Studies show inflammation is the root cause of almost all illnesses, including skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, acne, and rosacea. Collectively, these diseases affect over 20% of the population. Inflammation is both a medical and aesthetic concern, manifesting in visible signs like redness, swelling, and skin texture changes that are often a sign of deeper health issues. As the line between beauty and health becomes increasingly blurred, addressing inflammation is a growing focus for the beauty industry and a major priority for consumers who are increasingly interested in products that promote skin longevity as much as aesthetic results.
According to Spate, a trend forecasting agency that tracks over 20 billion search signals, face inflammation searches are showing a positive growth of +58.6% year over year compared to last year, receiving an average of 4,100 monthly searches. Top searches include “inflammation on face” and “how to reduce inflammation on face,” indicating that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the effects of inflammation and are actively seeking solutions. Beauty consumers today are more informed and knowledgeable than ever before and are starting to recognize that skin concerns often stem from underlying inflammatory processes rather than surface-level issues.
“Consumers are increasingly aware that inflammation is linked not only to short-term skin issues like redness or irritation but also to long-term skin health and aging,” Dr. Anthony Rossi, a board-certified dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, told BeautyMatter. “This chronic inflammation leads to exacerbation of symptoms and skin changes, wrinkles, and elastic and collagen breakdown.”
With growing awareness of inflammation's impact on skin health, consumers are also discovering the concept of “inflammaging,” a chronic, low-grade inflammation that accelerates the aging process. Unlike acute inflammation, inflammaging is less visible but contributes to signs of aging such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and dullness.
“What's interesting about inflammaging is how sneaky it is,” said Dr. Rossi. “It works beneath the surface, slowly speeding up aging without obvious signs. This has led to new skincare products designed to calm inflammation, protect the skin, and prevent long-term damage.”
While many skincare brands claim to target inflammation, it’s often listed as just one of many claims and not the main focus. However, mounting consumer interest and scientific research suggest inflammation is poised to become a central focus in skincare. Sitting at the intersection of beauty and wellness, inflammation represents a key opportunity for brands to bridge skincare with holistic health.
Inflammation and Inflammaging by the Numbers
According to data provided by Market Defense, inflammation is a hot keyword on Amazon. There are 440,000 searches per month for various keywords related to inflammation, up 17% year over year.
Inflammaging averages a modest 2,900 monthly searches, but it spiked to 12,000 in October—an impressive 800% year-over-year increase. “While still emerging, this signals a burgeoning trend worth watching closely,” a representative from Market Defense told BeautyMatter.
The rising search volume also points to an opportunity for brands to educate consumers about anti-inflammatory ingredients and develop targeted products that address both the visible signs and root causes of facial inflammation.
On Google, inflammaging receives 860 average monthly searches, per Spate. Top searches include inflammation, inflammaging definition, and define inflammation, reflecting that consumers are trying to educate themselves and understand what inflammaging is. On TikTok, this trend’s top related hashtags are #inflammation (1,300 average weekly views), #autoimmunedisease (1,100 average weekly views), and this trend’s top related branded hashtag is #deindeskin (481,700 total views), which offers anti-inflammaging skincare products.
Inflammation is far more popular on TikTok, averaging 222,500 weekly views in the US, which is considered a moderate volume on this platform. On TikTok, this trend’s top related concern hashtags are #hormonalacne (30,000 average weekly views), #cysticacne (27,600 average weekly views), and #acne (20,600 average weekly views).
Ingredient Innovation
Inflammation is not a new concept in skincare, but what is new is a deeper scientific understanding of how inflammation affects the entire body and its central role in the aging process. Used for centuries in cultures across the globe, botanical extracts such as chamomile, calendula, and green tea, are known for having antioxidants that help lower the effects of inflammation. While traditional anti-inflammatory ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, centella asiatica, allantoin, bisabolol, and panthenol are effective, the category is also seeing significant innovation with the emergence of new patented peptides that target inflammation at the cellular level.
Dr. Rossi developed a proprietary peptide inspired by sea anemone venom that helps calm hyper-reactivity and irritation. First discovered in the venom of Heteractis crispa sea anemones, Dr. Rossi produced a vegan, lab-synthesized version of this peptide and encased it in shea butter for improved absorption. He created the peptide after discovering a connection between TRPV1, premature skin aging, and skin sensitivity. As he explains it, TRPV1 is a protein that is responsible for regulating body temperature. When TRPV1 receptors in the skin overreact, it can result in sensitivity, inflammation, and redness. This overreaction can also stimulate the production of enzymes known to break down collagen, accelerating the visible signs of premature aging.
