IFSCC 35TH CONGRESS REVIEW


BASF sheds light on role of Corynebacteria in skin ageing On day two, BASF Beauty Care R&D project leader Sabrina Leoty-Okombi presented valuable insight into the role of Corynebacteria in skin health and ageing. Her study found notable changes in


Corynebacteria distribution according to age and in sensitive skin. In particular, it was found that Corynebacteria, especially C. kroppenstedtii, thrive in older skin at the expense of other species. Using an innovative droplet-based


microfluidic technology, researchers evaluated the antioxidant potential and collagen-boosting properties of Corynebacteria strains, revealing that C. accolens in particular enhances collagen synthesis. Moreover, C. accolens and C. amycolatum promoted fibrillin-1, claudin-1 and filaggrin.


These results prove Corynebacteria to be a


promising target for anti-ageing skin care and BASF, using selected actives, expects to help skin recovery by improving C. accolens load and skin metabolic patterns to achieve a younger skin profile.


Betaine – a wonder supplement? Also on day two, Jing Qu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAES) gave a keynote presentation on ‘Programming and reprogramming of aging’. Qu detailed the results of a recent CAES and


Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University study that revealed how exercise systemically counters ageing and identifies betaine - a kidney-derived metabolite - as an oral compound mimicking exercise’s rejuvenating effects. In a six-year study, scientists delved into


human responses to exercise across different timescales. With a trial involving 13 healthy male volunteers, CAES tracked multi-omics dynamics, including single-cell transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and the microbiome, during rest, acute exercise (a single 5km run), and long-term training (a 25-day running regimen). Notably, betaine production experienced


a significant surge specifically during long- term training, and this increase was closely correlated with reduced inflammation, as well as diminished markers of cellular ageing. Betaine binds to and inhibits TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), retarding the kinetics of ageing. These findings systematically elucidate the molecular benefits of exercise and position orally-administered betaine as an exercise mimetic for healthy ageing, said Qu.


Award-winning L’Oréal scalp care study L’Oréal took home this year’s IFSCC Congress Applied Research Award with its ‘IfMalassezia wasn’t the only determining factor in dandruff: the role of scalp bacterial profile and ethnicity’ paper.


This first-of-its-kind scalp study compared


dandruff-affected and healthy scalps, assessing clinical symptoms, ceramide profiles, microbiome composition, and inflammatory markers to


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embryonic cells that naturally generate hair. Cosmax collaborated with Organoid Science


to create an artificial scalp and incubated it for 120 days to observe hair growth in skin tissues. Bright coloured hair similar to grey hair grew in tissues cultured with stress-causing norepinephrine. This allowed Cosmax to study greying mechanisms without relying on animal testing.


The pioneering research by Cosmax – the


first ever Korean winner of the IFSCC Congress Basic Research Award – is expected to be used to develop shampoo and anti-ageing cosmetics materials to prevent and alleviate grey hair.


provide the most comprehensive picture of dandruff pathophysiology to date. Whereas previous work characterized


the scalp microbiome in a global population, this research provided a deeper analysis by examining differences across ethnic groups and, for the first time, exploring the functional profile of the microbiome. These new dimensions — combined


with insights into microbial targets beyond Malassezia - a naturally occurring fungus on the scalp that has long been associated with dandruff - and their connection to inflammation — represent a major advance in understanding dandruff biology. Key discoveries include Staphylococcus


aureus (S. aureus) and Staphylococcus capitis (S. capitis) — two types of bacteria commonly found on the skin — were consistently more abundant in dandruff across all ethnicities. A significant positive correlation was


identified between S. aureus abundance and dandruff presence and severity. In addition, dandruff scalps showed significantly higher virulence factor (VF) gene levels, particularly in Latin/Hispanic and Asian American groups, with many VFs previously linked to S. aureus pathogenicity. This is the first study to characterize dandruff


scalp microbiome function across ethnicities, underscoring the need for diverse, personalized treatment approaches. Malassezia levels were higher in dandruff


across all ethnic groups except Asian Americans, and Malassezia globosa, one of the most prevalent species associated with scalp health, was prevalent on healthy scalps in all populations.


Cosmax wins basic research glory for Korea The IFSCC Congress Basic Research Award went to Cosmax, one of the largest OEM cosmetic manufacturers in South Korea, for ‘Stress-induced Hair Greying Modeled Using Human Hair-Bearing Organoids: A Step Toward a Sustainable Future’. The K-beauty firm demonstrated how


stress hormones impact the growth of black hair and turn it grey. It did this via a world- first human organoid platform derived from


Shiseido picks up poster prize The third of the major prizes at the 35th IFSCC Congress, the Johann Wiechers Poster Award, went to Shiseido for ‘Dynamics of Facial Shape: Unraveling the Non-Genetic Factors and Developing Face-Shaping Skincare Ingredients through Gravity-Responsive 3D Facial Imaging’. The Japanese beauty brand identified


two key non-genetic components affecting facial shape using gravity-responsive three- dimensional (3D) imaging analysis: sagging associated with ageing, and edema related to lifestyle factors. Furthermore, it discovered that the


inflammatory cytokine VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A) plays a central role in edema through a feedback loop. Shiseido identified 1-(hydroxyethyl)ethyleneurea as an active ingredient that interrupts this loop. The company said these findings highlight


a novel approach in face-shaping skin care, offering scientifically validated efficacy based on underlying biological mechanisms.


New kids on the block Also in the poster presentations, biotech startup Kokuma showcased its Tonasulike-D depigmenting active ingredient. The Belgian company claims the ingredient is more potent than existing actives while safely and visibly reducing hyperpigmentation and brightening


Eisuke Takai, Shiseido November 2025 PERSONAL CARE


Sabrina Leoty-Okombi, BASF


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