Instead of watching this skincare space, PCA Skin is heading to outer space. After Estée Lauder sent its Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex on a cosmic quest aboard a Cygnus spacecraft, and partnered on the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory Sustainability Challenge: Beyond Plastics initiative, and Colgate-Palmolive explored the growth of oral biofilms at the ISS National Lab, now the skin health-focused brand is setting its sights above the stratosphere in search of new dermatological revelations.

It will be the very first private-sector experiment on skin health aboard the ISS, focused on the impact of microgravity on skin-related genes. Colgate-Palmolive, which acquired PCA Skin back in 2017, paired its scientist team with BioServe Space Technologies, which specializes in engineering space-based life science investigations, and lab-grown skin developer, MatTek Life Sciences, for its sophomore space endeavor. After being exposed to microgravity conditions aboard the ISS for several days, skin samples will be frozen and returned to earth for investigation, measured alongside matching control experiments.

“We know from historical data that space travel and lengthy exposure to microgravity have profound effects on the skin. Astronauts in space experience thinning, dry skin that is susceptible to cuts. Through this exciting endeavor, we’ll be able to gather new data on the skin health biomarkers behind those changes—data which will be available faster than it would be on Earth,” comments Global Technology and Design Vice President for Colgate-Palmolive’s skin health businesses Lia Arvanitidou. PCA Skin hopes to apply said data for future product development across the PCA SKIN, Filorga, and EltaMD ranges.