This first-of-its-kind peptide is proprietary to Dr. Rossi DERM MD and helps regulate and calm skin sensitivity by targeting the TRPV1 protein and, in doing so, addresses the root cause of inflammaging. Dr. Rossi performed clinical trials that show improvements in signs of aging, which will be published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology in the coming months.
Founded by four Brazilian PhD scientists in 2016, OneSkin spent five years analyzing over 900 peptides before discovering OS-01, the first ingredient scientifically proven to reverse skin's biological age by preventing the accumulation of senescent cells, which are a major driver of aging and continually build up over time as we age. Also called “zombie cells,” senescent cells start creating inflammation as they stop functioning. The inflammation that these zombie cells secrete leads to an increase in enzymes that degrade collagen and elastin.
“When we are young, we have a better ability to repair damage, so our skin maintains that homeostasis state,” OneSkin’s co-founder Carolina Reis Oliveira, PhD, explained. “As we grow older, we lose that efficiency of repairing damage. We are also exposed to more damage in our day-to-day life, so that damage accumulates, and that damage that's not repaired ends up triggering low-level inflammation.”
People can prevent the accumulation of these old cells by activating the skin's ability to repair damage more efficiently. OneSkin’s OS-01 peptide does this by down-regulating inflammatory pathways.
Inflammation extends far beyond skincare; it's a systemic issue that affects the entire body's health and function. According to Oliveira, skin inflammation can actually impact a person’s systemic levels of inflammation because the skin is the largest organ in the human body.
A clinical pilot study from the University of California, San Francisco found that properly caring for the skin with a moisturizing cream may lower inflammation levels and potentially reduce the risk of a number of age-related diseases. By restoring the skin barrier and reducing the inflammation in your skin, you can also lower the levels of inflammation that's coming from the skin to the body, improving overall health.
OneSkin replicated the study with its proprietary OS-01 peptide and found that it reduced the number of senescent cells in the skin by up to 50%. By reducing cellular senescence, the OS-01 peptide can slow the aging process and associated aging processes.
“In our studies, one of the consistent results that we see either when we treat skin cells or skin tissues in the lab, we can see a reduction of the overall inflammatory profile, and this is really important, because when you reduce inflammation, you allow the healthy skin cells to thrive, and they produce more collagen.”
Deliverance Serum, the first topical product from the skincare brand Dieux, was created to soothe and treat inflammation caused by co-founder Charlotte Palermino’s atopic dermatitis. Palermino and her co-founder, cosmetic chemist Joyce de Lemos, knew that cannabinoids offered therapeutic benefits, but they didn’t know at what percentage they would be most effective. Hemp plants have over 200 cannabinoids, which led them to conduct studies to determine which cannabinoids are best at taking down the inflammation. The two discovered that a low percentage was really beneficial in taking down redness and inflammation on the skin.
“I remember Charlotte put it on her skin, and within two hours, her skin had calmed down,” de Lemos tells BeautyMatter. “I think that was the turning point when she and I both turned to each other and said we're on to something.”
As the two continued to develop the brand, they explored the effects of inflammation on the skin, including skin sagging, loss of collagen production, wrinkles, fine lines, and hyperpigmentation. De Lemos said she continues to formulate with this in mind.
“Inflammation can really interrupt the functionality of the skin barrier,” she explained. “If you have a functioning lipid barrier that is moisturized, soothed, and not irritated, that’s going to prevent all of those things that you don't want to see on your skin, whether that’s skin sagging, collagen depletion, or hyperpigmentation. That's why we're always pushing for [reducing] inflammation and keeping the skin moisturized and hydrated.”
Outside of cannabinoids, de Lemos believes that exosomes have the potential to transform how skincare ingredients are delivered into the skin, potentially making anti-inflammatory ingredients even more effective. Exosomes are naturally occurring extracellular vesicles that are typically sourced from blood, skin cells, or stem cells. These microscopic structures offer potential therapeutic benefits when applied topically to the skin or injected into deeper dermal layers. According to de Lemos, some companies are developing plant-derived alternatives to human-sourced exosomes, aiming to harness similar biological mechanisms using botanical materials.
