Would you consider a beauty skincare if you knew it was made of the skins of dead Americans? The latest Korean skincare that is driving up millions in global sales is now aiming for the US market. L&C Bio has signed a distribution deal of $60 million (£45 million) to market its human tissue-based beauty injectables into medical spas in the US by 2027. This human tissues were sourced from the donated skins of dead Americans.
However, an investigation conducted by the Business Insider stated that it has yet to be clarified if this latest skincare injectables can be legally sold in the US without the approval of the Food and Drug Administration and other regulators in the US.
What Is L&C Bio
Founded in 2011, L&C Bio is a South Korean biotechnology and regenerative medicine firm and the largest skin and soft tissue bank in Asia. Its core business is human tissue engineering focusing on human tissue graft materials, allografts, and bone regeneration products. It also dabbles in Acellular Dermal Matrix such as Megaderm Plus and Re20, a human tissue skin extracellular matrix powderised product used for skin boosters and injections.
L&C Bio also operates across human tissue medical devices, pharmaceuticals, cosme-ceuticals, health functional food contract research organisations and medical AI/CT imaging devices as the firm's diversified segments.
How the Skin Donation in the US Ends up in South Korea
A Business Insider probe revealed that popular skincare beauty injectables or otherwise known as 'skin boosters' uses skin from dead Americans as its ingredient. Millions of dollars' worth of donated skin are shipped from tissue banks in the US to biotech companies in South Korea, the world's beauty capital.
The donations of bodily tissue happen when Americans checked a box at a motor vehicle department or when authorized by a loved one upon their deaths. This donated skins are processed for cosmetic use and allegedly turns your face dewy and smooth, promising to reduce signs of aging.
This is not the first time though that human tissues for beauty treatment. Human tissues are often used in cosmetic surgery, like in the use of cartilage for nose jobs and skin and breast augmentation. With the latest global beauty trend, skincare from human tissue are now used in medical spas and dermatology clinics.
Will Americans Accept This Skincare?
Despite its use in different types of beauty treatments, online reaction to the news has largely been negative. Many are wondering about the ethics of such a project, while others seem to wholesale reject the idea of using other people's skin on theirs.
A LinkedIn user has questioned the use of donated human tissue and organs in response to this new beauty global trending skin care, saying 'People donate their organs to save lives, not for some greedy immoral entrepreneurs to get rich. This is a crime rig'. Another said, 'Reading this on my lunch break...maybe I can stomach dinner later,' while another commnted bluntly, 'Pass'.
The skin booster doesn't seem to be popular on Reddit either with users commenting 'And this is why I'm removing myself from the donor list', while another added 'what is this called so I can stay the f**** away from it'.
