RoC Skincare is expanding a clinical research program that uses adult female identical twins to test how its Patented Clinical Retinol affects visible skin aging. The company has completed a pilot phase and is now recruiting 30 pairs of identical twins aged 40 or older in the United States for a 12-week study, with results expected by mid-2027.
The pilot was designed to establish whether identical twins could provide a more precise model for studying skin aging. Because twins share DNA and much of their early environment, differences in their skin can be more directly linked to lifestyle, environment or product use, according to Art Pellegrino, RoC's chief scientific officer.
Why identical twins
Pellegrino said the model functions as a natural control. If identical twins show different signs of skin aging, researchers can more confidently examine non-genetic explanations, he explained. The approach is intended to separate the contribution of a treatment from the influence of daily habits and external exposures.
Pellegrino said that when two people begin with the same genetic blueprint, differences between them are harder to attribute to genetics, making product effects easier to observe.
Pilot results and next phase
In the pilot, twins in the placebo group had similar or worse signs of aging at the end of the study, while those in the treatment group showed 20% or more improvement in four weeks, Pellegrino said. The pilot did not attempt to quantify how much skin aging stems from genes versus lifestyle; that question is reserved for the larger study.
The expanded phase will focus on at least 30 pairs of women aged 40 and older, who will use the regimen for 12 weeks. RoC said the focused group should yield cleaner data and form one stage of a longer research program on “extending skin span,” or how long skin keeps looking its best.
Wearables and daily life
Participants are being asked to wear an Oura Ring, a wearable device that tracks health and wellness metrics, throughout the study. RoC will collect biometric data on sleep, stress, heart rate, heart rate variability and temperature trends, then compare those patterns with clinical skin measures.
Pellegrino said wearables create an opportunity to account for how people live when recommending skin care. Since researchers cannot guarantee that twins have identical sun exposure or diets, RoC is recruiting pairs with similar levels of environmental damage where possible and tracking sleep and stress closely.
The company expects the combination of genetic control and lifestyle tracking to help quantify external stressors and their relationship to skin condition. If one twin sleeps poorly or reports more stress, researchers can examine whether her skin responds differently to the regimen than her sister's. They are also interested in whether participants who see visible improvements feel less stressed.
Clinical measures
RoC's standard clinical assessments include expert grading, digital photography, corneometer readings and participant self-assessment. The company says findings will shape how it develops products for skin longevity and designs future clinical studies.