In the past year, recombinant collagen has become the undisputed “new top ingredient” in the cosmetics industry.
For example, in September of last year, a private equity fund under LVMH led the investment in a domestic recombinant collagen company. In December of the same year, L’Oréal Paris introduced recombinant collagen for the first time in its new products. Recently, domestic beauty leader Proya quietly entered this field as well.
According to Frost & Sullivan’s forecast, by 2025, the market share of recombinant collagen will surpass hyaluronic acid and become the largest raw material ingredient in skincare products. This means that recombinant collagen will rise to become a hot ingredient in China. However, there are still certain doubts about the application of recombinant collagen, particularly in terms of transdermal absorption.
How to address market skepticism? On January 25th, Giant Biogene held the “Scientific Validation of Recombinant Collagen” research report and Collgene brand new product launch event, aiming to provide evidence of the efficacy of recombinant collagen and address doubts about its application. This also signifies the beginning of a new scientific competition in the field of recombinant collagen.
Recombinant Collagen: Leader in Empirical Science
Collagen is also known as the “scaffold of life.” In the early days, collagen was mainly extracted from animals such as fish, pigs, and cows, which had potential drawbacks such as “disease infection risks” and “rejection reactions.”
Over 20 years ago, Professor Fan Daidi, the Chief Scientist of Giant Biogene, realized that the production of collagen was a scientifically challenging and socially valuable problem. Therefore, the team made “collagen-like biomaterials” their key research direction. Over the past two decades, Giant Biogene has gone from nothing to something, from weak to strong. With its cutting-edge technology, the company went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 2022, becoming the first listed company in the field of recombinant collagen in China.
After years of sharpening and accumulation, Giant Biogene has recently experienced its “highlight moment.” Today, Giant Biogene has established a leading technological advantage in recombinant collagen with the “most variety,” “longest length,” and “shortest length.” The Giant Biogene molecular library not only has over 40 types of recombinant collagen reserves but is also the only domestic company capable of producing full-length single-chain recombinant collagen. They also have the smallest recombinant collagen peptide segment in the industry, which has been clinically proven to have excellent transdermal absorption capabilities. Additionally, as of the end of 2022, Giant Biogene has an existing production capacity of 10.88 tons and a planned capacity of 212.5 tons, giving them a leading advantage in the industrialized mass production of recombinant collagen raw materials.
As an emerging industry, the rapid expansion of recombinant collagen inevitably leads to a lack of standards and regulations. As the saying goes, “First-rate companies set standards.” In the past two years, Giant Biogene has been one of the drafting units and has actively participated in the formulation of the industry standards YY/T1849-2022 “Recombinant Collagen” and “Technical Requirements for Collagen Raw Materials in Cosmetics.” Among them, YY/T1849-2022 “Recombinant Collagen” is one of the highest-level and most comprehensive industry standards. This standard has been officially implemented since August 1, 2022.
Furthermore, in the past two years, there have been misconceptions in the market, such as “collagen cannot be absorbed through the skin,” which has to some extent hindered industry development. In September 2023, Giant Biogene took the lead in formulating two group standards: “Determination Method for Transdermal Absorption of Recombinant Collagen” and “Determination Method for Promoting Human Cell Collagen Secretion by Recombinant Collagen.” The former solves the issue of whether recombinant collagen can penetrate the surface of the skin, while the latter addresses whether it remains effective after penetration. These are the first clear testing methods and authoritative evaluation measures for recombinant collagen in China.
“Establishing standards is one aspect, but for the recombinant collagen industry, it is also necessary to verify product efficacy through practical applications and enable consumers to intuitively perceive the product’s effects through cutting-edge technologies,” said a spokesperson from Giant Biogene.
CHAILEEDO has noticed that brands that focus on recombinant collagen have utilized technologies such as molecular imaging to visualize and quantify the efficacy and effects of recombinant collagen raw materials, presenting them directly to consumers. Additionally, some recombinant collagen companies have partnered with universities to establish AI computational biology laboratories and have developed visualized new recombinant collagen products.
Giant Biogene is also dedicated to the scientific validation of recombinant collagen. During this press conference, Giant Biogene presented research evidence on the transdermal absorption of C5HA recombinant collagen and its role in promoting skin collagen.
