The patented extract of Phytomelatonin is truly the work of a lifetime by Irene Forte Skincare's incredible Scientific Director, Dr Francesca Ferri. Here, we discuss her research and the remarkable benefits of this wonder product.
“When I first learned about Dr. Ferri’s research into Phytomelatonin and her innovative extraction process, I knew we had the chance to create game-changing anti-ageing products. These products highlight the scientific foundation of our ‘Nature & Science’ ethos. To provide deeper insight into Dr. Ferri’s groundbreaking formulation, we asked her a few questions.”
Phytomelatonin is the plant analogue of the human hormone melatonin and is well known to counteract the degenerative effects of UV exposure and other stressors.
In in-vitro trials, Phytomelatonin promotes cellular changes linked to skin regeneration. It is also shown to significantly affect the viability of skin cells by re-regulating biochemical processes that are out of balance due to age and UV exposure, and it can triple the vitality of skin cells.
Hormones can have a wide variety of profound effects on the skin. Oestrogen, progesterone and androgens have, for example, been shown to regulate the condition of the skin via multiple mechanisms that can address skin degradation, wrinkles and dryness, and stimulate the development of new skin cells. Phytomelatonin has been shown to have very similar effects in in-vitro trials.
Since my student days in the 70s, I have been fascinated by melatonin. Later, I became interested in its plant counterpart, Phytomelatonin. My journey includes developing a patented technique to extract Phytomelatonin from plants in 2006 and publishing research in 2019 that demonstrated its ability to regulate skin ageing. Now, with the launch of our Phytomelatonin Rejuvenating Serum, Pistachio Face Oil and Pistachio Body Oil, my lifelong quest to uncover the role and benefits of Phytomelatonin continues to make significant strides.
It has been used to obtain a lipophilic Phytomelatonin extract from three alpine plants with particularly high levels of the hormone: Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Achillea Millefolium Flower Extract, and Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract.
Since the discovery of Phytomelatonin in 1993, my research has shown that it has a fundamental role in plant cells, most notably promoting growth, responding to stressors (such as viruses and UV radiation), delaying biological ageing and regulating oxidative processes. My work with my team at the University of Calabria has shown the same sort of fundamental regulatory activity in human skin cells. It shows that Phytomelatonin can significantly affect the viability of skin cells and can re-regulate biochemical processes that stressors like age and ultraviolet exposure have knocked out of balance. Imbalances cause changes that we witness at the tissue level as skin ageing.
Yes! As a matter of fact, I was awarded by the Italian government for my research into the effect of Phytomelatonin on the mediators of skin ageing. It is only our knowledge of the science of skincare that makes it possible to design products that are so highly effective whilst being gentle on the skin.