Interview with Carolina Reis Oliveira, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of OneSkin: Reverse Aging Skin by Targeting “Zombie Cells”

Skin care has become crowded, confusing, and frankly a little exhausting. We are constantly told to exfoliate more, peel more, stimulate more, buy more, and somehow decode whether any of it is actually helping our skin age better. That is exactly why this conversation with Carolina Reis Oliveira, PhD, Dr. Thais Aliabadi, and Mary Alice Haney stands out.

Carolina is a scientist by training and the CEO and co-founder of OneSkin, a company focused on skin longevity. Her work centers on a question many of us have wondered about: can we do more than temporarily make skin look better? Can we actually support healthier, younger-behaving skin at the molecular level?

The heart of her answer is a concept that sounds dramatic but is rooted in aging science: senescent cells, often nicknamed zombie cells. These damaged, aging cells build up over time, stop functioning properly, and contribute to inflammation, collagen breakdown, and visible aging. Carolina and her team built their approach around targeting those cells rather than only resurfacing skin.

We talked about collagen, retinoids, lasers, exfoliation, body skin, menopause-related changes, inflammation, and where skin care is heading next. If you have ever looked in the mirror and thought, ” What exactly is happening to my skin?, This conversation is for you.

Table of Contents

• Why a scientist decided to build a skincare company
• How scientists actually test whether skincare works
• What are zombie cells, and why do they matter so much in skin aging
• The science behind OS-01 and how it differs from traditional actives
• Can you really build collagen by putting collagen on your skin
• Are lasers, peels, and microneedling helping or hurting
• Why skin health matters beyond appearance
• How simple should a skincare routine be
• What ingredients should we avoid in skincare
• Does this kind of skincare work for oily skin, dry skin, and menopausal skin
• Why body skin deserves more attention
• Where skincare is heading next
• FAQ
• What stayed with us most

Why a scientist decided to build a skincare company

How did you end up creating OneSkin?

Carolina’s path began in Brazil, where she developed an early fascination with biology and understanding how the body works at a systems level. As she finished her PhD, she joined three colleagues and started looking closely at anti-aging skincare.

The original goal was not necessarily to build a beauty brand. It was to answer a scientific question. With so many products claiming to reverse aging, could any of them actually do it?

Her team began testing products that were already on the market. What they found was revealing. Many products could improve how skin looked in the short term, but most did not create what Carolina considers true rejuvenation. In other words, they did not reduce the biological age of the skin.

That led to a major shift. Instead of continuing to evaluate existing products, the team moved toward discovering new molecules that could address the underlying drivers of skin aging itself.

That pivot became OneSkin. The mission was not simply to create another anti-aging cream. It was to design products that target aging at the molecular level and support skin health for the long haul.

How scientists actually test whether skincare works

When you say a product works, what are you measuring?

This is one of the most important parts of the discussion, because it gets past marketing language and into evidence.

Carolina explained that her team uses several types of analysis when they test products on skin in the lab:

• Histology and tissue structure: They examine the morphology of cells and how the tissue is organized.
• Toxicity signals: If a product is harmful, cells can visibly change shape, become misshapen, or start dying.
• Skin thickness and tissue quality: A product that supports skin health may help the epidermal layer appear more robust.
• Inflammation markers: They look at gene expression and protein expression related to inflammatory activity.
• Epigenetic markers: These markers can be used to estimate the biological age of skin tissue.

That last point is especially fascinating. If a sample of skin measures biologically as 50 years old before treatment, the team can test a product and then assess whether the skin behaves more like 47-year-old skin or 54-year-old skin afterward. That gives them a way to evaluate whether a formula may be reversing or accelerating skin aging.

It also means “anti-aging” can be tested in a more meaningful way than simply asking whether skin looks smoother after a few weeks.

Carolina also made a striking point: sometimes, when her team tests products that contain problematic ingredients, they can actually see skin deteriorate under laboratory conditions. That is a powerful reminder that “active” is not always the same thing as healthy.

