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Wouldn’t it be great if we could just tell our skin to behave like it did in our 20s—just by applying a serum? Well, that’s exactly what growth factors in skincare claim to do. But is there any solid science behind it, or is this just another overhyped anti-aging trend?

 

 

Today, we will look at what Growth Factors are, if they actually work and if they are safe to use in your skincare routine!

Let’s look at the data and separate facts from marketing.

 

 

What Are Growth Factors?

Growth Factors are naturally occurring proteins in our bodies that act as cell signaling proteins. They regulate different things depending on their specific subtype, including cell growth, cell differentiation, blood vessel growth and inflammation to name just a few. These properties make them quite important for wound healing. If there is damage anywhere in the body the cells release a cocktail of Growth Factors, Cytokines and other substances that accelerate repair through different mechanisms.

Think of them as messengers that tell your skin cells what to do—like repair damage or make more collagen.

Growth factors can be produced everywhere in the body, but we want to focus on the ones made in the skin.

They are called epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor, or, in International Nomenclature for Cosmetic Ingredients (short INCI) human oligopeptide-1 for Epidermal Growth Factor, human oligopeptide-10 for Platelet Derived Growth Factor and human oligopeptide-12 for Fibroblast Growth Factor 9.

Although often confused, they are not the same as Human Growth Hormones. Growth Factors act locally between the cells that produce them and neighbouring structures, making them relevant for targeted skin treatments. In contrast, Growth Hormones travel through the bloodstream and impact various organs and tissues throughout the body.

They are also not the same as stem cells, another buzz word you’ll often see on product packaging: Stem cells are unspecialised cells that can differentiate in different cell types, and stem cells also have the ability to produce Growth Factors, but they are a cell while Growth Factors are just a messenger protein.

 

 

Where Do Growth Factors in Skincare Come From?

Growth factors are produced in the human body, and as you might well be aware of, it is at least in the EU forbidden to sell products that contain actual human parts – for ethical and for hygienic reasons.

At the same time Growth Factors, like all messenger proteins, are highly specific. Rose bush Growth Factors wouldn’t work on Human cells.

The first Growth Factors used in cosmetics – that was in the early 90s – originated from a human cell culture. More specifically from foreskin of a baby that was circumcised and from which cells were taken to create cell cultures in the lab. Mind you, there is no actual human foreskin in the products and never was, it is just that the cells were originally taken from that body part and stimulated to produce Growth Factors. These Growth Factors were then extracted, purified and used in products.

That is completely legal, but raised some ethical concerns in consumers, which is why in the last decades alternatives were explored.

Now in addition to the original method of Growth Factor production there are some that are made from human stem cells taken from the umbilical cord or human fat tissue or bone marrow as well as those produced by genetically modified plants like Barley or from snails, again genetically modified to be identical to the ones from human cells. (More info: The benefits of snail mucin in skincare explained)

While there are several studies comparing the effects and stability of one form of Growth Factor production to the other, I can’t tell you which ones are the most effective, as results are inconsistent and vary depending on which company financed the study – to no ones surprise usually their method of production comes out superior.

There is a theoretical advantage for the ones made from human cells, especially when these cells come from a baby that is programmed for growth and scar free healing, but in the end I think this is a decision that you should make based on your ethical point of view. I would be interested in how you feel about that, so please share in the comments below.

 

 

What Are Growth Factors Supposed to Do?

But what are Growth Factors in your skincare actually supposed to do? As messenger proteins they are supposed to signal the fibroblasts to produce more collagen and elastin, the keratinocytes to keep replacing themselves at a higher speed and the blood vessels to proliferate to bring oxygen and nutrients to the skin.

Which in turn means that fine lines and wrinkles are reduced, and the skin becomes firmer with improved elasticity. Wounds heal faster—especially important after procedures—and the skin tone appears more even. Basically that signs of aging are reversed.

But do they really? Let’s look at some problems and then at the data we have.

 

 

The Problems with Growth Factors in Skincare

The first problem Growth Factors face in their claim to effectively reducing the signs of aging is their sheer size. If you are familiar with the Dalton rule, you’ll know that proteins with a molecular weight of more than 500 Dalton have a hard time penetrating the skin surface. Growth Factors are way larger than that and have to act locally as we already established, so the valid question is: If they are too big to penetrate the skin in relevant amounts and their area of effect, the keratinocytes and fibroblasts, lie deep in the skin, how can they possibly be effective with topical application?

I – and people much more involved in the topic than me – don’t really have an answer. They shouldn’t work, but still we have data that shows they do, which I will discuss shortly. So there are different theories, the most popular one being that they interact with a surface receptor, triggering a signalling cascade—a chain reaction of biochemical events—that travels from the skin surface down to the fibroblasts. It is a good theory, but as of today there is no proof.

You can of course bypass that problem by using Growth Factors after breaking the skin barrier with things like micro needling or laser resurfacing, and really it seems they are more effective when used like that. (More info: Microneedling at home – is it safe?)