“You might take something like centella asiatica or allantoin and put it in a plant-based exosome, and it’s better than any other type of liposome because it's going to penetrate the skin more deeply, and it's going to be more compatible with the skin, meaning less irritation and less inflammation, which leads to less inflammaging,” she said. “I think it's super exciting, and it's going to open up a lot of different channels to get those same benefits, but in a more effective way.”
L’Oéal-backed biotech company Debut launched an inflammaging-focused skincare range called Deinde in 2024. Deinde’s product offering includes a whipped cleanser, a moisturizing facial stick, and a skin-strengthening serum, with prices ranging from $32 to $88. Each SKU was designed to address and prevent inflammaging. Deinde hopes to educate consumers on inflammaging and make it a common word among consumers, positioning its brand as the solution.
The brand’s formulas feature upcycled date seed extract and a biomimetic tripeptide, fuelled by the biotech-derived anti-inflammatory polyphenol naringenin. This ingredient, derived from grapefruit extract, is said to be 15 times more efficacious than niacinamide in combating dry skin and loss of elasticity.
Deinde tested its proprietary ingredient by treating skin cells with a “stress cocktail,” which led to a considerable increase in stress markers. When Deinde’s scientists treated those cells with naringenin, they found that they could restore the cells to their baseline, restoring them to healthy levels despite the chronic stress they were subjected to. Deinde relies on biotech to maximize the anti-inflammatory benefits of this novel ingredient.
“With biotech, we can make something that's really pure and determine the optimal dosage, whereas a lot of things like niacinamide are used at such high levels that people start to develop irritation or sensitivities to them over time,” Taylor Oswald, Vice President of Ingredient and Product Innovation at Deinde, tells BeautyMatter.
The beauty device market also prioritizes inflammation reduction as a key benefit. Therabody recently launched the TheraFace Depuffing Wand, a 2-in-1 heating and cooling device designed to target inflammation. Red LED light therapy masks tout anti-inflammatory benefits while stimulating collagen production. The red light therapy market has grown by nearly 40% since 2018 and currently has an estimated value of over $1.2 billion, indicating a growing awareness of its benefits for addressing various skin conditions, including inflammation.
Celluma, an LED light therapy device brand, considers itself part of the skin longevity and healthy aging movement. According to Annet King, VP of Global Sales at Celluma, red light therapy is poised to be a key element in preventative skincare. This is particularly true as consumers and professionals increasingly favor non-invasive skincare solutions.
“With regular use, [red light therapy] can delay signs of aging, reduce inflammation, and optimize skin function at the cellular level, which makes it an ideal addition to daily skincare regimens focused on long-term results,” King told BeautyMatter. “We envision red light therapy becoming as essential as sunscreen and moisturizers in modern skincare routines.”
Inflammation affects the body both internally and externally. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates skincare claims about "appearance" by distinguishing between cosmetics and drugs. Cosmetics can claim to change the appearance of skin (like reducing wrinkles), but not to treat, cure, or prevent diseases. Drugs, however, require FDA approval if they claim to affect the structure or function of the skin to treat a condition.
Inflammation affects the body both internally and externally, which is where things get tricky when it comes to regulation. The FDA differentiates between cosmetics and drugs when regulating skincare claims related to appearance. This is why many skincare companies claim to alter the skin's appearance.
According to the FDA, if a product claims to treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent a disease (like psoriasis, eczema, acne, rosacea, or any other condition that causes inflammation in the skin), it is considered a drug and is therefore subject to FDA regulation. Despite numerous clinical studies demonstrating the effectiveness of topical skincare products to reduce inflammation, skincare companies are restricted to marketing these products based solely on appearance-related claims.
The FDA has not released updated guidelines specifically addressing inflammation claims within the skincare industry. (BeautyMatter contacted an FDA representative for comment but received no response at time of publishing.)
Investor and Retail Movement in the Anti-Inflammatory Space
Longevity is one of the hottest trends of 2025, and reducing inflammation is key to slowing down aging and preventing the onset of age-related diseases. Investors are eager to back companies developing innovative anti-inflammatory products that bridge the gap between beauty, wellness, and health. In 2024, Puig took a majority stake in Dr. Barbara Sturm, a German luxury skincare brand positioned as a leading authority in anti-aging and anti-inflammation. Also last year, OneSkin closed its Series A investment round, bringing total funding for the brand to $20 million and fueling a new phase of growth and innovation in this burgeoning category.