“The questions of whether recombinant collagen can be absorbed through the skin and whether it can genuinely promote the production of skin collagen have always been the focus of the market and the general public. Giant Biogene, as a pioneering industry leader, actively engages in scientific research to promote the industry’s orderly development through empirical studies,” stated Giant Biogene to CHAILEEDO.
Clearly, scientific validation is becoming a new focal point for competition in the field of recombinant collagen. Companies like Giant Biogene are leading the way and initiating a new round of competition.
Moving towards a New Era of “Visible Efficacy”
For recombinant collagen, its ability to truly penetrate the skin and promote collagen production determines its breadth and width of application in end-use.
According to Professor Duan Zhiguang, from the Biomedical Research Institute of Northwest University and Chief Technology Officer of Giant Biogene, to verify the transdermal absorption ability of recombinant collagen, Giant Biogene used C5HA recombinant collagen biomimetic composite materials as test samples and conducted a series of authoritative tests through 3D full-thickness skin model transdermal absorption experiments.
According to the test results, C5HA recombinant collagen biomimetic composite materials can be absorbed through the stratum corneum of the skin and exert their effects. The stratum corneum is the main pathway for cosmetic transdermal absorption.
In the verification of collagen production ability, Giant Biogene used two-photon microscopy, also known as “21st-century life science.” Under normal living conditions, this technology enables the observation of cellular and molecular activities within living organisms.
In 2023, China’s independently developed two-photon microscopy technology successfully entered the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft, marking the first time in the world that a two-photon microscope was used to obtain three-dimensional images of astronauts’ skin epidermis and shallow dermis during spaceflight. The imaging results showed clear and distinguishable three-dimensional structures of the astronauts’ skin, including the stratum corneum, granular layer, spinous layer, basal cell layer, and shallow dermis.
The successful testing of two-photon microscopy in the Chinese space station is a result of technological advancement, and this cutting-edge technology is also emerging in the field of cosmetics, providing a powerful tool for evaluating the efficacy of cosmetics.
Traditional evaluation methods for the safety and efficacy performance of cosmetics require a significant amount of time, cost, and samples, and it is difficult to obtain deep-level information. The industry urgently needs more accurate and efficient methods to assess product safety and efficacy. As a nonlinear optical microscopy technique, two-photon microscopy can not only perform three-dimensional imaging of skin tissue but also observe the effects of cosmetics on skin structure and function.
In 2023, Giant Biogene took the lead by using laser scanning confocal microscopy and a new technology called SuperVision-780, a skin two-photon microscopy system, to demonstrate the skin testing results of C5HA recombinant collagen biomimetic composite materials through a two-photon 3D dynamic model. This imaging system allows for the visualization and scientific confirmation of the collagen-promoting ability of the tested materials at different depths of the skin tissue and during dynamic processes.
The multidimensional and authoritative efficacy conclusions from the above-mentioned tests undoubtedly provide strong evidence for the scientific efficacy of Giant Biogene’s C5HA recombinant collagen biomimetic composite materials, and they also provide important support for the wider application of this material.
It is worth mentioning that the press conference also invited Professor Yang Rongya, Vice President of the Chinese Association of Plastic and Aesthetic Medicine, and Li Qiong, Vice President of the Shanghai Daily Chemical Industry Association and Beauty Practice Consultant, to discuss the advantages and applications of recombinant collagen as a new material in clinical treatment, helping consumers gain a clearer understanding of how to choose products related to recombinant collagen.
Professor Yang Rongya pointed out that as an emerging biomedical material, recombinant collagen has been applied in various trauma repair treatments. It not only accelerates the wound healing process but also reduces adverse reactions during the repair process, making it a good assistant for dermatologists. At the same time, there are currently many products related to collagen, and dermatologists should carry out scientific popularization to help consumers with skincare based on scientific knowledge.
Li Qiong affirmed Giant Biogene’s visualization experience for consumers, stating that it will further eliminate disorderly competition in the recombinant collagen industry and promote standardized development of the industry.