For anyone trying to cut through hype, this is the right mindset. Ask what the data is. Ask how claims were validated. Ask whether the company has done real testing on skin, not just ingredient-level storytelling.

If you want to explore more expert conversations around skin health and aging, we have covered related topics on our skin care podcast page as well.

What are zombie cells, and why do they matter so much in skin aging?

What exactly are “zombie cells”?

Zombie cells are the more approachable name for senescent cells. These are old or damaged cells that have accumulated mutations and cellular stress over time. They stop dividing, but they do not fully go away.

When we are younger, the body is generally better at clearing these cells out. As we age, that cleanup process becomes less efficient. The result is that senescent cells begin to accumulate in tissues, including the skin.

And here is the real problem: these cells do not just sit there quietly. Carolina described them as the equivalent of a rotten apple in a bunch. They release inflammatory molecules that affect nearby healthy cells and accelerate tissue aging.

In skin, that can mean:

• Less collagen production
• More collagen breakdown
• Compromised skin barrier function
• Sagging
• Wrinkles and fine lines
• Loss of resilience over time

This is where the longevity science becomes especially relevant. If one of the major drivers of aging is the buildup of these dysfunctional cells, then reducing their burden could help make room for healthier cells to replicate and function better.

That is different from simply forcing rapid turnover at the surface. It is a more targeted approach to why skin ages in the first place.

The science behind OS-01 and how it differs from traditional actives

What is OS-01, and how is it different from retinoids or acids?

Carolina explained that OS-01 is a novel peptide developed over years of research. A peptide is a chain of amino acids that can act as a signaling molecule. In this case, the peptide is designed to enter skin cells and signal them to behave differently.

According to Carolina, OS-01 works by influencing gene activity in ways that:

• Reduce inflammation
• Activate DNA repair pathways
• Support collagen production
• Reduce the burden of senescent cells in the skin

She said the company’s data showed up to a 40 percent reduction in the burden of these old cells, along with a measured skin age reversal effect of about 2.5 years.

That is the core distinction she makes between this peptide and more traditional topicals like retinoids and exfoliating acids.

Retinoids and acids tend to work by increasing cell turnover. That can be helpful and can absolutely improve skin appearance. But as Carolina framed it, those approaches renew both healthy and damaged cells. They do not specifically target senescent cells underneath the surface.

OS-01, by contrast, is meant to more selectively address the dysfunctional cells contributing to aging while avoiding the irritation and inflammation that many people experience with harsher treatments.

That does not mean retinoids are useless. In fact, Carolina described the peptide as a strong complement to ingredients like tretinoin and vitamin C. For someone who tolerates retinoids well, pairing them may offer both surface renewal and a deeper longevity-oriented strategy. For someone who cannot tolerate retinoids, she noted that the collagen stimulation observed with the peptide was comparable, but without the same irritation profile.

How does the peptide actually work inside the cell?

Carolina simplified a complex mechanism in an accessible way. Once the peptide enters skin cells, it alters which genes are active. The effect is to suppress inflammatory signaling and boost pathways involved in DNA repair.

That matters because skin cells are constantly dealing with damage from time, UV exposure, pollution, and normal metabolic processes. If cells can better repair damage as it happens, they may be less likely to progress toward the dysfunctional, senescent state.

This is a subtle but important distinction. Rather than waiting for cells to become damaged beyond repair, the peptide may help skin handle stress more effectively in the first place.

Can you really build collagen by putting collagen on your skin?

Do topical collagen products work?

Carolina’s answer was practical: the best way to build collagen is to stimulate your skin cells to produce collagen themselves.

Applying collagen directly to the skin does not necessarily mean your skin will start making more of its own collagen. Some biotechnology companies have developed collagen ingredients with supporting studies, and she did not dismiss all of them outright. But her preference is to focus on signaling the skin to do what youthful skin naturally does.

That is one reason she is so interested in peptides. If you can activate pathways in skin cells that increase collagen production, you are not just laying something on top of the skin. You are encouraging the tissue to function in a more youthful way.

What about oral collagen supplements?

