Gattefossé unveils climate-adaptive bioactive inspired by silk
Last update on Apr 23, 2026
This year, at in-cosmetics global, Gattefossé proudly celebrated its French heritage with the launch of a novel bioactive inspired by silk. Silkaress™ mirrors the protective function of silk and responds to the current challenges of adapting to unpredictable, sometimes extreme changes in the environment.
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From market shift to silk-inspired adaptive skin science
“The market is shifting toward climate adaptive beauty products that focus on skin resilience rather than simple protection. The unpredictability and interactions of environmental stressors require the development of responsive and more personalized formula s, that adjust to individual lifestyles. Over the past years, our research team has delved into this new chapter with one question in mind: how can we help skin not just survive, but thrive, in an era of environmental volatility?," said Laurie CANEL, product marketing leader, active ingredients.
Gattefossé researchers have studied living systems capable of dynamic protection. One striking example is the delicate interplay between silkworm and white mulberry (Morus alba) leaves, which gives rise to the silk cocoon. In sericulture, silkworms feed exclusively on white mulberry leaves, whose richness in key nutrients gives silk its softness and protective properties.
Inspired by this natural bioconversion, Gattefossé sought to replicate this phyto structural sophistication, combining white mulberry leaves into a structured supramolecular extractive system known as NaDES.
“Living systems have developed remarkable strategies to adapt, protect themselves, and survive in constrained environments. Thanks an exploratory work combined with our strong expertise in phytochemistry, bioprocessing, and skin biology, we developed a bioinspired phytocomplex that demonstrates exceptional adaptive capabilities. Leveraging AI, specifically bioinformatics, allowed us to further characterize the ingredient’s activation pathways in skin cells, with a particular focus on the post-translational phosphorylation process,” said Lucie COUTURIER, head of R&D, actives ingredients.
Offers softer, smoother, protected skin
Targeting protein phosphorylation Combining phosphoproteomic approaches with bioinformatic analysis, proteomics, and tissue engineering, Gattefossé unveils that Silkaress™ is able to significantly modulate protein phosphorylation in keratinocytes, the key mechanism behind cellular adaptation.
By activating critical signaling pathways for epidermal cohesion and vitality, Silkaress™ promotes skin resilience, supporting its ability to withstand shifting climatic conditions and preserve the integrity of the skin barrier.
In clinical studies on Caucasian volunteers with dry and sensitive skin, Silkaress™ was shown to restructure the micro-relief and homogenize hydration. This translates into a silk-like protective effect and a deep feeling of comfort and well-being.
Silkaress™ offers softer, smoother, protected skin for a wide range of applications, including climatesmart skin care, everyday outdoor defense products, cocooning, and comfort-first formulas.
In search of premium white mulberry leaves, Gattefossé journeyed to the biodiversity reserve of the Cévennes National Park in southern France, the historic cradle of French sericulture. Here, the company partner, Sericyne, is devoted to revitalizing a historically emblematic regional industry with special attention to traceability, ethics, and durability.
Silkaress™ is an organic-certified signature ingredient uniting performance, naturality, and a deep connection to French savoir-faire, crafted to meet cosmetic brands’ expectations for uniqueness and sustainability.