹

With time, our DNA actually changes: accumulating telltale markers of aging. No matter how young your skin looks, these DNA modifications reveal whether your skin is functioning like younger, healthier skin or like older, more vulnerable skin. To understand whether the OS-01 peptide actually helps our skin act younger, OneSkin’s research team measured its effects with MolClock, the first molecular clock capable of predicting skin’s biological age using DNA markers (methylation) of skin aging.

In their test, the biological age of the ex vivo human skin model started at 70.83 years old. Astoundingly, after only 5 days of exposure to the OS-01 peptide, the skin’s age decreased to just 68.23 years, meaning that the OS-01 peptide reduced the skin’s biological age by 2.5 years! These results are perhaps the most exciting of all as they suggest that exposure to the OS-01 peptide reduces the biological age of skin. This means that OS-01 doesn’t just make skin look younger, it also helps skin behave like its younger self.

IMAGE 3: OS-01 Peptide – Skin Biological Age (Molecular Age)

⁰¹ Measured in lab-based studies by analyzing DNA methylation after exposing ex vivo human skin samples to the OS-01 peptide, and using MolClock, a proprietary algorithm that predicts skin’s biological age based on DNA methylation (Zonari, et al, preprint)

 

OS-01 May Improve Elasticity, Radiance, Firmness, and Wrinkles

At the cellular level, it’s clear that the OS-01 peptide reverses signs of skin aging and restores skin health. But how do these effects show up visibly? The next step for the OneSkin research team was to take the OS-01 peptide out of the lab and put it to the test on real people. For this, they relied on a third-party clinical research organization to evaluate the efficacy of OS-01 FACE, OneSkin’s daily facial Topical Supplement powered by the OS-01 peptide.

In a 12-week clinical study, 22 participants with an average age of 59.5 years experienced a significant improvement in skin elasticity and barrier function (+15%*) after using the OS-01 peptide product, correlating with the epidermal thickening they observed in the lab.

Additionally, study participants observed:

• Fewer visible wrinkles & fine lines (shown in 87% of users**)
• Firmer, smoother skin (shown in 95.5% of users**)
• Improved radiance & fewer visible pores (shown in 95.5% of users**)
• Better overall skin appearance (shown in 100% of users**)

By restoring skin health at the cellular level, OS-01 FACE provides noticeable changes to the surface level in just 12 weeks: visibly rejuvenating mature skin to its younger self.

†The study was performed by a third party CRO and outcomes were evaluated through expert clinical grade, instrumental analysis and consumer perception. n=22, average age= 59.5 y. The study has not been peer-reviewed. Instrumental evaluation – *vapometer analysis ** Double blind expert clinical grader evaluation

 

From the Team at OneSkin

We can’t affirm that OS-01 by itself could do it all in terms of restoring skin health. There are other ingredients in our product with moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidants properties that also contribute to the overall improvement in skin health. OS-01 is, by itself, the first molecule to be tested as able to reverse skin biological age upon treatment of ex vivo human skins. 

That’s why we created our Topical Supplements: transformative longevity treatments in the form of easy-to-use daily moisturizers for the face and body. Pair them with PREP to cleanse your skin every night and reduce your skin routine to just three steps. With our Topical Supplements, finding the right regimen for mature skin just became so much easier.

Key Takeaways

• OS-01, is the first peptide studied to reduce skin’s biological age*, making it a breakthrough ingredient for mature skin.
• The OS-01 peptide increases epidermal thickness*, improving skin strength and visible signs of aging like crepiness, wrinkles and skin fragility.
• With Topical Supplements, you don’t need a 10-step skincare routine. Just two daily moisturizers–one for body and one for face–are all you need to boost the health of your mature skin.

**Reviewed by Alessandra Zonari, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Co-Founder of OneSkin

Exclusive discounts for the Dr. Kara Fitzgerald audience:

Use code DRKARA15 for 15% off entire OneSkin order, OTP and new subscribers as well.

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