The Secret To Plumper Lips & More Resilient Skin? Science

Bigger isn’t always better—but when it comes to collagen, hydration and healthy-looking skin, more can definitely be a good thing. FUNCTIONALAB has just unveiled two next-generation skincare innovations: a reformulated Collagen Infusion Lip Plumping Serum and an upgraded Intense Hydration anti-aging cream, both powered by cutting-edge peptide technology designed to support skin structure, renewal and long-term resilience. We caught up with Scientific Director Nathalie Pelletier to learn about the breakthrough ingredients behind the formulas, the future of anti-aging skincare and why peptides continue to be one of beauty’s most exciting categories. —Noa Nichol

Functionalab’s new formulas seem to go far beyond surface-level hydration or plumping. What was the scientific philosophy behind creating treatments that work with the skin’s natural regenerative mechanisms instead of simply masking signs of aging?

Our scientific philosophy is based on treating the skin as a living biological system rather than simply masking visible signs of aging. Before formulating, we study the biochemical and cellular mechanisms involved in skin aging, hydration loss, inflammation, and collagen degradation to identify the most effective and physiologically respectful active ingredients.

With Intense Hydration and Collagen Infusion, the goal was to work with the skin’s natural regenerative mechanisms by supporting collagen production, barrier function, cellular vitality, and long-lasting hydration, not just creating temporary cosmetic effects. We also believe true innovation must combine measurable clinical performance with a sensorial experience people genuinely enjoy, because consistency is essential for long-term results.

The new Intense Hydration cream targets 20 essential collagens, which sounds incredibly advanced. For readers who may feel overwhelmed by skincare science, why is collagen support so important to how skin actually looks and behaves over time?

Collagen is essentially the skin’s support structure, it’s what keeps skin firm, smooth, resilient, and youthful-looking over time. As we age, not only does collagen production naturally slow down, but existing collagen fibers also become damaged and break down faster due to inflammation, oxidative stress, and environmental exposure.

That’s why effective collagen support is about more than simply stimulating new collagen production. It’s equally important to help protect existing collagen and preserve the skin’s three-dimensional support structure for long-term firmness and elasticity.

With the new Intense Hydration cream, this approach is driven by an advanced Hyalu-Peptides technology that targets 20 essential collagens involved in the skin’s overall architecture and cohesion. It targets more than the 2 main structuring collagen types (I and III), to allow rebalance overall skin health, in-depth and superficially.

By combining biomimetic peptides with low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, the technology helps reinforce the skin’s 3D support network while also improving hydration and skin smoothness. Together, these mechanisms help visibly improve wrinkles, firmness, suppleness, and radiance over time; not just through temporary surface effects.

There’s been a huge shift toward peptide-based skincare in recent years. From your perspective as Scientific Director, what separates genuinely innovative peptide technology from marketing buzzwords?

Peptides are particularly interesting because they can deliver very targeted biological benefits while remaining highly compatible with the skin. Depending on their structure, certain peptides can help stimulate collagen production, improve skin firmness, support hydration, reinforce the skin barrier, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, or even help soothe inflammation.

What truly separates innovative peptide technology from marketing buzzwords is the quality of the science behind it: the peptide’s stability, bioavailability, concentration, clinical validation, and its ability to work synergistically with other ingredients. A peptide is only valuable if it can reach its biological target and produce measurable results.

Functionalab relies on biomimetic peptides, peptide technologies that draw inspiration from the intelligence of the human body. They mimic the skin’s exceptional biological properties to deliver multiple benefits.

Another major advantage of peptides is their excellent skin tolerance. Unlike some aggressive anti-aging approaches, well-designed peptide technologies can support skin regeneration and visible rejuvenation while respecting the skin’s integrity and comfort, even for sensitive skin.

The updated Collagen Infusion Lip Serum combines pro-collagen peptides with hyaluronic acid to support both volume and structural quality. How do you approach creating results that still feel elegant, subtle, and natural-looking?

The lips have a unique anatomy compared to facial skin: their outer layer is thinner, they contain nerve endings close to the surface, which increase sensitivity, and they are constantly exposed to environmental stressors, dehydration, and continuous movement. This makes them more prone to dryness and loss of definition.