Another problem Growth Factors in skincare products need to face is their instability. When you use them in the lab, they are stored at freezing temperatures so they don’t degrade and lose their effect, something for obvious reasons not possible when packaged in a serum you keep at home. Like many other things – I am looking at you, Ascorbic Acid – they degrade easily when in contact with air, light or heat, meaning if they aren’t formulated correctly, they might go into the product but have no effect anymore when said product reaches you as a consumer and you put it on your skin. There are means to address that, think air tight packaging, opaque containers and other means of stabilising them in the process, but in the end you’ll never know if the brand did its due diligence and there is still some active Growth Factors left or if it was in there once, but had degraded before the bottle even left the factory.

 

 

What Does the Scientific Data Say?

The good news is, we have data that shows that Growth Factors can indeed do what they are supposed to do, despite all the problems mentioned already.

But – the quality of the data isn’t the best. We mostly have manufacturer financed studies with small study populations, something we often see in skincare products. So the conclusion in the end will – as so often – be: We have promising results, but need larger and independent studies to say for sure if they are worth the money.

In the studies done, people using products with Growth Factors showed improvement in self-reported skin hydration, skin firmness and smoothness, and when biopsies were done, you could measure an increase in collagen.

In all of these studies though the results were barely visible to the naked eye, meaning that a) results were modest and subtle and b) probably took longer than the study duration to fully form – Growth Factors will not give you dramatic results over night.

Interestingly enough when people did a split face trial, using the Growth Factor product on one half of the face and the same product minus the Growth Factors on the other, both sides of the face showed improvement, the side with the Growth Factors just a little bit more. Which in turn means that using a basic moisturizer on its own is a great way to target signs of aging!

Another thing the data can’t tell us at the moment due to the many different products and protocols used is the ideal type and concentration of Growth Factor for each concern. Many brands use a “broth”, so different Growth Factor, Cytokines and other things all mixed in together, mimicking what the skin would release. Other brands use one or two Growth Factors in specific concentrations. Most brands don’t disclose concentration at all.

Which one is best is again not a question I can answer – especially as, like we mentioned before, you’ll only know what went into the product, not what was still active when you started applying it.

 

 

Are Growth Factors safe to use on the skin?

If something aims to stimulate cell growth, is it safe to use on the skin? Some worry that it could encourage the growth of unwanted cells, including precancerous ones, raising concerns about long-term safety. From everything we know, Growth Factors are safe to use in topical application, probably due to the fact that they don’t penetrate the skin in high enough concentrations. Products with Growth Factors have been on the market for more than 15 years with no reports of adverse side effects in consumers and no reports of any precancerous lesion becoming accelerated in growth through the use of said products.

The risk, while theoretically there, is deemed negligible and Growth Factors in the concentration available on the market are generally deemed safe.

If you were to follow a more is more approach – and in times of TikTok DIY skincare experiments it is probably important to touch on that – another hypothetical concern would be the collagen stimulation. Yes, we all want to preserve our collagen for bouncy and firm skin. But the overproduction of collagen wouldn’t be a good thing either and could lead to scar hypertrophy and skin fibrosis. Again, not a problem with what is available on the market right now, but something to consider before you start microneedling the 100% EGF solution snatched up from lab supply into your skin…

 

 

If You Want to Use Them, How Should You Incorporate Growth Factors into Your Routine?

Who would benefit the most from using Growth Factors in their routine and how should they be used for best results?

I think growth factors are something to consider for those that already have their basic foundation set – think sunscreen, retinoids, antioxidants – and don’t mind investing some money despite knowing that results might be subtle. I am thinking of people with mature skin and a good routine already that want to explore other options outside of in-office procedures and devices.

Or those after said in-office procedures looking for ways to speed up recovery – in this case talk to your provider about your options.

Products with Growth Factors go onto clean skin, should absorb completely before you follow up with something else and are ideally used at night when your skin goes into repair mode anyway. They seem to loose some of their effectiveness in an acidic environment, so don’t apply them directly with Vitamin C or acids, but let whatever you use first absorb completely to be sure.

And use them consistently – remember, the effects you can expect are subtle and take time, so they are a product that needs to be applied every night for months.

 

 

My personal thoughts – Are Growth Factors Worth It?

While I have certainly used products with Growth Factors in the past (and might in the future) it isn’t something I actively look out for. The backbone of my routine is sunscreen, retinoids and Vitamin C, all of which have more robust data and much less question marks around their effects. Not to mention that many Growth Factor products are quite expensive.

On the other hand I don’t think there is any harm in using them, and wouldn’t be worried from a safety perspective.

Further research is needed before I will recommend them for a good routine, although if you want to be an early adopter there is no harm in trying – if you have your basics covered and the money to spare. Just don’t expect them to change your skin over night.

At the same time I don’t think you are missing out if you decide not to use them at the moment.

 

 

TL;DR

Can a serum really make your skin behave like it did in your 20s? That’s exactly what growth factors in skincare claim to do.

Growth factors are proteins that act like messengers, telling your skin cells to repair themselves, boost collagen, and improve elasticity.

Now, here’s the problem: these proteins are way too large to penetrate the skin deeply. Some researchers believe they still work by interacting with surface receptors, triggering repair signals that travel deeper. But so far, there’s no solid proof.

Some studies show improvements in skin firmness, hydration, and faster healing, but the changes are subtle—definitely not a dramatic overnight transformation.

So, are they a must-have? In my opinion not really. But if you’ve already nailed your skincare basics—sunscreen, retinoids, and antioxidants—and you don’t mind spending extra for a potential boost, they might be worth trying.

 

 

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