Has Chanel cracked the code to anti-ageing? What exactly is the science of senescence?

New skincare products hit the market all the time, targeting a myriad concerns from dull skin to hydration, acne, anti-pigmentation and more. But throughout the decades, one aspect of skincare has remained a top pursuit by brands – the ability to turn back the clock through anti-ageing solutions. 

Ageing is a natural process faced by men and women from all walks of life, and the beauty industry has witnessed all sorts of innovation when it comes to defying the ravages of time on the skin. While every brand has its own areas of focus, Chanel’s approach to anti-ageing in women is rooted in the study of “senescence” – the phenomenon of cell ageing.

TIME IS BEAUTY

What exactly is senescence? In a nutshell, senescence is the cellular ageing process. Over time, most cells in the body are naturally eliminated and are replaced by younger cells. But some cells stop dividing, losing vitality and accumulating in the tissues. These “senescent” cells disrupt the function of other cells and accelerate ageing. And when this happens, the accumulation of senescent cells results in the signs of premature ageing on the skin, such as wrinkles, sagging skin and pigment spots.

Each person has his or her own cellular heritage and as one grows older, the more senescence accelerates. The number of senescent cells also depends on lifestyle factors, such as UV exposure, smoking, lack of sleep, an unbalanced diet, stress and more. The key to anti-ageing therefore potentially lies in the ability to correct this phenomenon by promoting natural mechanisms that eliminate and recycle senescent cells.

“Since 2011, Chanel has been studying skin senescence, the science at the heart of skin ageing. All the ageing factors are directly or indirectly connected to senescence. Our expertise on senescence enables a global approach to ageing to develop the most innovative beauty solutions,” said Armelle Souraud, international scientific communications director for Chanel. “This knowledge also paves the way for a more in-depth reflection about how to age in the best possible way by embracing time, because time is beauty.”

THE THREE STAGES OF SENESCENCE

To dive deeper into this phenomenon, Chanel set up a research programme in 2012 with two of the world’s leading experts in cellular ageing – Professor Johannes Grillari and Professor Florian Gruber from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna.

The partnership led to several discoveries, including a new model for studying senescence at the cellular and tissue scale. Senescence happens in three stages – initiation, activation and installation.

Professor Grillari in collaboration with Chanel developed 3D skin models mimicking the different stages of senescence. This made it possible to test the effect of active ingredients identified by Chanel Research that target anti-ageing. In 2020, Professor Gruber developed a new state-of-the-art imaging platform that allows researchers to view senescence markers in the tissue, evaluate the epidermal cell and measure the performance of the active ingredients.

SKINCARE BREAKTHROUGHS

Through its studies, Chanel Research identified and developed two in-house active ingredients that simultaneously target the three stages of skin senescence.

Polyfractioned Vanilla Planifolia

This active ingredient is crafted from the fruit of the vanilla plant. It helps to restore optimal cell communication and promote cell renewal to boost skin regeneration, slowing down the initiation stage.

Swertia extract

This rare ingredient is hand-harvested in Bhutan once every three years. With exceptional repairing power, Swertia extract acts on the second and third stages of senescence. In combination with vanilla planifolia, it limits the spread of the cells responsible for the signs of ageing and helps with cell renewal.

“Years of research have concluded that together, these ingredients constitute a tailor-made blend for ultimate skin regeneration and repair. Together, those powerful active ingredients have proved their effectiveness on all the three steps of cellular senescence – significantly contributing to reducing skin ageing signs,” said Souraud.

Vanilla planifolia is the star ingredient in Chanel's Sublimage range, while a combination of the two ingredients is used in the formulation of products in the top-line Sublimage Les Extraits range. “Thanks to the symbiosis of all their biological actions in the skin, Sublimage Les Extraits improves the look of all youth parameters: hydration, comfort, wrinkles, structure, strength, uniformity and radiance,” shared Souraud.

Not only has Chanel's research fuelled the development of ultra-targeted products, it also lays the groundwork for future advancements in beauty solutions. “Chanel Research has at its disposal a library of data which forms the basis of an ecosystem linking skin, wellbeing and biology (genetics, microbiome), and which is constantly enriching. This scientific knowledge is already contributing to the creation of high-performance products and experiences. In the future, it will contribute to targeted approaches based on Prevention, Prediction and Personalisation of beauty solutions,” commented Souraud.

To fight the signs of senescence, here are three products to try:

SUBLIMAGE LA CREME

Described as the ultimate repair cream, Sublimage La Creme works on the look of all youth parameters identified by Chanel Research. The star active ingredient is polyfractioned vanilla planifolia. After application, the skin appears hydrated and more radiant. Day after day, the complexion and skin’s texture becomes more even, and wrinkles become less visible.

SUBLIMAGE L’EXTRAIT DE NUIT

This luxurious nighttime repair serum is touted as sleep in a bottle. It is enriched with a powerful, naturally derived chronopeptide and an active ingredient complex obtained by combining Himalayan Swertia and polyfractioned vanilla planifolia. Its oil-in-water formula transforms on contact with the skin, revealing shimmering micro-droplets. In the morning, the skin appears visibly more rested, plump and radiant, with the appearance of wrinkles diminished.

SUBLIMAGE L’EXTRAIT DE CREME

This ultimate repair cream unites the powers of vanilla planifolia and Swertia extract for a one-of-a-kind combination that helps rejuvenate and accelerate the skin’s natural repair mechanism. The cream initially feels rich to the touch, but melts smoothly into the skin upon application.