Collagen fibres have long been used in anti-ageing products, with LS's research stating that 'the way the collagen fibrils are organised is just as important in keeping skin youthful as the total number of them'.
The company has designed the new product, Dermican, with a synthetic tetrapeptide that has an anti-ageing action, which targets 'the metabolism of a specific proteoglycan - lumican - to enhance the skin's strength and firmness'.
An extended survey undertaken by LS has shown that this particular proteoglycan, lumican, plays a crucial role in the anti-ageing process, with suggestions that it is involved in the synthesis and organisation of collagen fibrils and their functional fibres.
Cognis is targeting a growing consumer need for cosmetics that aims to aid the anti-ageing process, increase elasticity and create younger looking skin.
This aim falls in line with research carried out by market researchers, Euromonitor, confirming that global sales of anti-ageing products are now worth $9.8bn, a 108.5 per cent increase since 1997.
Isabelle Benoit, LS global marketing manager, spoke of how Dermican targets this fast-growing market: 'With Dermican. LS has demonstrated its ability to provide market-ready solutions that serve the latest trends'.
She goes on to say that: 'It has one single objective, to optimise the functionality of collagen fibers via an original mechanism of action that ensures proper anchoring of the collagen fibers. It gets as close as currently possible to recreating the physiology of younger looking skin'.
Cognis, a worldwide supplier of specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients, runs LS, which specialises in the development, manufacture and marketing of cosmetic concepts and active ingredients.