Who doesn’t want to pinch a baby’s cheek? The skin is smooth, plump and oh so bouncy. Why doesn’t our skin look like that anymore?
Iceland is a country of challenging extremes. Not only is the growing season exceptionally short, but the glaciers, lava fields and volcanos that make its landscape stunning also make it difficult to grow plants. Luckily, it is also geothermally active, enabling Icelanders to grow plants year-round in greenhouses powered by sustainable geothermal energy.
One of the reasons is diminishing EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor). From birth until adulthood, our bodies produce copious amounts of proteins that communicate with cells, sending messages to repair and rejuvenate. EGF is one of the most important proteins for skin, helping boost the production of collagen and elastin to maintain its healthy, smooth, firm and dense appearance.
Alas, once we reach maturity, production of growth factors decreases. As a result, cell turnover and repair slow, eventually affecting our appearance. In fact, skin density is thought to thin by one per cent each year after we turn 20, and is further reduced by up to 30 per cent during menopause. Skin starts to sag, fine lines and wrinkles appear.
What If we could increase our body’s supply of EGF?
Well, three scientists from Iceland took up this challenge. After more than a decade of research, they discovered a way to bioengineer a plant-based replica of EGF in barley, and founded the Bioeffect brand. Previous to their discovery, EGF was either grown in bacteria, which poses a risk of endotoxins, or extracted from human or animal cells, which presents ethical, moral and legal issues.
Bioeffect’s dedicated greenhouse is nestled in the middle of the lava fields of Reykjanes, in the southwest of Iceland, where they can grow more than 130,000 plants at any one time. Visitors to Iceland are invited to tour the brand’s carbonneutral hydroponic greenhouse. At the end of the tour, visitors are presented with a complimentary luxury sample set of products.
Here, they nurture the barley plants in a distinctive Icelandic way. Instead of soil, the plants are grown in volcanic pumice to minimize contamination. They are watered with geologically filtered Icelandic groundwater enriched with the necessary nutrients. It is said that these measures ensure the barley EGF produced is safer, purer and more stable—essentially what you’d want in your skincare.
The active barley EGF ingredient is better absorbed and more effective when the skin is hydrated. The brand recommends pairing the EGF serum with other products from the line, as they are formulated with deeply hydrating hyaluronic acid and ingredients that will not affect the work of the EGF. Bioeffect EGF Serum, 15 ml | $225
The flagship product, Bioeffect EGF Serum, was launched in Iceland in May 2010. Although the serum contains only seven ingredients, an in-house study using an advanced skin analysis system showed that after using the serum twice daily for three months, skin hydration is increased by 132 per cent. The appearance of skin elasticity and firmness is improved by 68 per cent and the appearance of wrinkles and final lines is reduced by 63 per cent. It has since become a global success, and now the brand has expanded into a full line of skincare products—from cleansers to serum, creams and treatment masks.