With the updated Collagen Infusion Lip Serum, our approach is to enhance lip quality in a way that remains subtle and natural-looking. The combination of pro-collagen peptides and hyaluronic acid supports hydration and structural integrity, improving smoothness and softness.

Collagen Infusion reflects a balance between scientific efficacy, skin comfort, and refined cosmetic elegance. Formulated exclusively with mineral pigments, it respects the delicate nature of the lips while delivering a natural, sophisticated finish.

Many people are now seeking alternatives to more invasive cosmetic procedures or want skincare that enhances treatment results. How is advanced skincare changing the conversation around aging and aesthetic medicine overall?

Advanced medical-aesthetic treatments are becoming increasingly sophisticated, offering responses that align more closely with the evolving needs of the modern woman and man who seeks results that are effective, subtle, and integrated into a broader vision of skin health.

Our development philosophy always starts with ensuring strong clinical efficacy of our skincare on its own, without relying on medical-aesthetic procedures. Only then do we evaluate how these formulas perform in combination with various in-clinic treatments. This approach ensures that our clients always have full choice in how they wish to use the products, whether independently or as part of a combined protocol.

At no point do we separate scientific efficacy from skin health, barrier protection, comfort, and exceptional sensorial and organoleptic quality. Our dermocosmetic line is designed to stand alone as high-performance skincare, while also serving as essential complements to medical-aesthetic procedures, helping to prolong results, optimize outcomes, and protect the skin investment over time.

Functionalab has always balanced high-performance science with a luxury skincare experience. How do you ensure formulas feel sensorial and beautiful to use while still maintaining clinical credibility?

This philosophy is truly the foundation of our development approach and remains our highest priority. Every formula we create must first demonstrate strong scientific efficacy, while also helping restore the skin’s overall health, hydrolipidic balance, and natural resilience. Beyond correcting visible signs of aging, we aim to protect the skin from external and biological factors that can accelerate aging and compromise long-term skin quality.

To achieve this, our team carefully researches and selects advanced active ingredients with complementary benefits, including ingredients designed to deliver both anti-aging correction and sensory performance. These ingredients not only enhance the comfort, feel, and overall experience of the formula, but also actively support skin function and health.

For us, clinical performance can never be separated from skin comfort, barrier integrity, protection, and exceptional texture quality. These elements are completely interconnected. A product should not only deliver visible results but also provide a unique sensorial experience that makes the skin feel comfortable, balanced, and healthy every day.

Our clinical studies are specifically designed to validate all of these aspects before a product reaches the market. If a formula does not meet our standards of efficacy, tolerance, and cosmetic elegance and exceptional skin comfort, we go back to development and refine it until it does.

Looking at where skincare innovation is heading, what excites you most right now about the future of regenerative beauty and skin longevity—and what do you think consumers still misunderstand about truly healthy skin?

What excites me most about the future of regenerative beauty and skin longevity is that the industry is finally moving beyond purely aesthetic correction toward a deeper understanding of how the skin functions biologically over time. Our scientific approach has always been rooted in longevity. For us, it has never been only about slowing the appearance of wrinkles, but rather about helping the skin maintain its essential biological functions and its state of balance, or homeostasis, despite aging and environmental aggressions.

This includes protecting epidermal stem cells, preserving barrier function, reducing chronic inflammation or “inflamm’aging,” maintaining healthy cellular renewal, protecting DNA repair mechanisms, and improving the skin’s resilience against the damaging factors, including UV exposure, pollution, and oxidative stress. Long before “skin longevity” became a trend, our philosophy was already centered on helping the skin function younger for longer, rather than simply correcting visible signs of aging after they appear. Our biomimetic peptides, including sirtuin-activating technologies, were developed as pioneers within this longevity-focused vision.

One of the biggest misunderstandings consumers still have about healthy skin is that they often wait to correct the signs of aging once they become visible instead of working earlier to slow their development. It is very similar to general health: when we are younger, we rarely think about long-term health consequences, but with age, we become more aware of what we could have done earlier to preserve our quality of life. Skin longevity follows the same principle — prevention, protection, and maintaining biological balance are far more powerful than correction alone.