What Does Skin Regeneration Mean and How Does It Change with Age?

Skin is constantly renewing, adapting and repairing itself.

It does so at 20, 40 and 70.

The difference is that, over time, some of the processes that help maintain its structure and function change.

So when we talk about skin regeneration, we should not simply think about “creating new skin” or magically returning it to a previous state.

Skin regeneration is much more interesting than that.

It involves cell renewal, repair, barrier function, fibroblasts, the extracellular matrix and communication between cells.

And understanding how all these processes change with age also helps us understand how our skin ages.

What does skin regeneration really mean?

In cosmetics, we use the word regenerate a lot.

Perhaps too much.

It is sometimes used to describe almost any nourishing, repairing or anti-ageing product, even though the underlying biological processes may be very different.

Broadly speaking, we can understand skin regeneration as the collection of mechanisms through which the skin maintains, renews or restores its structure and function.

That includes very different processes.

The epidermis needs to renew itself.

The skin barrier needs to remain functional.

The dermis needs to maintain and remodel its extracellular matrix.

And the cells involved in all these processes need to respond appropriately to their environment and communicate with one another.

That is why regeneration is not a single biological process.

Renewal, repair and regeneration are not exactly the same

The three concepts are related, but it is useful to distinguish between them.

Cell renewal describes the physiological replacement of certain cells.

Repair refers to the mechanisms activated when some form of damage or disruption occurs.

Regeneration is a broader concept related to a tissue's ability to maintain or restore its structure and function.

A simple way of looking at it is:

Renewal maintains. Repair responds to damage. Regeneration encompasses the processes that help preserve or restore tissue function.

And this brings us to an important distinction.

Regenerating the skin does not mean reversing our biological age.

A cream cannot turn 50-year-old skin into 20-year-old skin.

But we can study which processes change over time and which of them we may realistically be able to influence.

What happens in the epidermis?

The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin and is constantly renewing itself.

Cells are generated in its deeper layers and, as they mature, move towards the surface until they become part of the stratum corneum.

This process is essential for maintaining an effective skin barrier.

With ageing, different aspects of this renewal process can change. Hydration, lipid organisation and the skin's ability to respond to certain external stressors can also change.

So when we talk about regeneration, we should not look only at the dermis and forget everything that happens at the surface.

Skin that ages well also needs a barrier that works well.

What happens in the dermis?

Beneath the epidermis lies the dermis.

This is where much of the architecture responsible for properties such as the skin's strength, elasticity and firmness is found.

Here we find the extracellular matrix, a three-dimensional network made up of different structural proteins and molecules.

Among its best-known components are collagen and elastin.

But the matrix is not a static structure.

It is constantly produced, degraded and reorganised.

And cells are responsible for much of this maintenance.

Fibroblasts: a key part of dermal regeneration

Fibroblasts are cells in the dermis involved in producing and remodelling components of the extracellular matrix.

For years, the conversation around skin ageing has focused heavily on how much collagen we lose.

But behind collagen are fibroblasts.

And they change with age too.

Their activity, morphology, proliferative capacity and the way they respond to their environment can all change.

Moreover, the relationship between fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix works in both directions.

Fibroblasts modify the matrix, but the matrix itself also provides mechanical and biological signals to fibroblasts.

This means that ageing of the dermis cannot be explained simply as a loss of structural materials.

The cellular system responsible for maintaining those materials changes too.

→ If you would like to explore how all this affects skin structure, read Skin firmness: what really determines firmness and why we lose it with age.

How does skin regeneration change with age?

There is no switch that suddenly turns off at a particular age.

The skin continues to renew and repair itself throughout life.

But different processes can become less efficient or function differently.

With ageing, changes can occur in:

• epidermal renewal;
• the organisation and function of the skin barrier;
• the synthesis and remodelling of the extracellular matrix;
• fibroblast behaviour;
• the response to oxidative stress;
• communication between cells.

