Uncovering the secrets of younger skin with No7

The University of Manchester’s 20-year partnership with a leading beauty brand has resulted in skin products that deliver on their promise of anti-ageing.

A proven solution to ageing skin

The University has collaborated with the UK’s leading health and beauty retailer, Boots and No7 Beauty Company for 20 years to investigate the intrinsic characteristics and environmental impacts behind skin ageing.

Research has delved into causes including inflammation and ageing across different ethnicities. The partnership has also focused on testing anti-ageing technologies, including beauty devices, to develop more effective interventions for both patients and consumers.

Anti-ageing products that deliver on their promise

No7 Protect and Perfect

As part of the development of No7’s Protect and Perfect line of skincare products, a novel clinical study showed that the anti-ageing serum induced a protein called fibrillin-1 – a key component of skin’s elastic structure – when skin biopsies were examined. This was the first time that a cosmetic product had been shown to improve photo-aged skin in this way. The results of the study were shown on a BBC documentary “Horizon” in March 2007, catalysing unprecedented demands for the product.

This research was followed by a 12-month anti-wrinkle clinical study on a next generation Protect & Perfect serum which was launched in 2009. Both clinical studies were published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

No 7 Future Renew

The University and No7 Beauty Company co-created world-first peptide technology drawing upon insights generated from 15 years of research together into skin ageing and repair. The key ingredient, PepticologyTM, is a blend of two tetrapeptides that occur naturally in the skin after damage to structural proteins like collagen-1, fibronectin and fibrillin-1.

In the laboratory, these peptides were shown to support the skin’s natural repair process, stimulating skin cells to produce more than 50 matrix proteins. The development journey of these peptides from in silico predictions through to in vivo clinical proof has been recently published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

After showcasing at the American Academy of Dermatology in New Orleans in March 2023, the peptides were first launched onto the cosmetic market in No7’s new skincare franchise, Future Renew, that targets the visible reversal of skin damage. This has become the most successful beauty launch in Boots and No7’s history. 

A patented partnership

Together, Boots and the University have achieved a strong publication record – filing sixteen patent applications and publishing 61 academic papers showcasing new findings in high impact dermatology and biology journals. Recipient of the BioNow Award in 2024, the partnership has been recognised as an exemplar of a business-academic collaboration.

The growing partnership has also enabled Boots and No7 Beauty Company to further meet customer needs through the development of its highly regarded product brands, while ensuring a leading competitive advantage within the anti-ageing skincare category. 

To date the research partnership has also helped attract: 

• a five-year BBSRC Collaborative Training Partnership for PhD studentships led by Boots in 2021;
• $multi-million in government funding (Prosperity, CTP and two IPAs);
• a defined programme covering dermatology research, clinical testing, basic biology, analytical science, pharmacy and regenerative medicine;
• ‘Skin School’, an online education resource that has become mandatory training for all No7 and Liz Earle skincare advisors in Boots stores and is a CIBTAC triple award winner for best skincare education from a High Street retailer;
• significant impact and reputational benefits;
• a hub for a wider partnership network;
• successful career progression for academic scientists.