Her approach here was similarly balanced. If you ingest collagen, you are essentially consuming amino acids that can serve as building blocks. There is no guarantee those building blocks will be used specifically by the skin, but if the body has an abundant supply of relevant amino acids, that may help support collagen synthesis.

She also emphasized that supplementation should come after the fundamentals:

• A healthy, balanced diet
• A healthy gut microbiome
• Enough nutrients to support skin repair
• Healthy fats and antioxidants

Omega-3 fatty acids came up as a particularly interesting example. Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi shared that she personally noticed a major difference in her skin when supplementing with omega-3s and a decline when she stopped. Carolina agreed that healthy fats, including omega-3s, can support the skin.

That holistic approach matters. Skin is not separate from the rest of the body. The same patterns that help overall health, including nutrition, sleep, and inflammation control, also shape how our skin ages.

Are lasers, peels, and microneedling helping or hurting?

What is the right balance between stimulating skin and damaging it?

This part of the conversation felt especially honest because so many of us have been told that the path to better skin is to aggressively injure it on purpose.

Carolina’s answer was nuanced. Some stress can be beneficial. In biology, this is often referred to as hormesis, where a little stress prompts the body to adapt in a positive way. But too much stress, especially repeatedly, can become harmful over time.

That means the issue is not that every laser or every exfoliating treatment is bad. It is that there is a threshold beyond which stimulation becomes depletion.

She pointed out that if we are constantly peeling or aggressively resurfacing skin, we can eventually exhaust the tissue’s regenerative capacity. There are only so many stem cells available to replace what is repeatedly removed.

Her current preference is toward less abrasive technologies that can still deliver benefit without completely disrupting the epidermis or destroying the skin barrier.

That perspective is especially relevant for anyone dealing with a sensitive barrier, persistent peeling, redness, or perimenopausal skin changes. The goal is not to do the most dramatic thing possible. The goal is to maintain skin that is resilient, functional, and healthy for years.

What about exfoliating every day?

Carolina was clear here too: some exfoliation can be helpful, but over-exfoliating can compromise the skin barrier.

When we remove too much too often, we may also strip away elements that help protect the skin, including parts of the microbiome. That can leave skin more vulnerable to irritation, infection, and sensitization.

Some people can tolerate stronger exfoliation than others. But in general, if a routine includes multiple strong actives layered together, there is a real risk of overwhelming the skin.

That is one reason simplified routines can be so effective. Less friction, less confusion, and often less inflammation.

Why skin health matters beyond appearance

Can improving skin actually reduce inflammation in the rest of the body?

This was one of the most compelling parts of the conversation.

We often think of skin care as cosmetic, but Carolina reminded us that the skin is our largest organ. As it ages and accumulates senescent cells, it can become a source of inflammatory signaling. If that inflammation is substantial enough, it may contribute to overall systemic inflammation.

She described a study in older participants, ages 60 to 85, who used a body lotion and face lotion for three months. Blood samples were collected before and after the treatment period. According to Carolina, the results showed decreases in inflammatory cytokines in the blood after treating the skin.

That opens up a much bigger conversation. If supporting the skin barrier and reducing inflammatory burden in skin can also influence whole-body inflammatory markers, then skin care becomes about more than aesthetics. It becomes part of healthy aging.

This is also why it makes sense to think about skin in the context of overall wellness. If we care about longevity, we cannot ignore the health of the body’s largest organ.

For broader conversations around healthy aging and long-term wellness strategies, our anti-aging podcast collection includes more expert discussions on prevention and aging well.

How simple should a skincare routine be?

Do we really need all these products?

Probably not.

One of Carolina’s recurring themes was simplification. The more products we use, the more ingredients we are exposed to, the harder it becomes to know what is helping, and the greater the chance of irritation.

Her preference is a routine that covers the essentials without overwhelming the skin. In practical terms, she described using the peptide product twice daily, morning and night, after cleansing.

For people already using tretinoin or another retinoid, she said the peptide can be paired with it. For people who cannot tolerate retinoids, the peptide may offer a gentler route to collagen support.

The broader message is one many of us need to hear: more is not always better. A strong routine does not have to be long. It has to be thoughtful.

