Partnerships that go beyond skin deep

The UNSW Master of Industrial Research program matches companies with science students to work on real-world problems. Ultraceuticals is a leader in the skincare industry. They are developing new and improved skincare formulations to protect skin from premature aging.

At the heart of this project is Associate Professor Luke Hunter from the UNSW Sydney School of Chemistry. His Master’s student, Elise Crowley, is helping Ultraceuticals explore how combining antioxidants in skincare can provide more effective results. Crowley is co-supervised by UNSW School of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences academics Associate Professor Wallace Bridge — an expert in antioxidants and the scientist behind the Continual-G line of dietary antioxidant supplements – and Associate Professor Christopher Marquis – Director of the UNSW Recombinant Products Facility and an expert in tissue culture, which is a technique Crowley uses extensively in her experimentation.

The collaboration highlights the growing importance of industry-led research and the role that students play in shaping the future of commercial products.

Challenges & opportunities

According to A/Prof. Hunter, the Master’s program has been running since 2019 and is structured for students to undertake work in industry and university laboratories while supervised by UNSW academics to ensure the research is rigorous and intellectually valuable.

“Ultraceuticals was one of the companies that came on board through this initiative,” A/Prof. Hunter says. “And in this case, their employee – Elise – was interested in doing a Master’s. So, she joined us as a UNSW student and designed her research project around the company’s needs.”

This unique setup provides numerous benefits for companies such as Ultraceuticals, including access to academic expertise and state-of-the-art facilities. For many other companies, it gives them a chance to evaluate a potential employee at relatively low cost.

Crowley’s project focuses on enhancing the efficacy of skincare products to protect the skin from UV-induced damage. A key ingredient in many existing products is ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which is known for its antioxidant properties.

Ultraceuticals is developing new formulas that combine ascorbic acid with other antioxidants to work synergistically – offering enhanced protection and results.

“Antioxidants are essential for neutralising free radicals caused by UV exposure, which can lead to premature skin aging,” Crowley says. “I’m testing a combination of antioxidants that can work together, where one plus one equals three by boosting the protective effects beyond what each antioxidant can do individually.”

Unlike other projects within the program, Crowley's research is primarily based at the UNSW Kensington campus – where the university houses specialised equipment that Ultraceuticals does not have access to.

“Elise has been working in my UNSW lab, using cultured skin cells to test how they react to UV exposure in the presence of different antioxidants,” A/Prof. Marquis says.

Her research is highly hands-on, involving the use of a specialised UV lamp to simulate sun exposure.

“I first had to figure out the right conditions – how to grow the cells to a high standard and how much UV exposure would cause measurable damage,” Crowley says. “Once that baseline was established, I could start testing the antioxidants, focusing on finding the right doses and combinations.

“It’s a lot of trial and error.”

“But she’s making great progress in identifying which combinations of antioxidants provide the best cellular protection,” A/Prof. Hunter says.

Future focused

As Crowley completes her experiments, she then analyses the results to determine which antioxidant combinations provide the most promising potential.

While this project does not require clinical trials, it still relies on rigorous scientific validation. Ultraceuticals is testing well-established antioxidants that are already proven safe for use in skincare.

“A new product such as this needs to demonstrate measurable benefits,” A/Prof. Bridge says. “Which can then be marketed with references to the scientific research undertaken at UNSW.”

Crowley’s work will contribute to products that could reach consumers across the globe – while also positioning her at the forefront of industry-driven research.

This project illustrates the growing importance of university-industry collaborations, particularly when it comes to applied research that can drive commercial innovation. The benefits go beyond the company accessing cutting-edge research and fresh talent. For students, this type of hands-on work is more than just a thesis.

“One advantage of this Master’s program – and this project in particular – is that it allows students to apply their academic knowledge to new, scientifically backed solutions that benefit consumers,” Crowley says.