CEO and Co-creator of Noble Panacea, Céline Talabaza, on the business of boundary-breaking beauty and helming a science-led skincare powerhouse brand.
Céline Talabaza, CEO and Co-creator of Noble Panacea
As you were developing the line, what aspects did you prioritise and how did you develop the concept?
The brand’s founder and his discovery are at the very core and the reason we exist at Noble Panacea. Noble Panacea is the only skincare brand founded by a Nobel Laureate and it means the world. Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2016 for his work on supramolecular machines. His discovery, The Organic Super Molecular Vessel (OSMV), is a radically unique, smart, programable, safe encapsulation system that multiplies the efficiency of a skincare product.
“Pushing the boundaries on status quo and collaborating with a brilliant team is probably my favourite part of Noble Panacea”
I was brought on board to co-create the brand with Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart himself and Audrey Bois Nicolai, now Brand VP. We sat down at Northwestern University learning about the power of the newly discovered OSMV and asked a lot of questions about its potential: “Can we do this? Can we do that?”. Most of the answers I heard were “yes” and I knew we were onto something completely unique. The true groundbreaking scientific advancement of the technology sets Noble Panacea apart from all existing brands; Noble Panacea is a Deep Tech company, commercialising for the very first time a piece of fundamental research which took years to see the light. The fact that I could apply my knowledge from the beauty industry and pioneer, in terms of market availability, this new disruptive patented active ingredient delivery system to be used in a daily product has been very fulfilling. Pushing the boundaries on status quo and collaborating with a brilliant team is probably my favourite part of Noble Panacea.
What do other beauty brands lack that you hope to provide with Noble Panacea?
Noble Panacea is a Deep Tech organisation, which means we dedicate ourselves to bring first to market innovation. We are the only one in the world that provides this amount of precision for ingredient action on skin. Everything we do is data driven, cross tested and we recently announced Dr. Benjie Limketkai, MIT PHD, at the helm of our own laboratory in Irvine, California. I have been working with Ben since the inception of Noble Panacea and he is leading the future of the OSMV roadmap. Skincare is not a soup where you drop ingredients, mix them together hoping they will act on your skin. Skincare that works is based on understanding the relationship and evolutive bonds between supramolecules. We code and program our formula, so they unfold their intentional dosage and sequence of actives for your skin. This is completely breakthrough in beauty. This is a new patented technology.
The brand harnesses the power of scientific research and innovative technology. How challenging was it to refine the formulations?
The OSMV is a beautiful, serendipitous discovery. Throughout a process of crystallisation, Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart has created a very safe, predictable, sophisticated but tiny molecular sculpture that can encapsulate the active ingredients and release them in a preprogrammed sequence and dosage. Noble Panacea is the first brand to launch products with OSMV which means we produce small batches; everything is crafted with precision. It takes 10 to 12 weeks to produce one Noble Panacea product. We have our own team of scientists at the Noble Panacea Lab in Irvine, California. For a brand our size, it is unusual to have our own laboratory. This way we can control and respect the process of green chemistry and sophisticated testing protocol to deliver the most efficacious yet clean and eco-friendly formula. Work- ing with a Nobel laureate in Chemistry implies the very high sense of responsibility we have when it comes to the quality and the commitment behind every single product. The Noble Panacea Lab will check the proven efficacy of the different actives on white papers before we consider using them. Once proven, we will source them from the most trusted suppliers, we will then dissect them and load the hardworking proteins into the OSMVs in order to provide a very specific sequence and dosage to optimise the best skin results. For instance, our Exceptional Vitamin C booster releases 20 per cent pure L ascorbic acid during the whole day in pre-programmed controlled micro-doses, something that has never existed before.
Noble Panacea brings a line of performance-driven products with the groundbreaking OSMV Technology – a scientific discovery unique to Noble Panacea. What are the benefits that it adds to skincare?
Think about it as Time Release Technology. The OSMV can release the active ingredients the whole day or night in a specific order, at a controlled release rate, micro dosed so your cream keeps on working for you while you wear it. This innovative delivery system, a system of encapsulation of active ingredients, has been proven to increase the potency of your normal skincare (non OSMV) by tenfold. It does not only play a key role in time released ingredients, but it also protects them against negative cross interactions and can bring the molecules of these ingredients way deeper into where it is needed (+200 per cent penetration lab data). The OSMV is so precise that it can release the actives within the therapeutic window of efficacy, avoiding irritation and optimising efficacy.
