09/11/2025
What is Gene Expression Testing in Skincare?
It’s one of the most advanced ways to understand what’s happening inside your skin cells when you use a product.
Instead of only measuring visible results, this testing looks at how your skin’s genes respond to treatment — showing whether a formula can actually support healthy, resilient cell function.
Using 3D human skin models, researchers measure how key genes involved in:
▪️Epigenetic ageing (how your genes behave as you age),
▪️Cellular senescence (when cells “age” and stop renewing), and
▪️Oxidative stress (damage from UV and pollution)
are switched on or off after using a skincare product.
Very few skincare brands go this deep — because it’s complex, costly, and requires collaboration with molecular dermatology experts. But it’s a gold standard method for proving a product’s biological impact, not just its surface results.
That’s why we put Age Defence through independent gene expression testing with Professor Mark Birch-Machin, a world-renowned expert in molecular dermatology.
The findings showed that Age Defence helps support these key pathways at a cellular level — meaning it doesn’t just protect your skin, it helps it function as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Because at The Skin Diary, we don’t make claims we can’t prove.
