Carmell Cosmetics Pioneers PRP Bio-Aesthetic Solution for Regenerative Repair

As regenerative medicine increasingly integrates into skin care, Carmell Cosmetics has innovated a bio-aesthetic skin care range—the Carmell Secretome—that utilizes existing biological pathways to replenish the natural building blocks of the skin by harnessing human proteins, peptides and bio-lipids extracted from platelet enriched plasma (PRP), rather than relying on synthetic proteins to support the skin’s natural healing function.

The biotechnology innovation was developed at Carnegie Mellon University, where researchers spent seven years and more than $60 million to conjure a product that’s “built by biology,” according to a Nov. 20 announcement. 

Out with Synthetic Proteins, in with PRPCourtesy of Carmell Cosmetics

The Carmell skin care uses PRP derived from blood, sourced from blood banks, where each unit of plasma is rigorously screened for any contamination before use, CEO Kendra Bracken-Ferguson says. The Carmell Secretome contains 1,000 growth factors, proteins, peptides, biolipids, vitamins and minerals to stimulate the skin’s natural healing process and enhance repair. 

“Until recently, the most common topical products relied on synthetic proteins such as oligopeptides, tripeptides or hexapeptides,” Bracken-Ferguson says. “These synthetic proteins are made in a chemistry lab and are marketed as bio-identical but are not found in medical or nutrition regimens outside of cosmetics.”

Bracken-Ferguson says synthetic proteins do not contain the correct amino acids, nor the right protein structure, so the skin doesn’t process them the same way it would with natural substances, such as PRP derived from blood. She says PRP contains growth factors that stimulate the skin's natural repair and regeneration, working with the body’s own healing processes.

Carmell’s Secretome addresses the “trifecta of trouble,” Bracken-Ferguson says, including skin texture, pigmentation and inflammation, to enable a prejuvenation and rejuvenation solution that combats visible and invisible skin conditions, including aging-related issues that typically appear over time.

“While both prejuvenation and rejuvenation treatments can address the same skin concerns, prejuvenation prevents and rejuvenation treats,” says Bracken-Ferguson. 

Product Preservation Without the Foul 14

Carmell products avoid 14 chemicals that are commonly used in mass market skin care, the CEO says, including sulfates, petrolatum and parabens to eliminate ingredients that the brand claims are foreign to human biology and used commonly as “budget-friendly” tools to extend shelf life or achieve the desired texture or pH of a formulation.

“The Carmell scientific team invented a new type of formulation—the ‘micellar micro-emulsion’—that … enables the formulation of products without the foul 14,” Bracken-Ferguson says. 

She says the micellar micro-emulsion formulation eliminates harmful chemicals while extending shelf life and preservation for a minimum of 12 months by encapsulating both water-soluble and oil-soluble ingredients—allowing them to mix and remain stable together.

The Secretome in Post-Op Recovery

Plastic surgeon Adam Rubinstein, MD, says he began implementing the use of Carmell Secretome in office treatments, specifically the recovery process post-op, after noticing the visible difference in his and his staff’s skin. 

“This level of innovation sets a new benchmark for what we can accomplish in skin and tissue rejuvenation,” Rubinstein says. 

Secretome’s harnessing of the body's natural repair mechanisms has shown effectiveness in rapid recovery and reducing redness to enhance natural-looking results, he says, and supports a quick return to the patient’s natural appearance. 

“Bio-aesthetic skin care is changing the landscape of skin care by not using chemicals that are foreign to our biology and may potentially cause inflammation,” Bracken-Ferguson concludes.