That is why mature skin is not simply skin with “less collagen”.

It is a tissue in which different biological systems have been changing simultaneously.

The skin continues to renew and repair itself. What changes is the efficiency with which some of these processes maintain its structure and function.

What role does cellular senescence play?

One of these changes is cellular senescence.

A senescent cell stops dividing but remains metabolically active.

It can also change its behaviour and the way it communicates with the cells and structures around it.

This becomes particularly interesting when we talk about fibroblasts.

If some of the cells responsible for maintaining the extracellular matrix change the way they function, the tissue's ability to maintain its architecture may also change.

Senescence does not explain ageing on its own.

But it is one of the pieces that helps us understand it.

→ Read more in Cellular senescence in skin: what it is and how it relates to ageing.

The sun also changes the skin's ability to respond

Chronological age is only part of the story.

Cumulative exposure to UV radiation contributes to photoageing and can promote oxidative stress, cellular damage and degradation of components of the extracellular matrix.

In other words, it affects both the skin's structure and the cells responsible for maintaining it.

That is why any serious conversation about regeneration and ageing also has to include photoprotection.

We can talk about biotechnology, peptides and exosomes.

But if we ignore UV radiation, we are leaving out one of the most important pieces of the puzzle.

So, can a cosmetic really regenerate the skin?

It depends on what we mean by regeneration.

A cosmetic cannot completely rebuild aged tissue or return 50-year-old skin to the biological state it had at 20.

Nor should it claim to.

But we can formulate products designed to support certain processes related to protection, repair, barrier function and skin maintenance.

And we can investigate whether particular technologies influence specific mechanisms in experimental models.

Then there is a second, equally important question:

what does the finished formula actually achieve when we use it on the skin?

These are different levels of evidence.

A cellular study can help us understand a mechanism.

A study carried out on people allows us to assess what changes are actually observed after using a cosmetic product.

Confusing these two levels is one of the reasons why some cosmetic promises end up sounding considerably more spectacular than the evidence supporting them.

Can we act on processes associated with ageing fibroblasts?

This is one of the areas currently being explored by cosmetic biotechnology.

Vytrus Biotech studied Centella Reversa™, a technology developed from Centella asiatica plant cell cultures, on human dermal fibroblasts.

The research included models of replicative senescence, analysing parameters related to proliferation, morphology, stress response and regenerative capacity.

In a scratch test, Centella Reversa™ achieved 72% regenerated area after 48 hours under the experimental conditions.

Precision matters here:

this does not mean that a cream regenerates 72% of the skin in 48 hours.

It is an in vitro result obtained using fibroblasts cultured in a laboratory.

What is interesting is something else.

It allows us to investigate what happens when we act not only on the structural components of the dermis, but also on the behaviour of the cells responsible for maintaining them.

Vytrus also studied the technology on parameters related to the extracellular matrix. In one of its in vitro assays, Centella Reversa™ reached levels equivalent to 134% of the control for procollagen I and 126% for elastin.

→ You can learn more about how this technology is obtained in Centella Reversa™: what it is and how it differs from conventional Centella asiatica.

From regeneration to Cell Reversa

This way of understanding regeneration is behind the development of Cell Reversa Firming Cream.

We did not want to formulate around a generic promise of “renewal”.

We wanted to work on different processes related to how the skin changes with age.

But once again, it is important to separate the ingredient from the finished formula.

Research into Centella Reversa™ allows us to investigate cellular mechanisms.

The study carried out on Cell Reversa for 56 days in 24 participants allows us to evaluate what happens when the complete formula is used on the skin.

Among the results, mean wrinkle roughness decreased by 9%, a statistically significant result, and 96% of participants showed an improvement in this parameter.

In addition, 95.83% said their skin felt firmer, while 100% perceived an improvement in skin texture and hydration.

The finished-product study did not measure cellular regeneration.

And that distinction matters.

