I’m a Cosmetic Chemist—These are the Anti

I recently got to test one of the Good Housekeeping Beauty and Personal Care Lab’s favorite categories: anti-aging serums. But before I assigned samples or took any “before” photos of my testers, I had to get an idea of what was on the market. I asked our Senior Beauty and Style Director April Franzino to send a call-out to her industry contacts for serums with wrinkle reducing and/or skin firming claims that launched within the last three years. We received a whopping 368 serum submissions,ranging from indie to legacy brands and budget picks to luxury formulas.As I sorted through the anti-aging serums, these are the trending ingredients that stood out, ranked from least to most common among the submissions. I also share whether I think the evidence behind each one lives up to the hype.

5. PDRN

If the term “PDRN” doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps hearing “salmon sperm facial” can jog your memory. PDRN stands for “polydeoxyribonucleotide.” It’s derived from DNA and commonly sourced from salmon sperm, though brands are claiming to offer vegan equivalents. It’s claimed that PDRN promotes skin regeneration, making it appear younger. PDRN’s best and most-evidence based effects come when it’s injected into skin. The injectable treatment is popular in South Korea. However, PDRN isn’t approved for injection in the U.S., though it can be microneedled into skin.

Skincare brands are claiming to harness the ingredient’s benefits for topical use, with 14 anti-aging serums in our submissions claiming to contain PDRN.The bad news is thatPDRN applied topically likely can’t have the same effects it does when it’s injected into skin. In fact, Dermatology Times notes that PDRN fragments are often too big to pass through the skin barrier.

The verdict:

Research into the benefits of topically-applied and vegan PDRN is ongoing, but as of right now, it’s not a skincare ingredient I put stock in.

4. Exosomes

Exosomes are like little pouches created by cells to send essential compounds like proteins and fats to other cells. Exosomes created by human stem cells are currently being researched in the world of medicine as a potential therapy for a variety of diseases. As is often the case, emerging medical research has crossed over into the world of cosmetic anti-aging products.

Exosomes are being touted as a cutting-edge anti-aging ingredient in 26 of our serum submissions. The idea behind exosomes in topical skincare products is that their structure allows them to deliver signals to skin cells to help them behave like younger cells. Some skincare products contain exosomes derived from humanw. Not surprisingly, many brands have opted instead to use exosomes derived from plants

There have been many in-vitro studies on the benefits of exosomes for skin cells in a petri dish, but comparatively very few clinical studies showing anti-aging results in real people, and fewer still clinical studies of plant-derived exosomes.

The verdict:

The studies that have been done show some promise, and I’m personally interested in the benefits of human-derived exosomes. But given the wide range of exosomect just because it has the word “exosome” on it

3. Bakuchiol

Bakuchiol is a compound found in multiple plants, most notably its namesake Psoralea corylifolia, known as bakuchi in Sanskrit. It has been marketed as a retinol alternative or a “natural retinol” ever since a 2019 study showed that a twice-daily bakuchiol treatment was comparable to a once-daily retinol treatment in decreasing wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, while the bakuchiol treatment caused less irritation than the retinol.

About 40 serums touting bakuchiol applied to be part of our anti-aging serum test, many of them appealing to nature by promoting the ingredient as “plant-based” and promising the benefits of retinol without the flaking. While there is some evidence of bakuchiol’s benefits for skin, it as not as well-studied as the retinoid pathway that retinol and retinal take within the skin to deliver anti-aging effects.

The verdict:

For my part, I’ll choose the original over the alternative. But if you avoid retinoids due to sensitive skin, bakuchiol can still offer some benefits.

2. Retinoids

You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: retinoids are the some of the best and most studied anti-aging ingredients out there. They’re a safe bet if you’re seeking to reverse the signs of aging. Retinoids, also known collectively as vitamin A, are a class of molecules that includes prescription-only ingredient tretinoin as well as the widely available ingredients retinol, retinal, and retinyl palmitate. Retinoids’ anti-aging reputation was apparent in our submissions, where we received about 50 serums containing a retinoid.

I noticed many serums touting retinal, a retinoid that acts faster but can be a bit more irritating than retinol. Even serums that didn’t contain any retinol claimed it as a point of comparison, promising to deliver the same benefits without the irritation, but I’m skeptical. Though dryness, flaking, and redness are known side effects of retinoids, these subside with regular use.

The verdict:

Overall, the anti-aging benefits of retinoids can’t be beat, and I definitely recommend trying a retinoid serum for anti-aging.

1. Peptides

Peptides, which are short chains of amino acids, are seeing a huge surge in interest mostly because of the recent boom of injectable peptides, which include both FDA-approved drugs like semaglutide and a slew of unregulated peptides with little evidence behind them. But peptides for topical use are not new in the world of skincare. In fact, they’ve been in use for decades. In our serum submissions, we saw 137 serums, which is over a third of the total products, claiming to contain a peptide.

I saw the well-known peptides Matrixyl, which signals cells to promote collagen production, and Arigireline, a neurotransmitter peptide that slightly inhibits muscle movement, in the mix. Both of these have been used in skincare since the 2000s. But what felt new was the abundance of serums claiming to include the copper-containing peptide complex called GHK-Cu, which is popular among peptide injectors. There is some evidence that it has anti-aging benefits when applied topically. Intrigued by this trend, I decided to include the Auro Copper Tripeptide serum in my test, where it performed well.

The verdict:

Using peptide skincare is a pretty low-risk way to engage with the peptide boom, so this renewed interest in a classic ingredient type is OK by me.

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