Shiseido Company, Limited ("Shiseido"), in joint research with Dr. Kyoichi Matsuzaki, Chief of External Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine at the International University of Health and Welfare, together with researchers at Jichi Medical University and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, has discovered that facial skin contains a characteristic ring-shaped collagen structure called "Ring Collagen®," which generates tension in the skin that serves to maintain a firm, youthful facial appearance.
Based on these findings, Shiseido revealed that moderate physical stimulation applied to the skin improves the structure of Ring Collagen®, which becomes disrupted with age, and this stimulation contributes to reducing sagging. Shiseido also found that rosehip extract and safflower extract ("benibana extract") may improve the structure of Ring Collagen®.
To study this, Shiseido developed "Digital-Skin Reality®," a groundbreaking technology that visualizes forces generated within the skin by rendering them in 3D. This technology has revealed the mechanism by which tension is generated to maintain facial shape and appearance.
Part of this research was presented at the 32nd International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) London Congress (September 2022), where it was selected as a top 10 finalist. In addition to this honor, the congress also featured a keynote speech on this research.
Figure 1 Mechanism by which Ring Collagen® helps maintain facial shape: 1. A contraction force is generated within the ring.
2. Based on that, tension is created as the rings pull against each other. 3. As a result, a force that wraps the face is generated.