K-Beauty outfit Cosmax has claimed it has discovered an anti-ageing ‘second-generation skin microbiome’ named Rappoilot that will be trademarked and commercialised.
In a study, microorganisms were found through a skin microbiome analysis of 1,000 Korean test participants.
Through this process, Cosmax says it has succeeded in discovering a new group of microorganisms from infants and children who have high skin firmness and skin barrier density.
Microbiome combines 'microbes', which inhabit human tissue, and 'biome', referring to an ecosystem. It refers to the microorganisms and their genetics inside the human body. It is often found in the intestinal, skin, oral, or respiratory organs but their individual functions have not yet been proved.
In 2019, the South Korean company launched products containing its first generation microbiome named Strain CX, which was discovered in young women's skin.
It is said to utilise microorganisms in the human skin to activate beneficial bacteria and maintain clear skin.
Cosmax's second-generation skin microbiome was discovered through a culture method that imitates the skin's actual environment.
The new strain is the third in about 2,000 bacteria, hence called KERA-3.
Compared to the first-generation skin microbiome, says Cosmax, Rappoilot’s efficacy is “more balanced in all areas of the skin's condition”.
“It is particularly efficacious in lipid synthesis, skin firmness, and skin barrier reinforcement,” the company said in a statement.
A study on Rappoilot will be published in International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, it added.
Meanwhile, the skin microbiome platform which had been in development since 2019 will begin services this month.
Cosmax developed a new AI algorithm called SKIMInet based on genetic information collected from 1,000 test participants.
"Cosmax did not stop at pioneering the skin microbiome market. We continued extended studies to create research outputs as well,” said Cosmax president Lee Byung-man.
"Within the next five years, we will build a skin microbiome research roadmap to endeavour as a leader in the field,” he added.
