From Cosmetic Claims to Biological Proof: A New Standard in Scalp Care
Interview with Tony Abboud,
CCo, Core Biogenesis
With this biomimetic FGF-2 technology being introduced at in-cosmetics Global 2026, what differentiates this product from existing haircare actives currently on the market?
At Core Biogenesis, we approached scalp care the same way we approached skincare: by asking why performance has historically been so limited.
Today, nearly 40% of women experience hair thinning by the age of 50, yet most solutions on the market still rely on slow, incremental improvement. Haircare actives are often designed to improve the appearance of hair over time, relying heavily on perception-based claims and requiring 90 to 120 days to show modest results.
There is a clear gap between the scale of the problem and the performance of available solutions.
We believed there was an opportunity to do something fundamentally different.
PEAUREVA is based on a biomimetic, human-identical FGF-2 growth factor fused to plant oleosomes. Instead of targeting a single cosmetic endpoint, it was designed to address the biological drivers of scalp aging and hair thinning in a coordinated way.
In a placebo-controlled clinical study, we observed a +33.6% increase in hair density and a +14.0% increase in the anagen/telogen ratio by Day 28, alongside progressive improvements in hair fiber thickness and scalp condition.
This is not a perception story. It is a measurable biology story.
What role does Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 play in addressing the five biological drivers of scalp aging described in the study?
Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 plays a central role in cellular communication and tissue regeneration, particularly within the dermal papilla, which acts as the signaling hub of the hair follicle.
Dermal papilla cells regulate key processes such as hair growth, cycling, and follicular health. As scalp aging progresses, the activity and signaling capacity of these cells decline, contributing to reduced hair density, shorter growth phases, and overall weakening of the follicle environment.
What makes FGF-2 especially relevant is that it acts upstream of multiple biological pathways. It supports dermal papilla cell activity, promotes cellular proliferation, and helps maintain a healthier follicular microenvironment.
Most scalp actives on the market today are designed to address a single dimension of the problem, whether that is improving scalp hydration, reducing sebum, or supporting the appearance of thicker hair. While these approaches can provide incremental benefits, they do not address the complexity of scalp aging.
In contrast, FGF-2 enables a multi-pathway approach. By influencing dermal papilla function and the surrounding biological environment, it helps address the five drivers of scalp aging simultaneously.
This is reflected in the clinical outcomes, where we observed coordinated improvements in hair density, growth cycle dynamics, fiber thickness, and overall scalp condition, rather than a single isolated effect.
What advantages do oleosome delivery system offer over conventional delivery systems like liposomes for stabilizing and delivering active proteins to the scalp?
We believe biomimetic proteins represent the next class of active ingredients in personal care.
These are molecules that are identical to those naturally produced by the human body. Because of that, they engage well-characterized biological receptors and pathways, enabling a level of precision and efficacy that traditional cosmetic ingredients cannot achieve.
However, they come with two fundamental challenges.
They are large molecules, which limits their ability to penetrate the skin and scalp barrier, and they are inherently unstable, making them highly susceptible to degradation during formulation and application.
Traditional delivery systems such as liposomes were designed for small molecules and are not well suited to overcome these limitations.
Our approach is fundamentally different.
Oleosomes are natural lipid structures derived from oil-rich plants such as Camelina sativa. In our platform, the protein is fused directly to the oleosome during production in the plant, creating a fully integrated system where the active and the delivery mechanism are built together.
This provides three key advantages.
First, significantly improved stability. The oleosome protects the protein structure from degradation, improving stability by 8 to 10 times compared to conventional systems.
Second, enhanced delivery. The biomimetic lipid structure allows oleosomes to interact more effectively with the skin and scalp barrier, supporting deeper and more sustained transport into the relevant tissue layers.
Third, a more elegant and scalable system. Because the protein and delivery vehicle are produced together in whole plants, we avoid complex post-processing and achieve a highly consistent, reproducible format.
In short, the oleosome platform solves the fundamental limitations that have historically held back protein-based actives: stability and delivery.
How do the clinical results (e.g., +33.6% hair density, +14% anagen/telogen ratio) support the hypothesis that targeting multiple biological pathways is more effective than traditional cosmetic approaches?
One of the biggest shifts in this work is not only what we are measuring, but how we are measuring it.