What ingredients should we avoid in skincare?

How can we tell whether a product is safe or likely to irritate skin?

Carolina recommended starting with evidence. Before buying into a product’s claims, look at the company’s research:

• What data do they have?
• What clinical studies have they run?
• How did they validate the product’s effectiveness?
• Are they making claims without meaningful support?

She also noted that OneSkin excludes a large number of potentially irritating ingredients. While she did not provide a complete list, she specifically mentioned being cautious about:

• Fragrance
• Essential oils
• Phthalates

These ingredients may be irritating to the skin, and some also raise broader health concerns depending on the ingredient and exposure.

She suggested using organizations and ingredient databases as a guide, including SkinSAFE, the National Eczema Association, and the Environmental Working Group. None is perfect, but they can help consumers ask better questions.

Concentration matters too. An ingredient is not evaluated only by whether it is present, but also by how much is present.

Fragrance sensitivity came up in a very practical way during the conversation. When skin is peeling, reactive, or persistently irritated, fragrance is one of the first things worth removing. That is especially true for people who discover they have allergies or sensitivities after patch testing.

And because sunscreen is one of the most important parts of any anti-aging routine, ingredient quality matters there too. If you are evaluating sunscreen formulas and want to better understand ingredient concerns, this guide on potentially bad ingredients in sunscreen is a useful place to start.

Does this kind of skincare work for oily skin, dry skin, and menopausal skin?

Is a longevity-focused skincare product only for aging or dry skin?

No. Carolina said their formulas were designed to be suitable for all skin types, including oily, combination, dry, and mature skin. She described the products as non-comedogenic, lightweight, and fast-absorbing, which makes them easier to wear under makeup and less likely to feel greasy.

That makes sense given her broader framework. If the target is a basic mechanism of aging, then the product is not only for one “type” of skin. Oily skin still ages. Combination skin still ages. Dry skin still ages. The pathway being targeted is relevant across the board.

At what age should someone start?

Carolina said the brand tends to attract people 30 and up, but the products are suitable for anyone in their 20s as well. Her view is that prevention is always easier than repair.

For younger adults, the focus is on maintaining skin in a healthier, more resilient state before damage accumulates. Pairing a gentle longevity-focused moisturizer with sunscreen is, in her view, a strong early strategy.

At the other end of the spectrum, she said people in their 70s and 80s also report visible improvements. That is encouraging because it suggests it is not too late to support skin health even after significant age-related changes have set in.

This is particularly meaningful for women in perimenopause and menopause, when many notice sudden changes in texture, dryness, thinning, fragility, and crepey skin. Carolina specifically acknowledged that body skin often gets neglected until those changes become impossible to ignore.

Why body skin deserves more attention

Can the same aging process affect the skin on our arms, legs, and knees?

Absolutely. Carolina emphasized that OneSkin’s philosophy is about skin health, not just facial aesthetics. The skin on the body ages too, and often the changes become especially noticeable around menopause.

Common signs include:

• Crepey texture
• Thinning skin
• Loss of firmness
• Dryness
• More visible laxity on arms, knees, and other areas

That is why the company developed a separate body moisturizer formula. Carolina explained that it includes the peptide along with ingredients like ceramides, sulforaphane, and a mushroom extract for hydration and antioxidant support. The texture is meant to be light but still moisturizing.

The rationale is simple. If senescent cells are part of what drives visible aging in skin, then it is worth addressing them across the whole body, not only on the face.

Where skincare is heading next

What does the future of skincare look like?

Carolina sees the field moving away from immediate cosmetic fixes and toward long-term skin function.

That means fewer approaches focused only on making skin look smoother fast, and more attention to keeping skin healthy, resilient, and protective over time. In her view, the future includes:

• More targeted treatments that address root causes without disrupting healthy cells
• Less abrasive procedures that avoid unnecessary barrier damage
• Peptides and precision actives grounded in biology
• More personalization based on individual differences, biomarkers, and life stage
• A more holistic model that includes diet, sleep, exercise, and systemic health

That shift feels overdue. Skin care should not only be about chasing immediate results at any cost. It should be about supporting tissue that functions well and ages well.

