The space-tested super antioxidant bacillus lysate hailed as ‘age defying’. So is it?

We’re all looking for skincare products that are out of this world in terms of the results they deliver.

Cue a new anti-aging ingredient created from an organism that was tested by Nasa in outer space!

It’s classed as an extremophile because it can survive in extreme conditions.

Now its derivative, bacillus lysate, is being used as a skincare super-ingredient by Delavie Sciences.

The company was founded by Dr Kyle Landry and Harvard professor Dr David Sinclair, best known for his longevity research. They incorporated the ingredient into a serum called Aeonia which, they say can both protect and improve hydration and skin pigmentation. 

So is this ‘Age Defying’ Serum truly out of this world? Or will consumers who spend $125 (just over £100 plus shipping) per bottle be brought down to earth with a bump?

The claims behind the serum

Delavie Sciences say their star ingredient, bacillus lysate, is a super-antioxidant that can protect against UV damage. It’s not classified as a sunscreen because it hasn’t been through an approval process by drug regulators. Instead it’s described as an SPF booster. 

Dr Kyle Landry of Delavie Sciences explains. “It’s a very strong antioxidant, but it’s unique because it quenches free radicals that are formed from UVA exposure. UVA is what causes fine lines and wrinkles.  

“It is the energy that penetrates your skin and breaks down all the things that make it elastic and plump. So you’re minimizing the damage.

“The second thing it does is it turns on or enhances your cells’ ability to make your own hyaluronic acid.  

“This is revolutionary. Most brands put hyaluronic acid in the formulation and hope that it penetrates. The dirty secret is that if hyaluronic acid is too big, it doesn’t penetrate. If it’s too small, it doesn’t bind enough water, so you’re not going to have substantial plumping effects.

“Nothing is more efficacious than your own body’s hyaluronic acid, and the bacillus lysate increases hyaluronic acid production in skin cells by over 200%.”

Bacillus lysate is also said to stimulate a signaling protein called Sirt1, a key sirtuin for longevity.

Sirtuins are proteins that play an important role in cell cycles and DNA repair. They’re thought to become less active as we age. That means want to stimulate them to keep being productive. 

What else is in the serum and how do you use it?

In addition to bacillus lysate, the original Aeonia Age Defying Serum formula also contains other recognizable ingredients.

They’ve added gycerin, wheat germ oil, hyaluronic acid, ferulic acid, niacin (or vitamin B3 which Dr David Sinclair fans will know he takes a keen interest in) and resveratrol, another powerful antioxidant. 

The strategy was to create an all-rounder product, replacing your antioxidant and hyaluronic acid serums, and used after cleansing and before moisturizing. 

It is recommended to be applied both morning and night, based on the frequency used in their studies. 

I’ve purchased the serum to test out and I’ve only been using in the mornings. Why? Because if applied twice daily using the dispensing dropper which cleverly gives you an exact measure each time, you end up using a heck of a lot of serum.

Essentially one bottle would last approximately 30 days. Right off the bat, if I am going to use this long-term I need to see benefits to my skin using less to make more cost sense.

The most impressive study

The most eye-catching study to my mind involved 35 participants whose skin was scanned before and after using the serum for a month.

There are some observable results in the photographs shared. And the supporting skin scan images show clear improvements to the skin surface and a reduction of wrinkles. 

The scans provide a more accurate way to examine changes in the skin compared with using the naked eye or asking volunteers to assess the difference.   

The surface evaluation of the skin using the Visioscan found a maximum average reduction of around 17% of wrinkling after 28 days of use.  

What the other tests showed

Delavie Sciences also carried out a Skin Glossymeter analysis, which reads reflected light from skin to test for brightness and radiance. Through this they observed maximum moisture increases of just under 16%, 30 minutes after application.  

Skin hydration changes measured by another third party device picked up a more significant moisture increase of 39% after the first 30 minutes of use.

After 24 hours of just one application, the moisture increase was just under 12%. That suggests the skin was still retaining quite a lot of that added moisture 24 hours after application. 

They also carried out tests on human skin tissue and saw that the serum reduced melanin content by inhibiting something called Tyrosinase activity. Tyrosinase is the enzyme responsible for the first step in melanin production. 

So as skincare studies go Delavie Sciences have gone further than most to prove the efficacy of their serum.  

My results from using the serum

With skincare, unless you’re using industry-recognized facial scanning equipment, whether something works for you or not is pretty subjective.

For me, I’m looking at how compatible the serum is with my skin, then whether I feel it looks better hydrated and more even toned. That increased hydration should lead to a visible reduction in fine lines because the skin is holding more water. 

Now I had a rocky start with this serum. It has a lovely light floral/ rose-like scent but that worried me because I usually prefer unscented products.

After I first applied the serum my skin felt warm, and became red and irritated looking. 

That settled after about an hour or so but the next day I had little pimples around my mouth and on my upper cheeks which wasn’t ideal.

A gentler formula

My skin carried on being slightly irritated for about 2 weeks. Dr Landry says a purge period of a week or so is fairly typical with this serum. 

As a result, Delavie Sciences have introduced a gentle formula for sensitive skin that was sold out at the time of writing. I’d certainly be keen to try it so I’ll keep checking the site for stock. 

The irritation from the original serum was also a factor in why I only used it once a day in the mornings.

I applied it under my Maysama fermented oil and before Bluelene sunscreen every morning. And as the weeks progressed, certainly by around week five I was admiring the condition of my skin. 

For me, it is the added hydration that is the stand-out result.

I’ve been making good progress with retaining my skin’s natural moisture by using an oil-based balm cleanser rather than washing. I’ve also cut back on skincare actives so I replaced my vitamin c product with this serum.

I want to give this a good run to judge the longer-term benefits. I’m motivated by the idea of enhanced protection for my skin that doesn’t come from adding chemical sunscreens, plus the moisture gains. 

I’ve just started applying the serum to my chest area where I have a few sun spots to see if it makes a difference there too.

So while this isn’t a facelift in a bottle – nothing is – I think this is a product (and an ingredient) with a lot of promise.

Delavie Sciences have exclusive rights to bacillus lysate and it’s likely we’ll see the ingredient crop up in other products. Hopefully, we’ll see the price come down in time too.

Cheaper alternative

Some of my clever viewers flagged there is a cheaper alternative that carries similar, though not identical properties to bacillus lysate and it’s called ectoin.

There is quite a buzz around this skincare ingredient for similar reasons to our space-tested friend, but the good news is it’s considerably cheaper.

While the bacteria that bacillus lysate is derived from is classed as an extremophile, ectoin is an extremolyte, a molecule that helps microorganisms survive in extreme environments.

There are also a few studies supporting its benefits which, like bacillus lysate, includes boosting UV protection, and hydrating skin from within. It’s thought to have strong antioxidant properties and has been linked with a reduction in hyperpigmentation too.

And certainly in this infancy stage when bacillus lysate is so expensive to use, ectoin represents a more cost-friendly alternative. I’ve just ordered a couple of Biossance products, including the hugely popular copper peptide serum, which include ectoin so I can compare the benefits.

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