Biologique Recherche has a long commitment to customising its wide range of skincare products to the needs of the individual, including the use of DNA testing for diagnostics, to guide the prescription of treatments.

Now the company is adding the study of Chronobiology to its raft of prescription sciences.

Chronobiology – the scientific field that studies biorhythms – reveals the way the body responds to environmental variations that occur over time.

Three major cycles impact skin physiology. The first two – the nycthemeral and circadian cycles – are highly connected and last 24 hours on average. The third, the menstrual cycle, lasts around 28 days.

In order to establish the perfect times of day to use specific skin products to ensure optimum efficacy, the R&D team at Biologique Recherche, reviewed the science relating to the function of the skin to find out how it responds to these biological rhythms.

They found, for example, that the skin protects itself against environmental stressors during the day and repairs itself at night.

Thanks to this insight, the researchers have been able to determine the optimum time to apply products to get the best results.

“Chronobiology is very complex science and requires real expertise when determining a skincare routine, as it will depend on each person’s individual profile and each personalised skincare routine,” says Benjamin Choquenet PhD, R&D project manager at Biologique Recherche. “We asked ourselves, how can we improve our diagnoses? How can we improve the efficacy of our products?”

The method
Clients’ skin is assessed using the Biologique Recherche Skin Instant© Lab, a medical device which analyses the skin, diagnoses its condition and then prescribes products and treatments.

The Lab’s three-step methodology begins with an evaluation of the skin by expert therapists. This is followed by the taking of a series of measurements using five probes connected to a computer to measure moisture content, trans-epidermal water loss, skin elasticity, melanin and sebum content.

The combination of the results generates a personalised, dermo-cosmetic file, which enables therapists to make a customised selection of Biologique Recherche products and treatments, specifically tailored for each client.

This approach also gives clients the tools to be involved actively in their own treatment and because the right products are selected for each ‘diagnosis’, they get results.

Pierre-Louis Delapalme, co-président of Biologique Recherche, says: “Every time the guest comes to us, we assess their skin and identify how it’s changed. Your skin will have changed every time you come back to us, depending on the levels of stress you’re experiencing, what you eat, your hormonal cycle – there are so many reasons why your skin can change.

“Biologique Recherche spas keep a personalised history for guests, monitoring changes over time, so recommendations can be dynamically adjusted for each of them, to create a long-term treatment programme.

“Many people think the cosmetic industry is an ingredient battle – what’s new, what’s best etc,” he says. “We work differently, because our main source of inspiration is understanding the skin’s function.”