48 PEPTIDES


consistent with volunteer perception data, with 92% of participants reporting fewer visible fine lines and 88% perceived a smoother eye contour after treatment. Collectively, the ex vivo and clinical findings


suggest that optimizing EGF delivery through encapsulation may improve the functional performance of this biomolecule within viable skin compartments, supporting extracellular matrix organization, elastic fibre integrity and visible skin mechanical functionality during chronoageing.


Conclusion Chronoageing is associated with a progressive deterioration of extracellular matrix organization, fibroblast functionality and dermal mechanical performance. Unlike photoageing, which is mainly driven by cumulative environmental damage, chronoageing reflects the gradual decline of the intrinsic biological processes responsible for maintaining tissue organization, structural coherence and skin functionality over time. Skin resilience has emerged as an increasingly


relevant concept in cosmetic science, referring to the skin’s ability to preserve structural integrity, maintain functional balance and recover from cumulative biological and mechanical stress throughout ageing. Preserving this adaptive capacity depends


largely on the continuous remodelling and organization of the extracellular matrix together with efficient communication between dermal cells and their surrounding tissue environment. EGF plays an important role within these


processes due to its involvement in fibroblast activity, extracellular matrix organization and tissue remodelling pathways. However, despite its biological relevance, the effective topical use of EGF remains significantly limited by its physicochemical instability, susceptibility to degradation and low functional skin bioavailability under conventional formulation conditions. These limitations reinforce the growing


importance of advanced delivery technologies capable of improving the functional performance of peptide-based biomolecules in topical applications. The results presented in this study suggest that


improving EGF delivery through encapsulation may contribute to preserving extracellular matrix organization and elastic fibre integrity under chronoageing-associated conditions. Compared with non-encapsulated EGF, the


encapsulated delivery system demonstrated improved biological performance both ex vivo and clinically, supporting the importance of delivery strategies for optimizing the functional activity of signalling molecules within viable skin compartments. These structural effects were further


associated with visible improvements in skin smoothness, wrinkle appearance and overall skin quality under clinical conditions, suggesting that supporting dermal organization and biomechanical functionality may translate into perceivable cosmetic benefits over time. Rather than focusing exclusively on isolated anti-ageing endpoints, approaches aimed at


PERSONAL CARE MAGAZINE July 2026 1 2 3


Figure 5: Representative (1) PRIMOS CR and (2, 3) VISIA images of the periocular area at baseline (D0) and after treatment (D56) with the encapsulated EGF delivery system


preserving extracellular matrix functionality, elastic fibre organization and tissue mechanical resilience may help support the skin’s long-term ability to maintain structural performance during chronoageing. This way, combining biologically relevant signalling molecules with advanced delivery systems represents a promising strategy for improving the functional efficacy of peptide- based actives and supporting skin resilience through cosmetic formulation.


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PCM


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