All your exosome questions answered
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At Synergie Skin, we have always believed great skincare should seamlessly integrate with our skin biology. Over the last few months, our formulating team has been closely tracking research on exosomes. These nano-sized messengers that help our skin cells “talk” to one another are becoming significant in both the medical and the aesthetics space. The relevance of exosomes to the skincare industry is changing the way we view active ingredients. Instead of focusing on the delivery of ingredients that act directly on target cells, exosome technology supports holistic skin health by restoring cellular communication, optimising the cell environment to boost collagen production, elasticity, hydration balance, and recovery.
These insights informed our formulation approach for AlgiZome: using biomimetic (human identical) exosomes from microscopic algae. These vegan exosomes have been engineered to emulate youthful fibroblast signalling whilst remaining human and animal-free. The biomimetic exosomes have been intentionally paired with supportive actives for barrier support, antioxidant protection, glycation reduction and hydration, along with a transparent declaration of the exact vesicle dose in every bottle. In short, AlgiZome is an ethical Clean Science® solution, resulting in a regenerative skin booster like no other.
Now buckle up, because we're about to get into the real nitty-gritty science of exosomes. Read on for our Q&A to help you weigh the promise of exosomes with the typical Synergie Skin standard of research and rigour.
So, what are exosomes?
Exosomes are nano-sized vesicles (around 30–150 nm) that almost every cell naturally releases. These vesicles are both extracellular and cell-free because they are released by cells and exist outside of them, within bodily fluids. They carry vital cargo such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids (including microRNAs) and deliver those signals to neighbouring cells. In our skincare industry, exosomes influence processes relevant to skin dysfunction and visible ageing, maintenance of the fibroblast cells which produce collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, antioxidant responses, inflammation, hydration, healing and barrier resilience.
What are exosomes derived from?
Exosomes can be derived from human cell sources or non-human sources. In the case of AlgiZome, this skin booster harnesses ExoMimic™ Technology: vegan, microalgae-derived biomimetic exosomes that emulate youthful fibroblast signalling. We have chosen to derive biomimetic exosomes from vegan sources so that the product is formulated within our ethical Clean Science® manufacturing philosophy. Further, the purity and consistency of algal exosomes is superior to most other exosome sources.
What are biomimetic exosomes?
The term "biomimetic" means "modelled on biology". In skincare, biomimetic exosomes are engineered to mimic the behaviour of beneficial, skin-relevant exosomes (for example, fibroblast exosome signalling) whilst improving traceability, ethics and consistency. In the case of AlgiZome's ExoMimic™ Technology, these algae-derived biomimetic exosomes use a lipid bilayer structure and incorporate specific proteins and lipids to replicate the function of natural human fibroblast exosomes by carrying vital molecular payloads, such as types of nucleic acid RNA, lipids, peptides and proteins. In this way, they are engineered to mirror the behaviours of human exosomes. This mimicry allows them to "talk" to recipient cells an instruct them in various ways, such as reactivating skin regeneration, producing more collagen and reducing inflammation.
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How are exosomes harvested?
Typically, from cell cultures of mesenchymal stem cells (derived from fat cells, the umbilical cord and bone marrow) or platelets using advanced purification methods. They may also be harvested from animal and plant sources; however, animal-derived exosomes have ethical concerns and plant exosomes, whilst providing excellent antioxidant activity, are too far removed from the human biological blueprint. Isolation method and dosage are crucial to purity and safety.
Are exosomes stem cells?
This is a common misconception. The short answer is, no, exosomes are not stem cells. Exosomes are vesicles released by cells that deliver signalling messages to other cells. However, the cells that release these vesicles can be previously derived from stem cells in some cases, but not in all cases. Stem cells are whole living cells capable of becoming many other types of cells. They both have entirely different functions and exosomes are not cells, which also adds an additional layer of safety to their application.
What are vesicles?
Vesicles are the umbrella term for membrane-bound particles transporting messages within and between cells. Exosomes are a specific type of vesicle that transport messages between cells, so it can communicate and influence other target cells.
Why does vesicle dosage matter in skincare?
According to current exosome skincare literature, one of the biggest industry gaps is dose clarity of vesicles. Many studies (and many market products) don’t clearly state how many vesicles are being delivered, which makes comparisons difficult and outcomes less predictable. AlgiZome addresses this head-on with a declared dose of more than 10.6 billion vesicles per 30 mL bottle (biomimetic, vegan, microalgae-derived). Declaring vesicle number is useful for two reasons:
- Reproducibility and trust: Clinicians and informed customers can see exactly what is being delivered per bottle (and, by extension, per application), aligning with the need for transparent characterisation.
- High practical exposure: A multi-billion vesicle load provides a high yield preparation, so each daily use supplies a meaningful number of vesicles to support the intended signalling approach when used as directed. The dosage is also based on the recommended dose from clinical data studies showing positive outcomes.
Are exosomes safe?
Because exosomes are cell-free vesicles (not living cells), they avoid many risks associated with living cell therapies. Despite the safety, it is still vital to have quality control with clear sourcing, contaminant removal, sterility and dose transparency. Clinical data to define exosome efficacy is also crucial in our skincare industry.
What are exosomes for skin?
For skin specifically, exosomes act as cell-to-cell skin messengers. They can specifically target pathways linked to photo ageing, antioxidant protection, balancing inflammation, optimising skin tone, improving hydration and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. All this translates to a more youthful and vital appearance as the exosomes are signalling the skin to function better for optimal outcomes of all skin processes.
How is exosome skin therapy performed?
Exosomes may be applied topically as part of a home skincare regimen. In clinical environments, exosomes are often supported by microneedling, laser, or fractional energy-based devices to aid penetration. They may also be used in conjunction with LED devices, particularly the red-light wavelengths.
What is exosome microneedling?
This is an excellent combined therapy approach for clinical treatments. A combination of skin microneedling (to create controlled micro-channels) followed by topical exosome application will optimise the exosome delivery and the needling results. A split-face randomised clinical study cited in review literature reported greater improvements in wrinkles, elasticity and hydration with microneedling plus exosomes versus microneedling alone.
Why we formulated exosome skin booster: AlgiZome
Bringing this back to our formulation philosophy: we believe exosome science represents the most innovative technology currently emerging in the aesthetic industry. We have combined this technology with rigorous ethical standards and elegance, whilst aligning with Synergie Skin's Clean Science® philosophy, efficacy and sustainability. Our goal for AlgiZome was to capture the beneficial behaviour of youthful skin signalling with biomimetic, animal-free exosomes, then pair that with supportive actives to help these vital skin messages “land”; and finally, to be transparent about declared vesicle dose. The result is AlgiZome, a skin booster designed to repair, renew and regenerate skin, all while fitting seamlessly within your pro-ageing routine.
Learn more about our Founder and Formulator, Terri Vinson Jones. Discover the Synergie Skin story.
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References
Bai, Ge, Thu Minh Truong, Gaurav N. Pathak, Lora Benoit, and Babar Rao. “Clinical Applications of Exosomes in Cosmetic Dermatology.” Skin Health and Disease 4 (2024): e348. https://doi.org/10.1002/ski2.348.
Hajialiasgary Najafabadi, Amirhossein, Mohammad Hasan Soheilifar, and Nastaran Masoudi-Khoram. “Exosomes in Skin Photoageing: Biological Functions and Therapeutic Opportunity.” Cell Communication and Signaling 22, no. 32 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-023-01451-3.
