The science of Supplamine®

Skincare built around glycation, the sugar-driven process that stiffens collagen and elastin over time. Supplamine®, our patented anti-glycation technology, is in every MEG 21 treatment.

Developed by Dr. Annette Tobia, PhD, from glycation research pioneered at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Dispensed by physicians and clinically tested on skin.

See the clinical results Shop the treatments

Physician-dispensedClinically testedAdvanced anti-glycation technology

Where anti-glycation fits

Three key drivers of skin aging. A typical routine covers the first two. Supplamine® is there for the third.

UV damage

Breaks down collagen and elastin. Wrinkles, sunspots, loss of elasticity.

Addressed by sunscreen

Oxidative stress

Free radicals damage cells. Dullness, uneven tone, premature aging.

Addressed by antioxidants

Glycation

Sugar reacts with collagen and elastin, forming AGEs that stiffen the fibres.

Addressed by Supplamine®

Images are for illustration purposes only.

What glycation does to skin

Glycation is one of the contributing factors to visible skin aging.

Supple fibres

Collagen and elastin coil and flex.

Sugar reacts

Over time, sugar reacts with the fibres in a multistep process called glycation.

Cross-links form

Some reactions create Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs), rigid cross-links that stiffen the fibres. Stiffer fibres flex less, one of several reasons skin loses firmness.

Collagen, before and after glycation

Healthy collagen forms an organised, flexible network. Glycated fibres become rigid and disordered as AGEs build up between them.

Healthy collagen network beside glycated collagen with AGE deposits

Healthy collagenOrganised, flexible fibresGlycated collagenAGE deposits (gold), rigid cross-links

AGEs build up in skin over time

Share of human skin samples that stained positive for an AGE marker, by age group. Glycation is a measurable, age-related process in human skin.

10%

30%

70%

Younger skinMidlife skinMature skin

Antibody staining of human skin samples, Drexel University College of Medicine. Data on file.

Images are for illustration purposes only.

How Supplamine® helps

Supplamine® helps interrupt sugar damage in two ways. Our patented anti-glycation technology helps address reactive compounds involved in glycation, supporting healthier-looking skin over time.

Helps Interrupt AGE Formation

Helps interfere with reactions that contribute to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

Targets Reactive By-Products

Helps neutralize reactive intermediates involved in the glycation process, before they can contribute to collagen cross-linking.

Images are for illustration purposes only.

Clinical results, measured on skin

Each participant was measured against their own starting point.

In an 8-week open-label study of an original MEG 21 Supplamine® formula, conducted by a contract research organisation.

+62.9%Skin hydrationat 8 weeks · Instrumental measurement

+35.4%Skin firmnessat 8 weeks · Measured by ballistometry

−44.2%Area of lines & wrinklesat 8 weeks · Image analysis of skin replicas

−50.5%Superficial facial linesat 8 weeks · Expert grading

Still improving at week 8

Every measurement improved at each check-in, from week 2 through week 8.

Skin hydration

Increase vs. baseline

+26.9%

+42.6%

+54.4%

+62.9%

Wk 2Wk 4Wk 6Wk 8

Skin firmness

Increase vs. baseline

+14.5%

+25.7%

+31.5%

+35.4%

Wk 2Wk 4Wk 6Wk 8

Area of lines & wrinkles

Reduction vs. baseline

−23.9%

−36.3%

−39.4%

−44.2%

Wk 2Wk 4Wk 6Wk 8

Superficial facial lines

Reduction vs. baseline

−26.4%

−43.8%

−47.3%

−50.5%

Wk 2Wk 4Wk 6Wk 8

In an 8-week open-label study of an original MEG 21 Supplamine® formula, conducted by a contract research organisation. Individual results may vary.

100%

of participants said their skin felt smoother after 8 weeks.

participants reported irritation at any point in the 8 weeks.

100%said their skin looked less aged

100%said their skin was better moisturized

96%said fine lines looked less visible

Self-reported at week 8. In an 8-week open-label study of an original MEG 21 Supplamine® formula, conducted by a contract research organisation.

How the 8-week study was run

In an 8-week open-label study of an original MEG 21 Supplamine® formula, conducted by a contract research organisation.

Illustration of a skin science laboratory — Images are for illustration purposes only.

Measured at the start, then at weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8.

Clinical instruments and expert grading.

Each participant compared with their own starting point, on the full face.

Skin hydration

Measured by skin impedance with a Nova meter, an instrument that reads the water content of the outer skin layers.

Skin firmness

Measured by ballistometry, which records how skin rebounds from a light, standardised tap.

Area of lines & wrinkles

Measured by image analysis of silicone replicas of the skin surface, the most objective measure in the study.

Superficial facial lines

Graded by a trained expert on a standard clinical scale, the Packman method.

Consistent, study after study

Consistency across studies, and what Supplamine® adds on skin with a disrupted barrier. Redrawn from MEG 21's clinical dossier.

Barrier study:Supplamine® creamSame base cream, without Supplamine®Untreated

The same result, twice

A second 4-week study by the same lab, with different people, landed within 2.5 percentage points of the original on every measure.

Skin hydration

Original study+42.6%

Repeat study+45.1%

Skin firmness

Original study+25.7%

Repeat study+24.3%

Superficial facial lines

Original study−43.8%

Repeat study−43.1%

Area of lines & wrinkles

Original study−36.3%

Repeat study−36.3%

Week-4 results of the 8-week study and of a separate 4-week repeat study, both open-label studies of original MEG 21 Supplamine® formulas, conducted by a contract research organisation.

