Abstract

Ageing at the tissue level is characterised by an overalldecline in an organ’s ability to maintain normal homeostatic processes and respond properly to injury or stress. Recently it hasbecome increasingly clear that decreasing stem cell functionfrequently plays a significant role in this decline, and that changesin the stem cell’s microenvironment often potentiate the ageing process. By combining the latest insights into the molecularmechanisms underlying ageing with innovative stem cell-based invitro models and multi-parametric analytical methods, it is now possible to establish comprehensive molecular age profiles of cellsin the presence and absence of cosmetic actives. Such insights can strongly support anti-ageing claims, enabling powerful messages in a crowded marketplace, and increased consumer confidence in the product’s efficacy.