Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2025

Author Spotlight: Non-Surgical Treatment of Melasma– Microneedling with Tranexamic Acid
Published on: January 19, 2024
A Topical Formulation Containing Macrocystis Pyrifera Ferment for Managing Barrier Damage After Mild-Moderate Skin
Uma Santhanam1, Jaime Emmetsberger1, Gregory Nole2
1Drs. Santhanam and Emmetsberger are with La Mer, Max Huber Research Labs in Melville, New York and The Estée Lauder Companies in Melville, New York.
Objective:
The primary objective of these studies was to evaluate the potential of a serum containing Macrocystis pyrifera ferment (MPF-Serum) to both strengthen the barrier of intact skin and enhance barrier recovery after a non-ablative laser procedure or glycolic acid chemical peel.
Methods:
Two whole-face clinical trials and three split-face, randomized, controlled clinical trials were conducted in women aged 31 to 65 years. The effect of MPF-Serum on barrier integrity and strength was assessed by transepidermal water loss measurement before and after controlled tape-stripping experiments and in-clinic 70% glycolic acid peel and non-ablative laser procedures.
Results:
Application of MPF-Serum twice daily for eight weeks on intact skin significantly increased mean moisturization by 16 percent and improved barrier integrity by 11 percent (p≤0.05 for both). Likewise, barrier strength across 8x tape-stripped skin showed a 30-percent improvement after eight weeks of treatment. In studies involving non-ablative laser procedures, MPF-Serum pre-treatment or post-treatment improved post-procedure barrier recovery to a greater extent than standard moisturizer. Likewise, in a study involving 70% glycolic peel, MPF-Serum pre-treatment improved post-procedure barrier recovery to a greater extent than no pre-treatment.
Limitations:
These clinical studies were conducted at a limited number of sites, with limited sample sizes and populations.
Conclusion:
This topical MPF-Serum effectively improves barrier integrity and strength and helps to reduce recovery time from dermatologic procedures such as glycolic acid peel and laser treatments.

