L’Oréal uses mechanobiology discoveries to push the boundaries of anti-aging by designing a unique massage device

Mechanobiology means subjecting biological tissues to mechanical stimuli (vibration, torsion, stretching) and observing how they behave. For the first time, L’Oréal R&I teams are able to apply this scientific field to skin, creating a massaging device able to improve the signs of aging.

L’Oréal R&I worked with Singapore’s Mechanobiology Institute to better understand the effects of mechanical stimuli on skin cells and to examine its potential applications in beauty devices. After years of research work, L’Oréal R&I discovered that vibrations could modify two key skin tissue properties: strengthen the dermal-epidermal junction and increase the extracellular matrix production. Best results were observed at a frequency of 75 Hz, which was identified as the optimal frequency generating 9000 micro-massages per minute. In collaboration with the Institut Langevin, L’Oréal researchers used advanced imaging techniques to study the movement of vibrational waves in ex vivo and in vivo skin and optimize their effect. Finally, L’Oréal R&I teams in the US designed a three-point massage head able to maximize the stimulation. A clinical trial confirmed that several clinical signs of skin aging are modified, in particular the elasticity and firmness of skin around the edges of the face. All the results were published in PlosOne in 2017: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0172624

“For the first time, research has proven that mechanical stimulations have a biological effect on the skin as a whole and that these effects depend heavily on the frequency of the stimulation. It took more than five years and the combined efforts of teams from around the world to create a device inspired directly from mechanobiology research”, explains Elisa Caberlotto, L’Oréal R&I, Project Manager for Instrumental Cosmetics.    

“This field of mechanobiology has been essential in inspiring us to create a disruptive innovation in the world of beauty by opening up the possibility of influencing wrinkles and sagging without invasive procedures“, says Jacques Leclaire, L’Oréal Scientific Director.       

L’Oréal’s Clarisonic brand, a leader in sonic skin care devices, will launch this innovative mechanobiology technology with Smart Profile Uplift in Europe and Asia between April and September this year. In Belgium, it will be available in September. It is available in Canada and in the USA since March 2017.