"At OneSkin, we are excited to announce this new round of funding, which will further drive our mission to transform how we think about our skin, not only by optimizing our aesthetics using cutting-edge science, but also by focusing on its functional role as our largest organ and the impact in our overall health and longevity,” said Oliveira.
Currently, OneSkin can be purchased directly from their website or on Amazon. While they haven't expanded to other retailers yet, Oliveira mentions that there has been interest. “There is still some work to do on simplifying the science and making it a little bit more approachable to the [average] consumer before we think of expanding to retail,” she said.
Beauty conglomerates are getting in on the ground floor of anti-inflammation research by investing in or partnering with biotech companies to commercialize their breakthrough innovations. Deinde raised over $70 million in funding through its $40 million Series B round, which was led by L’Oréal’s BOLD venture capital fund. It is estimated to accumulate between $3 million and $5 million in first-year sales.
“People just started talking about inflammaging, but there was no ingredient,” Joshua Britton, PhD, founder and CEO of Debut said at BeautyMatter’s FUTURE50 event in 2024. “Once we were able to understand what we’re trying to target on a formulation level, we were able to enlist the scientists. We had to discover a new ingredient. We screened molecules on different skin cells and looked at gene responses. Once you know how the claim is meant to come forward in the product, it’s about how do we turn those genes on?”
According to Britton, product innovation is “the bottom line for investors,” many of whom he said understand that science-backed beauty is on the rise and that only a select number of brands can claim true science and innovation. Inflammaging is bigger than a fleeting trend: it’s backed by two decades of research and 1,500 peer-reviewed papers. Current science indicates that it’s a root cause of key health concerns and central to growing health, nutrition, and beauty trends.
“Investors also gravitate towards companies that have a protectable difference,” said Britton. “Unless you have access to proprietary ingredients, like we do at Deinde, then anyone can jump on the bandwagon, and it’s back to merely marketing innovation that comes and goes with the wind. Thanks to our extensive [research and innovation], we can keep on innovating and delivering best-in-class ingredients and products. That’s an irresistible proposition to investors.”
Britton said there has been “genuine excitement” at the retail level for products that target inflammaging. Marketing the science and technology in a way that’s palatable to consumers is a critical challenge for all brands in this space. Deinde has been approached several times about retail partnerships, but Britton said the brand is being very selective about where and when it will decide to jump into retail.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (ELC) recently announced a collaboration with biotechnology company Serpin Pharma to explore how Serpin’s anti-inflammatory research can be applied to cosmetics. The terms of the partnership were not disclosed. Serpin Pharma has carried out two decades of anti-inflammatory research, yielding proprietary biotech technology that demonstrates remarkable efficacy in mitigating inflammation and enhancing cell resiliency.
“This novel technology will advance our transformative innovation agenda by pushing the boundaries of breakthrough scientific discovery,” said Carl Haney, Executive Vice President of Global Innovation and Research and Development (R&D) at The Estée Lauder Companies. “In partnership with Serpin Pharma, we’re exploring powerful new biological pathways and cutting-edge biotech ingredients to rapidly mitigate visible skin irritation and sensitivity for our prestige beauty consumers worldwide.”
“Serpin Pharma was founded on the principles of biomimicry and how nature solves for signs of trauma and injury,” said Cohava Gelber, PhD, MBA, founder, Executive Chairperson, and CEO at Serpin Pharma. “We’re taking a novel approach by tapping into the body’s innate mechanism for resolving inflammation. We are proud to partner with ELC to explore how our powerful biotechnology can be applied to cosmetics and skin care.”
The anti-inflammatory and inflammaging skincare market is expanding rapidly as research continues to uncover inflammation's role in various skin concerns, from premature aging to acne. Consumers, now more educated about the skin and what it needs to function at the most optimal level, are actively seeking products with evidence-based ingredients that can effectively modulate the skin's inflammatory response—and they have to see it to believe it, which means brands will have to back up their claims with clinical validation. Brands that can effectively communicate their scientific expertise while delivering measurable results in reducing inflammatory markers are well-positioned to capture market share in this growing category.
Today’s consumers are no longer satisfied with treating the symptoms; they want to address the root cause of their various skin concerns, and inflammation is at the heart of almost all of them. By prioritizing prevention, consumers are looking out for their long-term skin health rather than seeking short-term solutions. Similar to the emerging scar care market, we can expect further innovation and increased investment in this dynamic sector where beauty and health intersect.
