Estée Lauder Dives Into Beauty’s Longevity Era

Estée Lauder's new Skin Longevity platform coincides with the formation of a cross-disciplinary group of longevity experts who will “educate and empower consumers to rethink how they approach skin care and lifestyle” to shift from an anti-aging mindset to an age reversal focus.

The brand’s Sirtivity-LP ingredient technology is at the core of the brand’s age reversal activities. The technology targets sirtuins in skin, which are a family of seven “NAD+ dependent proteins” central to cellular functions impacting the skin, including “aging, UV damage response, oxidative stress, and wound repair.”

Sirtivity-LP is being applied as the hero ingredient in Estée Lauder’s new Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Transformative Brilliance Soft Crème, set for launch in January 2024, which reportedly “reveals visible age reversal starting in just 14 days.”

Decoding the Keys to Skin Age Reversal: Sirutins & NAD+

According to InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd., the global NAD-based anti-aging market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.9% through 2031. Many of the players in the space focus on supplements, but the report notes that innovations in the space could include "creams, serums, lotions, face washes and sprays" that "restore skin hydration and stimulate collagen and elastin production."

Let’s get technical for a moment. Back in 2019, Estée Lauder researchers revealed that increasing evidence has demonstrated the importance of sirtuins in longevity, metabolism and control of stress. As mentioned, they function primarily as NAD-dependent deacetylases, although two of the seven have ribosyl transferase activity. The collapse of local chromatin results in the modulation of transcriptional programs involved in metabolism and inflammation.

However, work presented in 2019 showed it was possible to combine ingredients such as flower and algae extracts with a ferment to activate sirt-1, -3 and -6, respectively (of the total seven). This led to increased activity in 62-year-old skin fibroblasts. Specifically, skin cells could sense and integrate signals given by a eucalyptus extract to combat environmental insults such as increased oxidative stress and inflammation, and decreased barrier function.

Sirtuin- and NAD-focused topical and ingestible products have been a key focus of recent innovation, but activity has ramped up significantly in the last year.

For instance, Mibelle Biochemistry’s new RejuveNAD technology naturally stimulates the endogenous regeneration of NAD+ by activating the enzyme NAMPT, thereby making the skin appear as much as eight years younger. 

As detailed in the journal Nature, “NAD+ can directly and indirectly influence many key cellular functions, including metabolic pathways, DNA repair, chromatin remodeling, cellular senescence and immune cell function. These cellular processes and functions are critical for maintaining tissue and metabolic homeostasis and for healthy aging.”

By boosting the “longevity molecule,” NAD+, RejuveNAD is able to optimize cellular processes to simultaneously address "at least" five of the 12 hallmarks of aging, including mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, loss of proteostasis, epigenetic alteration and genomic instability.

By energizing mitochondria and promoting DNA repair, RejuveNAD is able to make the skin appear eight years younger within 42 days, per clinical studies cited by Mibelle Biochemistry.

Elsewhere, Circe Scientific’s Pteroyouth (INCI: resveratrol dimethyl ether (and) picolinic acid) reportedly enhances the activity of sirtuins to regulate cellular activities related to cell vitality and aging. 

More innovations in this space are likely to emerge in the new year.

Inside Estee Lauder's Longevity Program

Meanwhile, as part of its longevity focus, Estée Lauder is partnering with the Stanford Center on Longevity on the institution’s new Program on Aesthetics & Culture, which is centered on research assessing perceptions on longevity and vitality.

The three-year commitment funds research activities, including New Map of Life post-doctoral fellowships and “other work to advance the understanding of perceptions on longevity and vitality.” The goal, according to the center is to insure that “century-long lives are healthy and rewarding.”

Meanwhile, the Estée Lauder Longevity Collective will kick off its activities in January 2024, advising brands on the latest insights, research findings and resources to direct the company’s skin longevity research. Members will take part in events, media and content partnerships, as well as editorial on the brand’s new online content hub.

The collective comprises Estée Lauder scientists and partners, as well as experts in academia.*

“The Estée Lauder brand has always been at the forefront of breakthrough skin science,” said Justin Boxford, global brand president, Estée Lauder. “Longevity is one of the fastest growing movements in the beauty and wellness industries, with multi-generational consumer interest in biohacking and age-reversal practices at an all-time high. Estée Lauder has been pioneering skin longevity research for more than 15 years, and we already have the proven technology to reveal visible age reversal. We see this as a truly pivotal moment for the brand to disrupt the industry, changing what we know about skin aging and reimagining skincare for the future.”

Boxford added, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with the Stanford Center on Longevity, a leading authority advancing longevity research. Through the support of their new Program of Aesthetics & Culture, our goal is to build the data-driven foundation from which to shape the future of aesthetics and extend skin healthspan.”

“We know that aging well involves feeling good about ourselves,” said Laura L. Carstensen, Ph.D., professor of psychology, Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. professor in public policy and the director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. “Yet, little research has explored links between appearance and well-being. Extended life expectancy offers us the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding about how people subjectively experience vitality and communicate this experience to others. We believe that skin, as the largest organ, plays a sizeable role in conveying this vitality. With support from Estée Lauder, we look forward to further exploration of how physical appearance and visible skin health influences perceptions of aging.”

Aerin Lauder, founder and creative director of Aerin, and style and design director of Estée Lauder ReNutriv, said, "My grandmother, Estée, was a trailblazer. She was ahead of her time in every way and changed how we think about aging, confidence, and beauty. Today, the Estée Lauder brand continues to embody her pioneer spirit, and I think she would be incredibly excited to see her namesake brand leading the new skin longevity movement and inspiring consumers everywhere to live well at any age.”

*The group comprises Estée Lauder’s Nadine Pernodet, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Bioscience, Global R&D, the Longevity Collective includes long-term Estée Lauder partner Dr. Danica Chen, Professor, Metabolic Biology, Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California Berkeley; Jennifer Garrison, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Buck Institute for Research on Aging & Co-Founder & Director, Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity & Equality; Dr. Mark Lachs, Irene and Roy Psaty Distinguished Professor of Medicine & Co-Director for the Center of Aging Research & Clinical Care at Weill Cornell Medicine; Dr. Zakia Rahman, Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Serena Liang Jing, New Map of Life Fellow, Stanford Center on Longevity and Michael Clinton, Founder & CEO, ROAR Forward. In addition, long-standing Estée Lauder Global Brand Ambassador, Carolyn Murphy, will serve as a member of the Longevity Collective, sharing her beauty, wellness, and lifestyle insights. Having worked with the Estée Lauder brand for more than two decades, Murphy is one of the industry’s longest-serving beauty ambassadors.