Q&A: the making of SkinCeuticals’ Cell Cycle Catalyst

SkinCeuticals officially launched its latest product Cell Cycle Catalyst at the Non-Surgical Symposium (NSS) 2024.

Maggie Su, Director of SkinCeuticals Research & Innovation, together with US board-certified dermatologist Dr Ted Lain, hosted a workshop on this ground-breaking new cell cycle amplifier to local doctors at the NSS. In this interview with Aesthetic Medical Practitioner, Maggie discusses the making of Cell Cycle Catalyst and why it is set to become another SkinCeuticals cult product.

Q&A with Maggie Su, Director of SkinCeuticals Research & Innovation

SkinCeuticals has been behind some of the most pivotal skincare discoveries in recent history. Why is ongoing research so important?

Good science takes time! The research we do today are the future products in 5 or even 10 years. We have many upstream scientists that explore the latest technologies coming from the biotech world and other industries. We work with them closely to ensure that SkinCeuticals is getting the latest and greatest technologies with proven efficacy.

What is the testing and ongoing evaluation process behind every SkinCeuticals product? Why is it important to test the final product formulation, rather than selective ingredients?

SkinCeuticals products go through extensive clinical testing to ensure we have an efficacious formula. Depending on the type of formula, we may recruit different people (anti-ageing, discolouration, sensitive skin, etc), but more often than not our tests are done on a variety of skin tones to ensure that our product is appropriate for all Fitzpatricks.

Prior to clinical testing, we often utilise in vitro testing to help guide us in the active selection. It can also help show the potential for the actives to complement each other or to provide a synergistic benefit. However, a product is more than just about the actives alone. The base ensures that these ingredients are delivered for maximum efficacy.

Can you talk us through the process and formulation behind Cell Cycle Catalyst?  

Every product starts with an idea or a need gap. In the case of the Cell Cycle Catalyst, there was a clear gap in what was available to our physicians to help prep their patients’ skin prior to a procedure to ensure that the skin was in the best condition before going into the office. Some of the solutions today, such as retinoids, were too harsh.

Then we looked into potential actives that could address this need gap – we needed something that would exfoliate the skin but also ensure that the skin cells were as healthy as possible.  SkinCeuticals looks for efficacious ingredients as well as ingredients with interesting mechanism of actions.

To develop a product is a very fluid process and we have to adapt based on the results of our testing. Some steps in the process include several iterations before we have a final formula. This includes looking at the physical stability of formula, chemical stability of our actives and process optimisation. We also look at compliancy in countries, microbiology and safety clearance, as well as package compatibility to ensure that the formula is compatible with the final packaging. We also did additional testing to ensure that it would be layerable.

Once we had a final formula, we went through extensive clinical testing. Because of the uniqueness of this product, we performed 3 separate clinical studies – the product alone, with an anti-aging regimen, as well as pre-procedure.

Not only is this formula versatile, safe and efficacious, it’s also 100% biodegradable!

Does Cell Cycle Catalyst represent the next evolution in skincare innovation? 

Yes! There are not many products out there that clinically prove they can boost the anti-ageing benefits of any anti-ageing regimen. This formula not only gets rid of dead skin cells through exfoliation, but it actually boosts cellular energy, optimising the function of the cell. The taurine in this formula is an amazing new ingredient that does just this by stimulating NAD+. I think we are going to start seeing a lot more of a focus on cellular energy and maintaining healthy cells in the coming years.

How does SkinCeuticals work alongside clinics and practitioners?

SkinCeuticals really values the expertise and needs of the clinics and practitioners. The goal is to partner with our clinics to enhance their patients’ outcomes, whether that means amplifying the results of the procedure, soothing the skin to reduce downtime, or prepping the skin to ensure it’s in the best state possible to receive the procedure.