Exosomes are everywhere in skincare conversation right now, and rarely explained. An exosome is a tiny package released by a cell, wrapped in the same kind of membrane as a cell, carrying proteins and other signaling molecules to a neighboring cell. They are how cells talk to each other. Here is what that means on skin, and how honestly to think about it.
In short
- Exosomes are extracellular vesicles. They carry messages between cells.
- They are not new. They were first described in the 1980s. The skincare attention is what is new.
- We formulate to EU rules, which do not permit human-derived exosomes in cosmetics. Ours are plant-derived and probiotic-derived.
- For an exosome to do anything on skin it needs two things: bioavailability, and affinity for human skin cells.
- Neither can be assumed for a non-human exosome. Both have to be measured.
What an exosome is
Exosomes belong to a group scientists call extracellular vesicles. Picture a tiny package, wrapped in the same kind of membrane as a cell, that a cell releases into its surroundings. Inside that package are proteins, lipids, and other signaling molecules.
Their job is communication. One cell sends a package, another receives it, and with it, a message. This is one of the fundamental ways cells talk to one another, and it is well established in biology.
If a cell wants to send instructions to its neighbors, an exosome is one of the envelopes it uses.
How they work
A cell packages a set of molecules into a vesicle and releases it. A receiving cell takes it up, and the contents influence how that cell behaves. Researchers describe extracellular vesicles as central to intercellular communication, in healthy tissue and in disease alike.
Where the skincare interest came from
Exosomes are not new. They were first described in the 1980s, and studied in biology for more than thirty years. What is new is the attention in skincare, and how quickly the research there has grown.
That attention arrived, in large part, out of aesthetic medicine, where some outsized claims were made about what exosomes could do. We take a more measured view. The interesting question is not how remarkable an exosome sounds. It is whether it does anything at all on skin.
Are exosomes allowed in skincare?
It depends where the exosome came from. European cosmetics rules prohibit human cells, tissues and products of human origin in cosmetic products, so human-derived exosomes are not permitted in a cosmetic sold in the EU. Exosomes derived from plants and from probiotics are.
This is worth knowing when you read a claim. Much of the research that made exosomes famous was done on human-derived material in a medical setting. That is not the same ingredient as the one in a jar on a shelf.
In the United States the picture is different again. The FDA has issued a public safety notification about unapproved exosome products administered in clinics, which it regulates as drugs or biologics rather than as cosmetics. A cream you apply is a different category entirely. But it explains why the word arrives carrying some baggage, and why we would rather explain ours than trade on the name.
Why we test them, and what for
For an exosome to matter on skin, two things have to be true. It has to be bioavailable, able to actually reach skin. And it has to have affinity for human skin cells, able to be recognized by them. Without both, an exosome is inert, however good it looks on an ingredient list.
And precisely because plant-derived and probiotic-derived exosomes are not human, their bioavailability and their affinity for skin cannot be taken for granted. They have to be measured.
So we measure them, in our own laboratory. That testing, unglamorous as it is, is the line between an exosome that reads well on a label and one that can do its work.
What each one is for
The two exosomes we use are not interchangeable. Each is chosen for a different job, and for its affinity to skin.
| Source | Where it is | Chosen for |
|---|---|---|
| Probiotic-derived | Exosome Advanced Night Cream | The skin barrier, and its tight junctions |
| Plant-derived | CEL™ Complex | A gentler, calming role |
The probiotic-derived exosomes, in the Exosome Advanced Night Cream, are chosen with the skin barrier in mind, and in particular its tight junctions. Tight junctions are the chain links between the cells of your skin. When they link well, skin keeps water in and keeps the outside world out. In use, skin feels more comfortable and looks more resilient.
The plant-derived exosomes, in the CEL™ Complex, are chosen for a soothing, calming role. Skin looks calmer and feels comforted.
The Exosome Advanced Night Cream also carries a longevity extract from the cashew tree, not the nut. Worn at night, skin looks rested, and cared for over time.
How to use it
At night, as the last step, over your serum. It pairs with the CEL™ Retinal Serum, or with the Cellular Hydration Serum for a non-retinal night. It is deliberately light rather than rich, for reasons we set out in Hydration is Not Moisturization.
Common questions
Do exosomes in skincare actually work?
It depends entirely on the exosome and the formula. The biology is real and well established. What is not automatic is that a given exosome reaches skin and is recognized by it. Those two properties are measurable, and a brand that has measured them should be able to tell you so.
Are plant-derived exosomes as good as human-derived ones?
They are a different thing, chosen for different jobs, and they are what is legally available in a cosmetic. The honest position is not that one substitutes for the other, but that a plant or probiotic exosome has to earn its place on its own measured properties.
Are exosomes safe in skincare?
A topical cosmetic exosome is assessed like any other cosmetic ingredient, and we formulate to EU rules, which do not permit human-derived material. That is a separate question from the injected exosome products the FDA has warned about, which are not cosmetics at all. Ours sit in finished formulas that we also test, on living cells, for endocrine disruption.
Can I use an exosome product with retinal?
Yes. That is how ours is designed to be used. Retinal serum first, Exosome Advanced Night Cream over the top.
What are tight junctions?
They are the chain links between the cells on the upper living layers of your skin. In their absence or when the tight junctions are damaged, skin can't hold water in and keep irritants out, effectively resulting in a damaged skin barrier.
Sources
- Challenges and directions in studying cell-cell communication by extracellular vesicles. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. 2022;23:369-382.
- A review of the regulatory mechanisms of extracellular vesicles-mediated intercellular communication. Cell Communication and Signaling. 2023.
- Brandner JM, Zorn-Kruppa M, Yoshida T, Moll I, Beck LA, De Benedetto A. Epidermal tight junctions in health and disease. Tissue Barriers. 2015;3(1-2):e974451. PubMed
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products, Annex II. On substances prohibited in cosmetic products, including human cells, tissues and products of human origin.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Public Safety Notification on Exosome Products. On unapproved exosome products administered in clinics, regulated as drugs or biologics. fda.gov
Keep reading
Retinal, and why we keep it to the evening
What retinaldehyde is, and how to use it well.
The other 95%
Why the part of your skincare no one talks about may matter most.
