Sebum RNA Monitoring and Cutting-edge Skin Care

At Kao, we abide by the concept of “Precision Life Care,” in which we strive for a precise understanding of the causes underlying a certain health issue and then propose solutions based on various approaches.
We also introduced this way of thinking in our Cosmetics Business Unit, and have established a “skin potential analysis system” based on precision skin monitoring to gain a detailed grasp of the current condition of the skin.

Over many years of dermatology research, Kao has devised unique ways to analyze skin.
For instance, by combining our original sebum RNA monitoring and corneospectral analysis methods, we created a cutting-edge skin monitoring technology to shed light on the true nature of skin problems.
This technology makes it easy for anyone to gain a detailed understanding of their skin’s condition even if they have no cosmetics store or advisor nearby. They do this by collecting serum RNA and stratum corneum samples themselves in a quick and targeted manner.

Corneospectral analysis is an original technology developed by Kao in which stratum corneum samples collected with a dedicated tape are examined using an infrared light measurement device for high-precision analysis of stratum corneum function.
Molecular-level data on all substances in the stratum corneum are collected, and statistical analysis is then done on these data to predict and analyze the natural function of the stratum corneum.

In the course of years-long dermatology research at Kao, we discovered that RNA exists in the sebum and developed an original technology to extract and analyze this RNA.
By analyzing the acquired RNA information with machine learning or other methods, we can now predict the totality of factors, including those inside the skin, that affect the skin’s condition. This had been difficult in the past. The technique is not only valuable in the cosmetics business, but also holds potential for application to various other fields in the future.

DNA, also called the “blueprint” of the body, is what carries the information needed to create every person’s inborn individual physical shape and properties, and it remains unchanged throughout a person’s entire life.
RNA, on the other hand, is made based on the DNA information and acts as the template for building proteins such as enzymes or hormones that play a multitude of roles in the body.
The types and amounts of RNA vary depending on the body part and tissue, and change daily in response to the body’s condition or external factors.