Sapienic acid
MolecularEntityA C16:1 delta-6 monounsaturated fatty acid produced exclusively by human sebaceous glands. The most abundant fatty acid in human sebum.
Where beauty meets biology
34 entities found starting with S Clear filters
A C16:1 delta-6 monounsaturated fatty acid produced exclusively by human sebaceous glands. The most abundant fatty acid in human sebum.
A class of fatty acids characterised by a fully saturated carbon chain with no double bonds, making them chemically stable and resistant to oxidation.
Distinct tissue where hair follicles reside, with different characteristics than facial skin requiring adjusted treatment approaches.
Holocrine secretory glands distributed across most body skin, embedded in the dermis and typically connected to a hair follicle as part of the pilosebaceous unit.
A C18:2 delta-5,8 polyunsaturated fatty acid produced exclusively in human sebaceous glands by elongation and desaturation of sapienic acid.
The lipid-producing cells of the sebaceous gland, responsible for synthesising and secreting the components of sebum.
The complex lipid mixture secreted by sebaceous glands onto the skin surface via the follicular canal.
The pro‑inflammatory secretory programme of senescent cells, releasing cytokines and MMPs that degrade collagen, suppress regeneration, and drive chronic tissue inflammation.
Serine is a key amino acid for skin, required for ceramide synthesis via serine palmitoyltransferase and as a major NMF component that supports hydration and keratinocyte proliferation.
The rate-limiting enzyme initiating de novo ceramide synthesis from serine and palmitoyl-CoA. SPT activity is directly suppressed by declining oestrogen and cortisol elevation.
Liver-produced glycoprotein that binds testosterone, DHT, and oestradiol with high affinity, functioning as the primary gatekeeper of sex hormone bioavailability.
Short-chain fatty acids are microbially-derived metabolites - principally butyrate, propionate, and acetate - that serve as the primary functional output of a healthy gut microbiome.
NAD⁺-dependent deacetylase enzymes found in every skin cell. SIRT1 is the most skin-relevant family member, regulating circadian clock amplitude, suppressing NF-κB-driven inflammation.
The body's largest organ, comprising epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. Barrier function, structural integrity, and cellular renewal all decline through distinct but interacting mechanisms.
Skin ageing is the gradual decline of dermal structure, epidermal renewal, and barrier function, driven by intrinsic ageing and accelerated by environmental stressors.
Barrier dysfunction describes the full spectrum of stratum corneum failure, from the earliest detectable impairment of moisture retention to the self-perpetuating inflammatory cycle.
Injectable hyaluronic‑acid formulations, sometimes with complementary actives, placed into the dermis to restore hydration, stimulate fibroblast activity and improve skin quality.
The circadian rhythm of the skin barrier describes the 24-hour molecular programme by which skin cells time their protective, regenerative, and repair functions.
A state of microbial community imbalance on the skin surface, characterised by loss of commensal species, reduced diversity, and conditions that permit pathogenic overgrowth.
The community of microbes on the skin that shapes barrier function by regulating pH, aiding ceramide production, tuning innate immunity, and preventing pathogen overgrowth.
An anionic surfactant used in cleansers, shampoos, and personal care products that disrupts the stratum corneum through two sequential mechanisms.
The accumulation of disorganised, non-functional elastotic material in the upper dermis, representing the defining histological marker of photoaged skin.
The fully hydrogenated, saturated derivative of squalene. Retains squalene's emollient properties and skin compatibility whilst offering oxidative stability.
A triterpene lipid produced endogenously in the liver and sebaceous glands, and a significant component of human sebum. Functions as a surface antioxidant and emollient.
A gram-positive, facultatively commensal bacterium that becomes the dominant skin pathogen in dysbiotic conditions.
The dominant commensal bacterium on human skin, once regarded primarily as an opportunistic pathogen but now understood as an active contributor to barrier integrity and antimicrobial defence.
An 18-carbon saturated fatty acid found in tallow, beef, and cocoa butter, and a significant component of human sebum.
The deepest viable epidermal layer, anchored to the dermis via the basement membrane zone, housing the keratinocyte stem cell population that feeds the entire differentiation programme above it.
The outermost layer of the epidermis, composed of 15–20 layers of anucleate corneocytes embedded in a structured lipid matrix. Functions as the primary permeability barrier.
The stratum granulosum is the granular layer of the viable epidermis immediately beneath the stratum corneum, where keratinocytes complete terminal differentiation.