Furthermore, Duan Zhiguang revealed that Giant Biogene will further strengthen basic research and provide convincing data from a scientific perspective. In addition, it is expected to obtain registration certificates for two Class III medical devices this year and develop related products in the field of serious medical treatment. Moreover, Giant Biogene will continue to promote scientific and standardization work, and contribute to the establishment of more standards.
It is evident that Giant Biogene, through empirical science, has achieved the visualization and quantification of product efficacy, promoting the industry’s transition to a new stage of “visible efficacy.” In the long run, this not only leads the industry towards standardized development but also allows the market and consumers to experience more trustworthy and reliable products.
Evidence-based Anti-Aging: Collgene Introduces New Star Product
As we all know, raw materials are the “core” of cosmetics, serving as the foundation and key to improving product quality and efficacy. After verifying the significant effects of C5HA recombinant collagen biomimetic composite materials in terms of transdermal absorption and collagen production, Giant Biogene has incorporated this ingredient into one of its main brands, Collgene.
As a mid- to high-end skincare brand under Giant Biogene, Collgene has been dedicated to research on anti-aging skincare, combining technology with safety in the functional skincare market. Over the years, it has provided consumers with a series of scientifically effective skincare products.
Data shows that as of the end of 2022, Collgene has 60 SKUs, covering various categories such as masks, mists, lotions, creams, and serums. It consists of seven major series, including empowerment, skin health, and protection, and includes star products with both popularity and sales. For example, during last year’s Double 11 shopping festival, Collgene sold over 4.6 million units online through various channels, including over 5.5 million units of Collgene Collagen Sheet Mask and Collgene Bowling Cream ranking 4th on the Douyin (TikTok) popularity list for protein creams.
At the product launch event, Collgene unveiled its latest star product, the Collgene Collagen Eye Cream. This product focuses on addressing aging issues around the eyes and utilizes the advanced “432” formula, which includes quadruple collagen, triple peptides, and dual retinol. The core active ingredient of this product is the C5HA recombinant collagen biomimetic composite material, which targets and improves four major eye concerns—sagging, fine lines, dullness, and dryness—through regional, mechanistic, and multi-targeted approaches, ushering in a new era of evidence-based anti-aging with collagen.
Wang Xiaojun, the Director of Product Development at Giant Biogene, stated, “This new product is developed based on an inside-out research approach, considering deep layers of the skin and focusing on specific characteristic cells to address aging issues around the eyes.”
It is understood that Collgene Collagen Eye Cream is suitable for mature skin affected by various factors such as aging, late nights, and stress, presenting concerns such as fine lines, sagging, and dullness around the eyes. Third-party testing data showed that after 14 and 28 days of continuous use by 33 participants aged 30-60 with different skin types, Collgene Collagen Eye Cream improved skin firmness by 39.86%, skin smoothness by 69.88%, skin hydration by 50.47%, reduced upper eyelid puffiness by 20.91%, decreased under-eye melanin by 19.94%, reduced crow’s feet area by 11.88%, reduced under-eye wrinkles area by 11.17%, and reduced forehead wrinkles area by 11.13%.
Notably, during the product launch event, Giant Biogene invited the audience to compare the results of VISIA skin analysis before and after using the new product. VISIA is a skin analysis device from the United States that uses white light, UV light, and polarized light to scan the surface of the skin and provide quantitative analysis based on its database, revealing potential issues in both surface and deep layers of the skin.
According to the comparative data from VISIA, the number of fine lines around the eyes decreased from 262 to 157 after participants used Collgene Collagen Eye Cream, and the range of fine lines visibly diminished.
Through the real data and effects observed in participants after using the product, Collgene demonstrates its ability to transform product efficacy into visible and remarkable results on users’ faces. This further strengthens Collgene’s commitment to the concept of researching and utilizing recombinant collagen for anti-aging and ensuring that each product delivers tangible benefits, providing consumers with better products and experiences.
The strong keep getting stronger. Giant Biogene once again takes the lead, leading the recombinant collagen industry into a new phase of “visible efficacy” through evidence-based scientific methods. In the future, Giant Biogene will continue to focus on core ingredients and lead the way for Chinese skincare in the new era.