We therefore have two complementary levels of information:

• Centella Reversa™: in vitro research on fibroblasts and processes related to regeneration, the extracellular matrix and senescence.
• Cell Reversa: results from the finished formula used on the skin for 56 days in 24 participants.

One helps us understand mechanisms.

The other tells us what the product actually achieves.

Regeneration without compromising the skin barrier

There is another part of this conversation that is particularly important to UMOA.

An advanced formula should not need to damage the skin to prove that it works.

Intense exfoliation, irritation, stinging or peeling are not synonyms for regeneration.

In fact, an overly aggressive strategy can disrupt precisely one of the structures we need to preserve: the skin barrier.

That is why Cell Reversa follows a principle that has been part of UMOA from the beginning: pursuing efficacy without losing sight of tolerance and skin barrier function.

And this brings us to a different way of thinking about ageing.

It is not about forcing the skin to behave as though time had not passed.

Perhaps a more useful question is:

how can we help the skin better preserve its ability to respond, repair itself and maintain its balance over time?

For us, that is a much more interesting way to talk about regeneration.

→ If you would like to explore some of the technologies involved, read Peptides for skin: what they are, how they work and why they are not all the same and Exosomes in skincare: what they are and their potential benefits for skin.

Discover Cell Reversa and explore the complete formula.

Frequently asked questions about skin regeneration

What does skin regeneration mean?

Skin regeneration encompasses different processes through which the skin maintains or restores its structure and function. These include cell renewal, repair, maintenance of the skin barrier and remodelling of the extracellular matrix.

Are skin regeneration and cell renewal the same thing?

Not exactly. Cell renewal describes the physiological replacement of certain cells, while regeneration is a broader concept related to maintaining or restoring the structure and function of a tissue.

Do repair and regeneration mean the same thing?

No. Repair describes the skin's response to a specific form of damage or disruption. Regeneration is a broader concept encompassing processes related to maintaining or restoring the structure and function of the tissue.

Does skin lose its regenerative capacity with age?

The skin continues to renew and repair itself throughout life, but different processes can become less efficient or change with ageing, including epidermal renewal, fibroblast activity and remodelling of the extracellular matrix.

What role do fibroblasts play in skin regeneration?

Fibroblasts are cells in the dermis involved in producing and remodelling the extracellular matrix, which contains components such as collagen and elastin. Their behaviour is therefore important for understanding how the skin changes with age.

What is the relationship between cellular senescence and skin regeneration?

Senescence is a state in which a cell stops dividing and changes its behaviour. When it affects cells such as fibroblasts, it may influence processes related to the maintenance and remodelling of the dermis.

Does UV radiation affect skin regeneration?

Cumulative exposure to UV radiation can promote oxidative stress, cellular damage and degradation of components of the extracellular matrix. Photoprotection is therefore a fundamental part of any strategy addressing photoageing.

Does exfoliating the skin mean regenerating it?

No. Exfoliation can remove accumulated cells from the surface and temporarily improve texture, but increasing exfoliation does not mean improving regeneration of the tissue as a whole. Excessive exfoliation can also disrupt skin barrier function.

Can a cream regenerate the skin?

A cosmetic can support certain processes related to protection, repair, barrier function and skin maintenance, and some ingredients can be studied for mechanisms associated with regeneration. This does not mean that a cream can create new tissue or reverse biological age.

What is the relationship between Centella Reversa™ and regeneration?

Vytrus Biotech studied Centella Reversa™ on human dermal fibroblasts. In an in vitro scratch test, it achieved 72% regenerated area after 48 hours under the experimental conditions. This result comes from a cellular model and does not mean that a cream regenerates 72% of human skin.

What is the difference between the Centella Reversa™ and Cell Reversa studies?

Centella Reversa™ studies investigate the technology as an ingredient and different cellular mechanisms in vitro. The Cell Reversa study evaluates the finished cosmetic formula used on the skin for 56 days in 24 participants. These are different levels of evidence that answer different questions.