BIOEFFECT: Behind the Brand

BIOEFFECT is at the forefront of the skincare industry thanks to their use of the innovative skincare ingredient, Epidermal Growth Factors. The brand is a regular best seller at Face the Future, so we wanted to delve a little deeper and find out more about this incredible Icelandic brand.

We spoke with Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at BIOEFFECT, Dr. Björn Örvar. Here's what he had to say

Q: At the core of BIOEFFECT is the innovative use of Epidermal Growth Factors - can you tell us a little bit more about this ingredient?

EGF is a tiny, natural protein and we now know that it plays a major role in the biology of our skin. There are many human growth factors in our skin, but EGF is considered the main conductor. Numerous medical research has manifested the rejuvenating power of EGF and how it can help our skin to stay youthful, healthy and prepared for hostile environments and the chronological ageing process. These studies have shown how EGF can improve collagen density, skin thickness and hydration level, as well as boosting our microbial defence. However as we get older, EGF level starts to drop in our skin, which is not helping us to deal with an ageing skin. It is, therefore, important to focus on EGF in skincare and how we can exploit the power of this amazing natural component of our skin.

Q: Growth Factors are sometimes seen as a controversial ingredient, however BIOEFFECT uses animal-free human-like growth factors in barley seeds. Can you tell us a little bit more about this?

Growth factors may cause some controversy due to the fact some skincare companies have decided to extract them from animal or human tissue, as it is difficult and expensive to produce them. However, this has never been an option for BIOEFFECT. We exclusively use replica human growth factors that we produce in the barley plants. In fact, BIOEFFECT is the first brand in the world to use plant-made growth factors. This complicated production method gives us the opportunity to use the purest form of growth factors in our skincare products. Using our unique, green biotechnology, we can bypass other traditional methods to produce these growth factors, such as using human cells or human tissue, or bioengineered E.coli bacteria.

Q: Why was barley chosen to develop the Epidermal Growth Factors for BIOEFFECT?

We produce our EGF protein in the barley seed which is a very good protein producer and the best storage facility for sensitive proteins, such as the growth factors. We can also grow barley hydroponically in geothermal greenhouses which is purest approach of cultivating plants for growth factor purification. Also, barley is a biologically and ecologically contained species, meaning that is not a cross pollinator. So plants with different traits can grow very close together with the risk of blending. It is also unable to survive in natural habitats.

Q: BIOEFFECT is a very versatile range that's suitable for most skin types “ what makes this possible?

The scientific community has been gradually gaining better understanding of the complex biology of our skin and the important role of growth factors, such as EGF, in maintaining a healthy, youthful skin. We know that EGF is universal, meaning that every skin, indifferent of skin type, age, sex or ethnic background uses EGF to control this complex biology. We also know that carefully selecting the base ingredients accompanied with the EGF in the formulation, and keeping them as few and pure as possible, translates into a product that is more versatile and suitable for more skin types.

Q: We noticed that the ingredients list is very short, is there a reason for such few ingredients in BIOEFFECT products?

Human growth factors are proteins and proteins are usually very sensitive to many different chemicals that are traditionally being used in cosmetics (such as oils and fats, fragrances, emulsifiers, alcohols etc). Therefore, we need to be very careful when developing our BIOEFFECT formulations as the wrong formulation would break down the growth factor. Furthermore, BIOEFFECT does not believe in large ingredients lists, we believe that the skin is not asking for long list of chemicals. Therefore, our products have as few ingredients as possible.

Q: Which product in the BIOEFFECT range would you recommend as a must-have for everyone and why?

We always recommend start using the BIOEFFECT EGF SERUM, and to use it as a night serum on clean skin. Our EGF is going to work best during night time and without interference from other products “ so start with this amazing serum. This formulation is also best as an introduction for sensitive skin, as it only contains seven ingredients and no preservatives or additives.To find out more about BIOEFFECT shop online now or speak to our skincare experts 0113 282 7744.Written for you by: Alex, Face the Future & questions answered by Dr. Björn Örvar, BIOEFFECT