Sali Hughes on beauty: exosomes are all over TikTok, but are they really the next big thing in anti-ageing skincare?

I attended a big skincare industry event in New York last autumn, at which people seemed to be discussing exosomes as though all other anti-ageing skincare products and methodology would soon be rendered redundant. I’ve read countless roundups of new exosome products since then (£430 for a serum!), and felt the inescapable buzz of a perceived major breakthrough in skincare, and so you know what I’m about to do, again. I’m going to suggest everyone calms the hell down and finds something more worthwhile to spend their money on.

Exosomes, in very basic terms, are tiny, naturally occurring parcels of material used as a communication device between skin cells. They can positively influence skin cell behaviour, such as regeneration and healing. Studies into whether extracted exosomes work in treatments for skin inflammation, hair growth and scarring are so far mostly small, pre-clinical and it must be said, very promising, albeit far from conclusive. We don’t yet know how best to extract exosomes, how stable they are, how they should be used to best effect, whether they will work topically, or what impact they may have on things like skin cancers.

Dermatologists I’ve spoken to are optimistic, intrigued and very engaged with exosome research. They’re way more cautious and nothing like as giddy as cosmetic product developers, who are racing to market. They want to exploit the consumer frenzy that has already been whipped up on TikTok, where evidence matters not a jot to the pro-sunbed, anti-sunscreen, anti-vaccination quacks who seem to be so favoured by the algorithm.

What I’m suggesting here is that one holds one’s horses because more study is needed. Or, if the premature promise proves irresistible, that the products have enough in their favour that exosomes are a welcome addition rather than a linchpin, or cheap enough that there’s no harm in giving them a whirl. In the former category is Trinny London’s new Naked Ambition serum (from £27), a vitamin C that gives instant glow, with azaleic acid that works well in reducing redness and blotchiness to which many in middle age are resigned. Also Medik8 C-Tetra Advanced (£69), which contains a whopping 20% stabilised vitamin C for brightness, additional antioxidants for free-radical protection, and plenty of hyaluronic acid for hydration, all in an unusually (for vitamin C) lightweight and elegant gel. In the latter category is Inkey List’s Exosome Hydro Glow Complex (£20), a lovely hydrating serum with exfoliating properties for smoothness and glow.