Interview with Tony Abboud, CCO of Core Biogenesis
Tony Abboud,
Core Biogenesis
Please tell us more about your company Core Biogenesis and what inspired you to develop protein-based active ingredients using plant biofactories?
At Core Biogenesis, everything begins with a simple but urgent question: Why are most skincare products underwhelming – especially when science has advanced so far?
Recent data shows that nearly 90% of women are dissatisfied with the performance of their skincare. That frustration often stems from products that feature legacy actives like retinol – slow to act, harsh on the skin, and inherently foreign to the body. These molecules take 60 to 90 days to show visible effects, and in the meantime, often cause irritation, flaking, or discomfort.
We knew there had to be a better way.
Our mission at Core Biogenesis is to redefine what performance means in skincare by developing next-generation protein-based actives fused to a natural delivery system called Oleosomes. Proteins are the body’s own language – endogenous molecules that trigger well-established biological repair and regeneration pathways. Unlike small molecules, they work with the body, not against it.
But proteins come with two major challenges: they're fragile, and they're large. Without assistance, they degrade easily, and they rarely make it past the stratum corneum.
That’s where our innovation comes in. We use whole plant biofactories – specifically an oil-rich plant called Camelina sativa – to produce human-identical biomimetic growth factors like EGF and FGF-2. These proteins are then fused to Oleosomes, the plant’s natural lipid reservoirs. This fusion increases protein stability by 8–10x and facilitates deeper penetration into the skin – solving both of the historical limitations in one elegant system.
The result is a new generation of biomimetic protein actives that are not only more stable and bioavailable but also open entirely new pathways of efficacy – faster, safer, and more potent than conventional actives.
In short: we’re using Mother Nature’s own machinery to create a smarter class of skincare ingredients – ones that deliver on the promise of performance without compromise.
How do Peauvita and Peauforia perform compared to retinol or exosomes and what were your findings from your clinical trials?
Peauvita (Oleosome-EGF) and Peauforia (Oleosome-FGF2) were developed to set a new benchmark in skincare actives – offering a scientifically advanced alternative to both legacy ingredients like retinol and emerging technologies such as exosomes.
Let’s begin with retinol. Despite its status as a benchmark in anti-aging skincare, retinol is inherently limited by its mode of action and tolerability. It requires 30 to 90 days of consistent use to yield visible improvements and is associated with a well-documented risk of irritation. Retinol is also highly photo-unstable, which limits its formulation flexibility and consumer compliance.
To directly assess comparative performance, we conducted a head-to-head, placebo-controlled clinical study evaluating a serum containing Peauvita and Peauforia against a formulation with 0.3% retinol – the maximum allowable concentration under new EU regulations. The results were compelling: after just 14 days, the Oleosome-Growth Factor serum demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in wrinkle depth and wrinkle length – achieving results twice as fast as the retinol comparator. Both formulations performed equivalently across additional endpoints such as firmness, elasticity, and pigmentation.
Exosomes, while promising in theory, present a different set of limitations. Despite growing interest in their regenerative potential, exosomes are poorly defined, highly variable, and face mounting regulatory scrutiny due to uncertainties around origin, purity, and long-term safety. Their manufacturing processes are complex, costly, and notoriously difficult to scale, with batch-to-batch inconsistencies that complicate quality assurance.
By contrast, the Oleosome-Growth Factors used in Peauvita and Peauforia are fully defined, molecularly consistent, and produced in whole plants under tightly controlled conditions. These human-identical, biomimetic proteins are fused to Oleosomes – natural lipid delivery systems found in seeds – which protect the protein structure, significantly enhance stability (8–10x), and improve skin penetration. The result is a safe, transparent, and highly scalable technology platform with superior clinical performance.
In summary, Peauvita and Peauforia represent a breakthrough in protein-based actives for skincare: clinically validated, well-tolerated, and positioned to outperform both retinol and exosomes in efficacy, safety, and scalability. They offer a powerful new technology for brands seeking next-generation results – rooted in biology, backed by data, and ready for the future of skincare.
How does your Oleosome-Protein Fusion technology compare to traditional delivery systems in terms of stability and penetration?
Proteins are highly potent but notoriously difficult to formulate. Their large molecular size and structural fragility pose two significant challenges for topical application: poor stability and limited penetration through the stratum corneum. To overcome these barriers, a truly effective delivery system must not only protect the protein's bioactivity but also enable its transport into the viable layers of the skin.
Conventional delivery technologies – such as liposomes or nanoemulsions – were primarily developed for small molecule actives and are poorly suited to the demands of protein-based ingredients. Some approaches have attempted to enhance protein stability and skin delivery by fusing one protein to another, but these constructs often remain unstable in cosmetic formulations and can degrade before reaching their target.
Our Oleosome-Protein Fusion technology offers a fundamentally different solution. Oleosomes are natural lipid reservoirs derived from oil-rich plants like Camelina sativa. When human-identical proteins such as EGF or FGF2 are fused to Oleosomes, they are held within an emulsion matrix that significantly enhances their stability – protecting the protein structure from thermal, enzymatic, and oxidative degradation. Independent data shows this approach improves protein stability by 8–10 times compared to standard emulsions.
Beyond stability, Oleosomes possess a unique shuttling mechanism that allows for deeper, sustained penetration through the skin barrier. Their biomimetic lipid composition facilitates integration with the stratum corneum, enabling the gradual release and delivery of the protein into the epidermis and dermis – where it can activate key regenerative pathways.
In short, our Oleosome-Protein Fusion platform solves the two primary challenges of protein formulation – stability and penetration. It’s a smart, scalable, and science-backed approach to unlocking the full potential of protein actives in skincare.
What’s a challenge in bringing this innovation to market?
One of the biggest challenges in introducing a breakthrough technology to the skincare industry is navigating the long product development cycles that are typical – particularly with large multinational brands, where timelines can stretch to three or even four years from brief to shelf.
To accelerate adoption, Core Biogenesis has strategically focused on partnering with early adopter skincare brands and contract manufacturers in key innovation hubs including South Korea, the United States, and Europe. By engaging directly with agile, science-driven companies, we’ve been able to shorten development timelines and foster meaningful collaboration at the ideation stage.
As of today, we’re proud to have over 300 active projects in development and an engaged community of more than 3,500 industry professionals subscribed to our weekly communications. This ecosystem is already helping bring our technology to market faster – and we're excited to see the first wave of commercial launches beginning in the second half of 2025.
What’s next for Core BioGenesis? Will you be at any tradeshows this year?
At Core Biogenesis, we believe that the most meaningful conversations – and the most valuable collaborations – begin face to face. That’s why we’ve committed to a robust global tradeshow presence in 2025 and 2026, focusing on the markets where innovation in skincare is moving fastest.
In 2026, we will be exhibiting directly at several leading industry events, including:
- CosmetAgora
- in-cosmetics Global
- in-cosmetics Korea
- NYSCC Suppliers’ Day
- SCS Formulate
In addition to our direct presence, we’ll also be actively supporting our distributor partners across India, Brazil, and select countries in Southeast Asia, ensuring that our technology reaches the formulators and brand builders shaping the future of skincare.
