In a significant breakthrough for skincare science, Shiseido has identified a previously unknown ring-shaped collagen structure within the skin, which it has named Ring Collagen®. The discovery sheds new light on the biological mechanisms behind facial sagging and could open new directions for the development of anti-ageing skincare technologies and formulations.
The research was conducted in collaboration with scientists from the International University of Health and Welfare, Jichi Medical University, and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences. Together, the team found that Ring Collagen® forms around vellus hairs and sebaceous glands, where it generates tension that helps maintain the structural firmness and shape of the face. When this structure deteriorates, as it does with age due to declining proteoglycan levels, the skin loses the internal tension needed to resist gravitational sagging.
To visualise and analyse the forces at work within the skin, Shiseido developed a new AI-powered three-dimensional imaging technology called Digital-Skin Reality®. This tool allowed researchers to map the mechanical forces generated by Ring Collagen® structures with a level of precision not previously possible, providing a new framework for understanding how skin firmness is maintained and lost over time.
The research also identified ways to support Ring Collagen® health. Moderate physical stimulation of the skin, combined with rosehip extract and safflower extract, known in Japanese as benibana, was found to improve Ring Collagen® structure by increasing proteoglycan-related activity within the skin.
The findings were presented at the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists Congress, where the research was selected as a top ten finalist, a significant recognition within the global cosmetic science community.
For the beauty industry, the discovery is noteworthy. It offers a scientifically grounded new lens through which to understand facial ageing, and points towards a future generation of treatments and formulations targeting the structural integrity of the skin from within.
