Dr Björn Örvar, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Bioeffect explains how EGF works to firm and tighten the skin.
“At our Icelandic Greenhouse we create BIOEFFECT’S hero ingredient Barley EGF - the first pure, plant-based EGF in the world. It is what makes our skincare so effective in increasing hydration, firmness, and elasticity - ultimately leading to long-term healthier skin. We wanted to take the mystery out of this incredible ingredient, so here’s everything you need to know about our Barley EGF.”
What is Barley EGF?
“EGF is a type of protein that stands for epidermal growth factor. It’s something that naturally exists in our skin. At BIOEFFECT, we’ve used revolutionary science to bioengineer a plant-based replica of human EGF on barley plants. We then use this as an active ingredient in our skincare.
There are many reasons we have chosen to use barley to host our plant-based EGF. The main reasons are its self-pollinating ability and that it has to be cultivated to grow. With barley being a closed biological and ecological system, it ensures we can create non-contaminated EGF and develop pure molecular farming production”.
Why do you exclusively produce plant-based EGF?
“In the past, companies have tried to produce EGF in problematic ways. Growing it in bacteria poses huge risks of toxins and contamination. Extraction from human or animal cells presents ethical, moral and legal issues.
At BIOEFFECT, our scientists have worked long and hard to build world-first innovation to create plant-based replica EGF. Sustainably grown on barley plants for pure, safe and effective use - its stability makes for incredibly effective skincare”.
How does EGF work?
“EGF stands for Epidermal Growth Factor. From birth until adulthood, our bodies produce these skin-replenishing and signalling proteins called growth factors and they communicate with cells; sending messages to repair and rejuvenate. We like to think of them as musical conductors instructing all the different cells how and when to perform.
EGF is one of the most important growth factors in our skin and plays a vital role in the production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid to maintain skin’s healthy, dense, and youthful appearance. If we imagine a baby’s skin, it is so thick and plump, because it is full of EGF. Once we reach our twenties, production of growth factors is already decreasing. As a result, cell turnover and repair slow, eventually affecting our appearance – skin starts to sag, and fine lines and wrinkles appear”.
How does EGF work on the skin?
“The current scientific hypothesis is that EGF can activate cells in both the epidermis and deeper into the dermis. It does this through what we call the “trickle-down” mechanism.
What this means is that when our active EGF ingredient is applied to your skin it comes into contact with the top-level keratinocyte cells. Communicating with these keratinocytes, they encourage them to start producing their own EGF. This will then activate neighbouring cells, triggering a similar reaction. The process continues down from the epidermis until the signal saying “hey, it’s time for you to produce EGF” reaches the fibroblasts in the dermis.
Having all of these cells in your skin start producing their own EGF is what stimulates the production of collagen and elastin to maintain better skin density (improving fine lines and wrinkles) and ultimately repairing and maintaining healthy, plumped and hydrated skin.
SKINCARE FACT #1 - Our active EGF ingredient is more effective when your skin is hydrated. Hydrated skin supercharges the EGF so it better absorbs into the skin improving its efficacy. This is why we always recommend pairing your BioEffect EGF Serum with either the BioEffect EGF Essence or the BioEffect Imprinting Hydrogel Mask. We formulate with deeply hydrating Hyaluronic Acid and ingredients that we can ensure will not affect the job of our EGF. All of our products are designed to work in harmony.
SKINCARE FACT #2 - Our hero ingredient EGF is better known in our best-selling EGF Serum but it actually stars in 9 of our 13 products. From our BioEffect EGF Eye Serum to the BioEffect Hydrating Cream, we can deliver the incredible skincare benefits of our plant-based EGF from head to toe”.