A lot of research hours have gone into our Renew Eye Cream and we couldn’t be prouder of the results! Renew represents a blending of tried and true skin-toning ingredients such as manuka honey, apricot oil, and witch hazel, as well as advanced technology based on the latest anti-aging know-how. The substance called Matrixyl® Morphomics™ in Renew is particularly unique. It represents a completely unprecedented way of repairing vertical line wrinkles on the face.

Youthful Skin Depends on Collagen  

If you’ve read some of our other articles on skin health you already know by now how collagen production weakens as a person ages. If you didn’t, get ready for a depressing statistic: on average, the majority of us will see our collagen production reduced by a whopping 40% by the time we’re 50 years old [1]!  

Why is this so significant, you may wonder? Here’s why… 

Numerous studies have discovered the direct link between age-related collagen reduction and the increase of “age lines” or wrinkles on the face [2]. This deterioration occurs first at the foundational, cellular level which is where Matrixyl Morphomics comes in.  

So Just What is “Matrixyl Morphomics”?

“Matrixyl Morphomics” may sound like a space-age ingredient name. In essence, however, there’s a pretty simple concept behind it. Designed by researchers and experts at the French company Sederma, it uses the power of amino acids to influence behavior and “reboot” cellular connections in the dermal layers of the skin. 

The main job of Matrixyl Morphomics is to influence the “cytoskeleton” of skin cells; this is the “microscopic network of protein filaments and tubules in the cytoplasm” of living things.  

It does this by influencing the “key players” in the anti-aging collagen production assembly line that all contribute to dermal morphology. In other words, how skin changes for better or worse with time and when in contact with specific substances and situations [3].  

Matrixyl Morphomics completes its job with the help of particular kinds of peptide groups called “matrikines,” each having a specific role to play in the healthy creation of collagen I, III, IV, and VI.  

Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of Healthy Skin

There’s a reason why amino acid supplementation is so popular these days. Amino acids form the basis for peptide groups and, ultimately, individual proteins. Healthy protein production is absolutely vital for the functioning of all of the body’s organs, including the skin.  

Collagen is made up of amino acids, namely glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. There are other amino acids besides these main three, though, that are just as important. In fact, several types of amino acids may go into the production of anti-aging collagen fibers for a particular kind of tissue. 

The specific amino acids that Matrixyl Morphomics employs form together to create the “matrikine” peptides mentioned above. Matrikines are unique because they stay together when normal amino acid groups typically break down. According to a 2004 French study, matrikines are very important for “proliferation, migration, protease production, or apoptosis” of healthy cells [4]. 

Diagram showing fibroblasts, collagen and elastin and how they help prevent wrinkles

Matrixyl Morphomics utilizes matrikines to re-form connections between fibroblasts and the skin’s extracellular matrix, or ECM. Fibroblasts are the primary cells that make up all connective tissue. They produce a substance called tropocollagen, which is needed to ultimately produce collagen [5].  

On the microscopic level, the ECM looks like a smooth gel that surrounds skin cells. In reality, it is made up of substances such as polysaccharides, water, and, of course, collagen proteins which together create a “matrix” of protection and information for healthy skin [6].

Matrixyl Morphomics helps to “re-establish and reboot” communication between the fibroblasts’ nucleus and the ECM, strengthening the “sticking power” of fibroblast cells.

What Kind of Face Wrinkles Does Matrixyl Morphomics Help With?

Phew, if you made it through all that science talk, well done!  

Now let’s talk about what specifically Matrixyl Morphomics as an ingredient in Renew Eye Cream can do for you. Matrixyl Morphomics is designed to help with four different yet related vertical facial lines (i.e., types of facial wrinkles). They are:    

  1. Frown Lines: As the name implies, these lines occur mainly on the forehead and give the consistent impression of a “furrowed brow.” 
  1. Crow’s Feet: Crow’s feet occur around the eyes. They extend out in a starburst formation, eventually making their way down the face.  
  1. Nasogenian Fold: The Nasogenian Fold extends from the bottom of the nose down the sides of the face. They are sometimes called “laugh lines.” Everyone, no matter what their age, has these lines, but they tend to become more pronounced with age.  
  1. Marionette Lines: Marionette lines occur on either side of the mouth and extend down and around the chin, making the face look “droopy.” 

There have been several studies demonstrating that Matrixyl Morphomics matrikine technology really works. For instance, an in vivo study on Matrixyl Morphomics with 32 female and 20 male participants with crow’s feet found significant improvement after just six weeks of use. Other studies have found success with marionette lines, frown lines, and recovery after frowning. Improvements may also continue the more one uses it [7].  

Renew Brings Nature and Science Together To Help Your Skin 

Any quality skin product worth its weight has to be able to improve the foundational structures that increase healthy collagen production. This is exactly what Matrixyl Morphomics does at the most foundational level.  

This is also why we decided to include not only this evidence-based product in our Renew Eye Cream but other natural substances that achieve this goal as well. This includes organically-sourced, high-quality avocado oil, olive oil, apricot oil, manuka honey, and witch hazel. 

All of the ingredients included in AnnieMak Clean Skincare Renew Eye Cream have been shown by countless studies to cleanse and moisturize the skin, reduce inflammation, and increase anti-aging collagen production either directly or indirectly.

To top it off, all of these safe, non-toxic ingredients also work synergistically to give you smoother, healthier-looking skin around your eyes (and mouth) no matter what your age!