Less visible redness

After a controlled barrier challenge, skin treated with Supplamine® showed less redness at every check-in. The same base cream without Supplamine® did no better than untreated skin.

Day 3

Supplamine®4.73

Base cream5.35

Untreated5.67

Day 4

Supplamine®4.20

Base cream4.83

Untreated5.10

Day 7

Supplamine®2.76

Base cream3.98

Untreated3.94

Day 8

Supplamine®2.31

Base cream3.94

Untreated3.64

9 of 9 panelists with measurable damage said the Supplamine® cream reduced redness most. 8 of 9 said it helped skin recover quickest.

Redness (erythema) score, lower is better. Controlled barrier-disruption study on body skin, contract research laboratory.

Better barrier recovery

Water loss through the skin is a standard measure of barrier function. Skin treated with Supplamine® lost less water than skin treated with the base cream alone, or left untreated.

Day 3

Supplamine®33.3

Base cream40.7

Untreated43.4

Day 4

Supplamine®25.1

Base cream31.1

Untreated35.2

Day 7

Supplamine®14.0

Base cream17.7

Untreated18.3

Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), lower is better. Same study as the redness results.

Real people, real results

Before and after photos of skin cared for with MEG 21.

Neck

Shop Décolleté →

Neck, side view

Shop Décolleté →

Smile line

Shop Face Treatment →

Crow's feet

Shop Face Treatment →

Eye area

Shop Face Treatment →

Forehead

Shop Face Treatment →

Individual results may vary.

The research behind it

Supplamine® was developed from glycation research pioneered at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Dr. Annette Tobia, PhD

Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of MEG 21

A scientist on the original glycation research, she brought the technology to skincare and continues to study glycation today.

Worked alongside the original researchers; co-author of the published placebo-controlled study.

MEG 21 began as a physician brand and is still dispensed through dermatologists, plastic surgeons and medical spas.

Illustration of collagen fibres — Images are for illustration purposes only.

Published and placebo-controlled

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study published in a peer-reviewed dermatology journal, the Supplamine® formulation significantly outperformed placebo on visual dryness of the skin. Both creams shared the same base; only one contained Supplamine®.

−64% with Supplamine®−38% with placeboChange in visual dryness

Patented technology

Supplamine® is our patented anti-glycation compound.

Tested on human skin

Clinical studies by contract research laboratories on face, eye area and body skin, measuring hydration, firmness, lines and wrinkles, and barrier recovery.

Gentle on skin

No adverse events were reported in the facial study.

Recommended by physicians

In their words.

What I love about MEG 21 is that it actually works — thanks to Supplamine®, their powerful, science-backed secret weapon. It does the heavy lifting, delivering real, visible improvements with smoother skin. No hype — just healthier, more resilient skin you can truly see and feel.

Dr. Kenneth Redcross, MDInternal Medicine

MEG 21 products are by far the best topical treatments for deep moisturizing and anti-aging effects that I have found. When I recommend MEG 21, I speak from both science and personal experience. It makes skin supple — less wrinkled, less dry, less 'hard.'

Dr. Alice McKee, MDFamily Medicine

MEG 21 offers effective moisturization, addresses skin firmness and reduces fine lines and wrinkles in as little as four weeks.

Dr. Adrian Manjarrez-Cortez, MDPlastic Surgery

The words, in plain English

Glycation

A natural reaction in which sugar binds to proteins such as collagen and elastin.

AGEs

Advanced glycation end products: the end result of glycation. They build up in skin over time.

Collagen cross-linking

Rigid bonds that AGEs form between fibres, leaving them stiffer and less flexible.

Reactive by-products

Short-lived compounds formed along the way to AGEs. Supplamine® helps target them.

Questions about the science

What is glycation?

A natural reaction in which sugar binds to proteins such as collagen and elastin. Some of these reactions form advanced glycation end products (AGEs), rigid cross-links that stiffen the fibres. Stiffer fibres flex less, one of several reasons skin loses firmness.

What does Supplamine® do?

Supplamine® is our patented anti-glycation technology. It helps interfere with reactions that contribute to AGE formation, and helps neutralize reactive intermediates involved in glycation before they can contribute to collagen cross-linking.

Which products contain Supplamine®?

Every MEG 21 treatment carries Supplamine®: Advanced Defense Serum, Smooth Radiance Face Treatment, Décolleté Treatment Advanced Formula and Bright & Firm Eye Treatment. Daily Mineral Shield SPF 30 is your daytime protection step.

Does it replace my retinol, vitamin C or sunscreen?

No. Those address cell turnover, oxidative stress and UV. MEG 21 targets glycation, a separate driver of skin aging, so it adds to your routine rather than replacing anything.

What did the clinical studies show?

In an 8-week open-label study of an original MEG 21 Supplamine® formula, conducted by a contract research organisation, skin hydration rose 62.9%, firmness improved 35.4%, the area of lines and wrinkles fell 44.2% and superficial facial lines fell 50.5%. Every measurement kept improving through week 8.

Were today's products clinically tested?

The clinical studies were run on original MEG 21 Supplamine® formulas. Their results are evidence for the Supplamine® technology and are not presented as the result of any individual current product.

Is it suitable for sensitive skin?

No adverse events were reported in the facial study. After a procedure, follow your practitioner's post-care instructions first.

How long before I see results?

In the clinical study, results were measurable from week 2 and kept improving through week 8. Use your treatments consistently and judge the results at eight weeks.

Individual results may vary.