So, what are defensins and what do we need to know about them? Defensins are peptides that are already in human skin. There are also particular stem cells called LGR6+ that are located next to the epidermis. When the skin is damaged by a cut, abrasion, or wound, the body’s immune system reacts and brings forth cells called neutrophils that release the defensins. The defensins then “turn on” the LGR6+ stem cell locus in the hair follicle which, in turn, produces brand new cells to populate and heal the damaged tissue.

The idea behind using defensins in anti-aging skin care is to create a biomimetic (or identical) copy of this defensin-peptide that naturally occurs in the skin. We’ve heard a lot about the success of biomimetic technologies lately. For instance, Kybella is a biomimetic protein that mimics the function of what the gallbladder creates to break down fat. So the idea of creating something that the body already makes is a great one because it is a natural process. Skin care supplemented with defensins is using a natural function to wake up the dormant LGR6+ cells to make brand-new cells which then repopulate the skin. The cells created in this way are brand new, have not had the chance to deteriorate or acquire any mutations, therefore the skin that they replaced looks brighter, smoother, more youthful and has less obvious lines and wrinkles.

Retinols have been popular for some time and it is interesting to learn how they compare to defensins. According to Taub, who led the multi-center study along with two other clinical investigators – dermatologist Dr. Vivian Bucay, and facial plastic surgeon Dr. Gregory Keller – retinols thicken the skin, but they also tend to inflame it. The study showed that defensins also thicken the skin, but they do not cause inflammation which was very significant. Taub also mentioned that retinols are phenomenal molecules that do much for the skin, however many people cannot tolerate them. The study proved that defensins can perform many of the functions of a retinol without some of the deleterious aspects, such as dryness and inflammation.

One of the many salient results observed and reported in the study was that unlike retinols, defensins do not remove the stratum corneum. When the stratum corneum is removed over time, the skin becomes more sensitized to the sun and the need for sunscreen and protection is greater than ever. The study also showed that the basket weave matrix of the stratum corneum was not damaged and that the epidermal thickness increased and the cells appeared more organized. Another significant finding was in the appearance of visible pores and pore size. This was shown clinically using the Griffith scale, but it was even more pronounced by the objective analysis of the three-dimensional imaging and by the actual measurement of the pores by QuantifiCare technology. Investigators also saw wrinkle improvement – both fine and coarse wrinkles – as well as improvement in the wide-range of parameters affecting skin conditions including evenness, brightness, and hydration.

In a recent interview with an industry online news source, Aesthetic Insider, Taub stated, “I’ve come to the conclusion based on the study, that the science matches up to what we were expecting from the mechanism of action which makes defensins a real game changer. It’s also consistent with some game changing that’s going on in other areas of our fields such as how we understand the molecular mechanism for eczema and for psoriasis, and, as I mentioned previously about biomimetic proteins. Defensins have proven that they stimulate a specific pathway to create new skin and I think that this is the new generation of skin care.”