For Expanscience, beauty and well-being must be considered in their entirety. This vision aligns perfectly with growing market expectations for solutions combining efficiency, emotional well-being and environmental responsibility. It is in this spirit that the company’s Cosmetic Actives activity has developed Épionine® Bio, an innovative active ingredient extracted from camellia with tea oil (Camellia oleifera), a very common shrub in China and much appreciated for the oil extracted from its seeds.
Well-being of body and mind
Épionine® Bio stands out for its holistic approach centered on the skin-brain link with the aim of breaking the vicious circle of skin and emotional imbalances. This ingredient specifically targets skin discomfort, including dryness, irritation, redness, and tingling. So many symptoms that impact not only the appearance of the skin, but also emotional well-being.
The innovation of Laboratoires Expanscience consisted of targeting, on the one hand, the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis responsible for the secretion of cortisol, and, on the other hand, the SNS (sympathetic nervous system) axis. Scientific studies have shown that cortisol, in excess, impairs the barrier function of the skin, worsening dryness and irritation, while the sympathetic nervous system amplifies the body’s response to stress by releasing catecholamines and neuropeptides, worsening skin symptoms. Épionine® Bio helps regulate these mechanisms, thus helping to soothe the skin and associated emotions.
Holistic clinical tests
The major innovation, however, lies in the tests deployed to measure the effectiveness of the asset. Indeed, in addition to the tests in vitro et ex vivowhich highlighted the ability of Épionine® Bio to inhibit cortisol, its anti-inflammatory action and its benefits in terms of strengthening the skin barrier, Laboratoires Expanscience used an innovative body of holistic clinical evaluations.
Carried out in collaboration with a team specializing in neuro-psychology, these studies looked not only at the physical effects of the ingredient, but also at its psychological impact.
The mirror test, first of all, confronted the participants with their own reflection, inviting them to express their feelings. The double-blind randomized study highlighted notable differences in emotional comments between the group of people who tested Épionine® Bio and the placebo group. The application of Épionine® Bio is associated with significantly improved emotional feelings. These results were corroborated by objective measures, such as vocal stress analysis and cardiac coherence, both reliable indicators of stress levels.
Measuring the electrodermal response made it possible to assess stress-induced sweating. Here again, Epionine® Bio has shown its effectiveness in reducing skin overreactions to aggression, thus helping to break the negative cycle between stress and skin discomfort.
Scrapbooking and self-assessment questionnaire
In another part of the evaluations, an emotional scrapbooking test was carried out. The participants had to choose, instinctively and quickly, standardized images, reflecting their state of mind at different moments of the study. This approach made it possible to non-verbally quantify self-esteem when using Epionine® Bio.
The results were corroborated by self-assessment questionnaires, where participants reported significant improvements in key aspects such as quality of life, self-confidence and overall emotional state.
Holistic beauty and self-acceptance
This holistic approach to beauty and well-being, which places emotions at the heart of the evaluation, in the same way as purely physical parameters, is at the heart of the innovation approach for this cosmetic active ingredient from Expanscience. It is also linked to an important notion: that of the acceptance of aging and the search for “well-being with age”. The goal is not to remove every wrinkle, but to cultivate a healthy appearance, in line with real psychological well-being.
This was already the approach adopted during the launch of Calybiota® Bio, an active ingredient for skin care, intimate hygiene and sexual comfort, also effective against body odor. It is also the ambition of Gaïaline®, an active ingredient focused on protecting the skin barrier which, beyond its eco-design, is integrated into soil regeneration agricultural practices. Because beyond individuals, Expanscience is convinced that the well-being of individuals is inseparable from that of the planet.
« With this offer, our ambition is to help individuals feel good about themselves, be healthy and radiate well-being “, explain Armelle Le Peniec, Director of Cosmetic Actives, within Laboratoires Expanscience.