Traditionally, scalp and haircare products have been evaluated using perception-based methods. Claims such as “feels thicker” or “looks fuller” are often driven by consumer feedback or visual assessment, which can be subjective and difficult to standardize.
We wanted to move beyond that.
In our clinical study, we used quantitative measurement tools to assess biological changes directly. Hair density, growth cycle distribution, and fiber diameter were all measured using objective instrumentation, alongside standardized clinical grading of scalp condition.
This allowed us to track real biological change rather than relying on interpretation.
The results show coordinated improvements across multiple independent endpoints. A +33.6% increase in hair density and a +14.0% increase in the anagen/telogen ratio by Day 28 reflect changes in follicular activity and growth dynamics. At the same time, we observed progressive increases in hair fiber thickness and measurable improvements in scalp hydration and sebum balance.
When multiple quantitative parameters move together, it provides strong evidence that the active is influencing the biology of the scalp in an integrated way.
This is fundamentally different from traditional cosmetic approaches, which often improve a single perceived attribute without addressing the underlying system.
By combining a multi-pathway biological approach with objective measurement, we are able to demonstrate not just that the hair looks better, but that the biology of the scalp is measurably improving.
How can plant biofactory systems used by Core Biogenesis be scaled for broader applications beyond haircare, such as in dermatology or regenerative medicine?
One of the most exciting aspects of this technology is that it extends far beyond haircare.
At its core, the plant biofactory platform is a new way of thinking about how biological actives are designed, stabilized, and delivered. We are not just producing proteins. We are engineering systems where the active and its delivery mechanism are built together from the start.
This has important implications for dermatology.
Many of the challenges we see in scalp care also exist in skin, including barrier dysfunction, inflammation, and reduced regenerative capacity. Biomimetic proteins have the ability to engage these pathways directly, but historically their use has been limited by instability and poor delivery.
At the same time, the industry has made significant progress with peptides.
Most commercially used peptides today are relatively short amino acid sequences. They are easier to manufacture, more stable, and more straightforward to formulate. But by design, they often target a narrow pathway or signal, which can limit the breadth of their biological impact.
We believe there is a much larger opportunity ahead.
As delivery and stabilization technologies improve, it becomes possible to move beyond short peptides toward longer, more complex sequences and full proteins that can engage multiple biological pathways with greater specificity. These molecules more closely resemble what the body naturally produces and can therefore unlock a deeper level of performance.
The challenge has never been understanding their potential. It has been making them viable in real-world formulations.
This is where plant biofactories play a critical role. By producing and stabilizing these larger biomolecules within a natural lipid delivery system, we can begin to overcome the traditional barriers that have limited their use.
In that sense, this is not just about one ingredient or one category.
It is about enabling the next generation of biologically active ingredients, from advanced dermatology to future peptide and protein-based systems, where stability and delivery are no longer the limiting factors.
We believe this is where the industry is heading.
Given the strong clinical results, how do you see this technology influencing the future of cosmetic scalp treatments following its debut at in-cosmetics Global 2026?
We see this as a natural continuation of the shift that is already happening in skincare.
Over the past few years, the industry has begun moving away from traditional cosmetic ingredients toward more biologically active molecules. In our interview last year, we spoke about how biomimetic proteins could redefine performance in skin by working with the body’s own pathways rather than against them.
With this launch, we are extending that same philosophy to the scalp.
I believe the impact will be twofold.
First, it will raise expectations around efficacy. As quantitative tools become more widely adopted, brands and formulators will increasingly move toward objective measurement rather than perception-based claims. The ability to demonstrate changes in hair density, growth cycle dynamics, and fiber characteristics in weeks rather than months will begin to reset what is considered acceptable performance.
Second, it will accelerate the transition toward biology-driven scalp care. Instead of focusing on surface-level improvements, the next generation of actives will be designed to engage the underlying biology of the scalp in a more precise and coordinated way.
This is where biomimetic proteins have a clear role to play.
Ultimately, everything we do in this industry ties back to the end consumer.
The opportunity is to move beyond incremental improvements and develop next-generation actives that deliver results that consumers can see, measure, and trust. Products that are not just promising change, but proving it.
Because when performance becomes real and measurable, confidence follows.
