Market Watch:
Scientists from Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. presented the results of a breakthrough study at the 25th International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists Congress (IFSCC) in Barcelona revealing a correlation between levels of a newly identified age-related enzyme, arNOX, and a person’s appearance. The study, conducted at Stanford University, demonstrated that women with higher activity levels of arNOX appeared an average of seven years older than their chronological age, while women with decreased activity levels of the enzyme appeared to be seven years younger than their actual age, on average.
“Demonstrating arNOX as a source of certain visible signs of aging validates our strategic focus of attacking the sources of aging,” said Joe Chang, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Nu Skin. “Merely repairing damage to the skin from environmental and mechanical stresses is no longer sufficient for savvy consumers.”
“The ground-breaking conclusions in this research, combined with trends of an aging demographic, lead us to believe that there is sizable market potential for a product that inhibits arNOX activity, and thus slows the appearance of certain signs of aging,” said Ashok Pahwa, chief marketing officer at Nu Skin.
“Additionally, the lines between personal care and nutrition are blurring,” continued Pahwa. “Savvy consumers are increasingly aware of the link between nutrition and beauty, and industry analysts report that products to postpone aging will perhaps witness the strongest demand in upcoming years.”
Nu Skin currently holds patents and exclusive patent rights to arNOX inhibitors and plans to commercialize the scientific advances under its new product platform branded as ageLOC. The first topical ageLOC application will be launched later this month. Because the arNOX enzyme is present throughout the body, not just in the epidermis, the company is also conducting additional studies to better understand the broader applications of ageLOC technology in nutritional supplementation.
Logo from Nu Skin.