Brazilian cosmetics giant Grupo Boticário has developed an engineered type of skin to transform the way cosmetics are tested and pave the way for advancements in regenerative medicine.
Described as a world-first, the project revealed exclusively to FORBES entails a type of skin developed using bioprinting technology – a method whereby cells are mixed with bioinks and biomaterials, then 3D printed to create living tissue models.
The new 3D skin includes hair follicles, which were hard to replicate with previous methods in tissue engineering. This results in more complex and realistic models.
From a product testing perspective, the project enables more detailed experiments of how substances penetrate the skin through the hair follicle, a critical element of the bioprinted model. The method also enhances the accuracy of laboratory studies by generating data that closely mimics real-life conditions.
In addition, 3D skin models can support the recreation of elaborate models of human tissues and organs and reduce the cost of laboratory supplies. For example, they can also be used as grafts for burn skin, in an application beyond the beauty industry.
The discovery and the research led by the firm’s scientist Carolina Motter and published in the Science Advances journal is “an immense contribution to the scientific community,” says Desirée Schuck, Grupo Boticário’s senior manager for product performance.
The project is an advancement of a 3D skin model the company launched in 2015. In addition to enhancements in safety around cosmetics testing, Grupo Boticário has positioned the developments as a means to enable alternatives to animal testing – which the company ceased to perform over two decades ago.
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