Stem cells in skin care.... What does it really mean?
Stem cells have become increasingly common in the skin care world. But what does this really mean? Skin care specialists are not using embryonic stem cells; as it is impossible to incorporate live cells into a skin care product. Instead, companies are creating products with specialized peptides, enzymes and/or plant stem cells which, when applied topically, help protect the human skin stem cells from damage and deterioration, while stimulating the skin''s own stem cells.
The skin''s own stem cells lie dormant until they "receive" signals from the body to begin the repair mode. In skin care, the use of topical products, such as Diva Deva Apple Plant Stem Cell Serum, stimulates the stem cell to split into two types of cells: a new, similar stem cell and a "daughter" cell, which is able to create almost every kind of new cell in a specialized system. This means that the stem cell can receive the message to create proteins, carbohydrates and lipids to help repair fine lines and wrinkles, while restoring and maintaining firmness and elasticity.*
With age, skin cell renewal is slower and causes skin to get thinner, by stimulating the skins immune defense and maintaining a healthy skin essential nutrients and water will be retained giving the complexion a more youthful appearance.
A Swiss Apple Variety with Incredible Properties Uttwiler Spatlauber is a variety of a Swiss apple that derives from a seedling planted in the middle of the 18th century. It was very famous for its excellent storability without shriveling. Today apple cultivars are selected to maximize crop yield and sweet flavor. Thus Uttwiler Spatlauber with its acid taste is now disappearing.
Uttwiler Spatlauber apples are rich in phytonutrients, proteins and long-living cells. This particular composition leads to incredible storability and longevity properties.
Stem Cells and Longevity
Longevity is related to specific cells called stem cells which have a unique growth characteristic. These unspecialized (undifferentiated) cells can make identical copies of themselves as well as differentiate to become specialized cells. Two basic types of stem cells are present in the human body:
These cells act as a repair system for the body but also main-tain the normal turnover of regenerative organs such as blood, skin or intestinal tissues.
Research on Stem Cells and Applications
Currently in medicine, adult stem cells are already used particularly in transplant medicine to treat leukemia and severe burns.
In the cosmetic field, scientists are focusing their research on adult stem cells located in the skin. They are studying the potential of this type of cells, their functioning and aging. These researches will help to understand how to protect skin stem cells.
Stem Cells in the Human Skin
In the human skin, two types of adult stem cells have been identified:
Epidermal stem cells replenish and maintain the balance of cells within the skin tissue and regenerate tissue damages during injury. But with age, the number of skin stem cells decreases and their ability to repair the skin becomes less efficient.
Epidermal Stem Cells in the Human Skin
Plant Stem Cells to Protect Skin Stem Cells
In contrast to human, plant cells are totipotent, meaning that every cell has the ability to regenerate new organs (leave, flower, seed...) or even the whole plant. Besides, all plant cells can dedifferentiate and become a stem cell.
All stem cells, independently of their origin (plant, animal or human) contain specific epigenetic factors whose function is to maintain the self-renewal capacity of stem cells.