And as science improves, we may get better at matching the right treatment to the right person at the right time. That is exciting because it moves us away from trend-driven routines and closer to evidence-based, individualized care.

FAQs

What are zombie cells in skin?

Zombie cells are senescent cells, which are damaged or aging cells that no longer divide properly but remain in tissue. They release inflammatory molecules that can harm nearby healthy cells and contribute to wrinkles, sagging, collagen loss, and skin aging.

How is targeting senescent cells different from using retinol?

Retinol and prescription retinoids primarily increase cell turnover and can stimulate collagen, but they do not specifically target senescent cells. Carolina’s explanation of OS-01 is that it is designed to reduce the burden of those dysfunctional cells while also supporting DNA repair and reducing inflammation.

Can a peptide really reverse skin age?

Carolina said her team measured skin age using epigenetic markers and observed a skin age reversal effect of about 2.5 years in testing with their peptide. The broader point is that biological skin aging may be modifiable when the underlying mechanisms are addressed.

Should we still use tretinoin if we use a peptide like OS-01?

According to Carolina, the peptide can be paired with tretinoin or vitamin C. She presented it as complementary rather than mutually exclusive. For people who cannot tolerate retinoids, she described the peptide as a gentler alternative for supporting collagen production.

Does topical collagen help build collagen in the skin?

Carolina’s position was that the most effective route is to stimulate skin cells to produce their own collagen. Applying collagen topically does not automatically make skin manufacture more collagen, although some collagen-based ingredients may have supportive research behind them.

Can skin care affect inflammation throughout the body?

Possibly. Carolina discussed a study in older adults where treating the skin with face and body products for three months was associated with decreases in inflammatory cytokines in the blood. The idea is that healthier skin may contribute less inflammatory burden overall.

How often should we exfoliate?

Carolina suggested that exfoliating a few times per week may be helpful, but over-exfoliating can damage the skin barrier, increase sensitivity, and make skin more vulnerable to irritation and infection.

What skincare ingredients are worth being cautious about?

She specifically mentioned fragrance, essential oils, and phthalates as ingredients that can be problematic or irritating for some people. She also encouraged checking ingredient safety resources and asking brands for actual clinical evidence behind their formulas.

At what age should we start using anti-aging skincare?

Carolina said her products are especially popular with people 30 and older, but she believes starting in your 20s can make sense because prevention is easier than repair. A gentle routine plus sunscreen is a strong early foundation.

Can we use longevity-focused skincare on the body too?

Yes. Carolina emphasized that body skin ages too, especially around menopause, when crepey and thinning skin often become more noticeable. She described body formulations designed to support firmness, hydration, and healthier skin function beyond the face.

What stayed with us most

The biggest takeaway from our conversation with Carolina is that the future of skin care should be less about panic and more about biology.

We do not need to assault our skin into submission. We do not need 14 products because the internet told us to stack every active ingredient known to mankind. And we do not have to accept every anti-aging claim at face value just because the packaging is beautiful.

What we do need is a smarter framework.

That framework starts with understanding that aging skin is not just about surface texture. It is about inflammation, collagen behavior, cellular damage, barrier integrity, and the accumulation of senescent cells over time. It is also about the reality that our skin reflects the rest of our health.

So whether you are in your 20s thinking preventively, in midlife suddenly navigating peeling and sensitivity, or in your 70s wanting stronger, healthier skin, the message is reassuring: it is worth focusing on skin function, not just skin appearance.

Science-backed skin care should help us age better, not just look briefly polished. That is a conversation worth having, and Carolina made a compelling case for where it is heading next.

If you want to learn more about Carolina Reis Oliveira, PhD, and OneSkin’s research, the company shares additional educational information and product studies at oneskin.co and on its social channels.

This article was created from the video Reverse Aging Skin, Target ‘Zombie Cells’, and OneSkin’s Revolutionary Peptide | SHE MD for Dr. Thais Aliabadi’s website.