For example, the Exceptional Chronobiology Sleep Mask is an excellent illustration of what the OSMV can do. The skin has its own circadian rhythm, and the nighttime process follows three stages from detoxification, to repair to highest permeability. The same way your sleep/wake cycle typically follows the shifts in light from day to night, your skin also adjusts itself on a 24-hour cycle. During the day, it is a shield–a barrier to protect us from environmental aggressors. At nighttime, when protection is no longer a priority, the skin has the opportunity to “detox” in order to ensure that cellular renewal is healthy and skin repair takes priority. This is the first stage in the overnight biorhythm, taking place between 11pm and 4am, when our Overnight Chronobiology Mask gentles exfoliates and supports microbiomes with Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) and a blend of pre-, pro-, and post-biotics. The repair stage then happens within a smaller window between 2am-4am where we see cellular regeneration powered by retinol and peptides to boost collagen and elastin. The final stage sees peak skin blood flow and an increase in temperature resulting in higher skin permeability, reaching its maximum from 4am onwards. Whilst this increase in skin permeability results in a rise in trans epidermal water loss (TEWL), it also means that skin’s absorption potential is at its maximum. This is why the Overnight Chronobiology Mask releases nourishing ingredients Ceramide NP and dual-molecular-weight Hyaluronic Acid for deep hydration and skin barrier support at this time. It is like having three facial experts operate their treatment on you at night while you are sleeping.
As a sustainable brand, Noble Panacea produces in small batches, single-dose and refillable packaging. Was this the idea from the outset?
Absolutely, when you build a new brand, it was essential for Sir Fraser and myself to build a routine which will limit waste while protecting the efficacy of the technology.
In terms of formulation, we have our own laboratory and this way we can control and respect the process of green chemistry and sophisticated testing protocol to deliver the most efficacious yet clean and eco-friendly formula. Our formulations are safe, clean and we are committed to using sustainably sourced active ingredients whenever possible. Not only are our formulas environmentally friendly, but our OSMV production process is also a closed-loop, renewable process with no waste. The OSMV structure is biodegradable and renewable. We also take pride in our sustainable packaging, including our infinitely refillable starch-based box that is plastic-free and all our packaging is 100 per cent recyclable, including our tertiary packaging made from FSC-Certified paper that comes from well-managed forests. To ensure optimal dosage and formula integrity, the formula must sit in our Active Daily Doses. We are committed to sustainability without compromising the efficacy of our products. Our doses are sent to our recycling partner in different regions of the World. With every purchase of our products comes a prepaid envelope to be delivered back to the organisation which recycles the doses. Building a successful beauty brand is a different beast.
What do you think has been pivotal to the continued and quiet success of Noble Panacea?
What is essential to the success of Noble Panacea is remaining true to our mission, which means never ever compromise on quality and stay laser focused on serving optimal skin health which is a synonym of making tough choices. My team is composed of very talented inter- national individuals based around the world and none of this would be possible without them. We have also built a genuine community composed of experts, brand adepts and word of mouth is essential for us. As you hint, we are a small company with high ambition.
The brand officially launched over five years ago globally and three years ago in the Middle East. Which products are selling out in the region?
The top choices in the Middle East region are The Exceptional Chronobiology Sleep Mask, the Exceptional Overnight Peel, The Absolute Lift oil and The Absolute Serum. All these creations are absolutely unique. The Peel, for example, helps with deep yet gentle exfoliation and is synced to your skin biorhythm at night. The Oil is the only oil that is able to deeply hydrate. While water soluble ingredients and oil are not friends, we were able to encapsulate hyaluronic acid in an oil format. Thanks to the OSMV we are breaking the old laws of chemistry. Our clients in the region have very high standards and expectations, they travel quite a lot, and they know Noble Panacea skin results are unmatched.
Now that summer season is here, what should we be investing and adding to our skincare routine that will deliver long-term results?
In summer, skin gets obviously dehydrated which can lead to all sorts of skin issues and premature aging is one of them. I would recommend adding The Elemental Hydrating Prep Lotion to any skincare routine as the first step post cleansing. The lotion releases hyaluronic acid during the whole day and that helps keep a hydrated healthy skin matrix which then allows all subsequent products to penetrate deeper. I would also recommend The Energist SPF 50, it is the only photoageing protector and corrector in the world to activate the release of ingredients triggered by UV light. Absolutely groundbreaking, it is a 100 per cent mineral filter which is essential to avoid finding chemical remains in the body (when using chemical UV filters).
What’s on the horizon for the brand – are there any particular developments that excite you for the future of your craft?
With our Chief Technology Officer, we are working on the OSMV roadmap, as a triggered technology there are multiple triggers that we can explore that can trigger the precise, intentional release of ingredients: time, water concentration, pH level, enzymatic activity, UV light etc. We are working on the next generation of OSMV in order to propose revolutionary solutions for the skin. Something very exciting is coming later this year. In the Middle East region, we are now distributed in Bloomingdales, Ounass and Harvey Nichols and we will be launching at Aeon Clinic at the iconic Royal Atlantis very soon. It is a state-of-the-art lon- gevity clinic where they only adopt the most cutting-edge solutions, we are very honoured and excited to launch with them.
This is The Discovery Issue – what is your latest and greatest discovery?
Noble Panacea is all about discovery. From the supramolecular invention of Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart to the endless future potential of the deep-tech OSMV. A great discovery recently was when I recently visited the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, and I was in awe of the architecture of Jean Nouvelle and the neuro synergy it creates in calming the soul. It is fascinating to learn how the roof is mimicking overlapping leaves where you can still feel the sun, but it is creating a gorgeous light as well as lowering the temperature. My favourite part was that we were surrounded by octagonal shapes, and this is the iconic shape for Noble Panacea as it mimics the octagonal structural shape of the OSMV.
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