Plant Small RNA Technology: How Rosaliss™ Works

Gene expression in skin cells is regulated by a complex network of signalling molecules — growth factors, cytokines, transcription factors. But one class of regulators has attracted significant research attention in recent years: small RNA molecules, specifically microRNAs (miRNAs), which act as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression.

Rosaliss™ is a plant-derived active that uses PSR™ (Plant Small RNA) technology — a delivery system that introduces plant-origin small RNA molecules into skin cells to modulate the expression of genes involved in barrier function and repair.

The science of small RNA. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding RNA molecules (approximately 22 nucleotides) that bind to complementary sequences in messenger RNA (mRNA), preventing translation or triggering mRNA degradation. In this way, they act as molecular switches — turning specific genes on or off without altering the underlying DNA sequence.

In skin, miRNAs regulate a wide range of processes: keratinocyte differentiation, barrier protein synthesis (including filaggrin, loricrin, and involucrin), inflammatory signalling, and wound healing. Dysregulation of skin miRNAs has been associated with barrier dysfunction, inflammatory skin conditions, and accelerated aging.

How Rosaliss™ works. Rosaliss™ is derived from Rosa canina (rosehip) and contains a specific profile of plant-derived small RNA molecules that have been shown to upregulate the expression of barrier proteins — particularly filaggrin, the key structural protein of the stratum corneum — in human keratinocytes.

In clinical studies, Rosaliss™ at 1% has been shown to increase filaggrin expression by up to 47% after 28 days of twice-daily application, with corresponding improvements in skin hydration, barrier integrity (measured by TEWL), and skin smoothness.

The delivery challenge. Small RNA molecules are inherently unstable — they are rapidly degraded by RNases present on the skin surface and in the stratum corneum. Rosaliss™ addresses this through encapsulation technology that protects the active RNA molecules during penetration and releases them in the viable epidermis, where they can interact with keratinocyte gene expression machinery.

DERMASHIELD™ formulates Rosaliss™ at 1% alongside Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, and Ceramide EOP — three of the six ceramide species found in the natural stratum corneum — to provide both gene-level barrier repair and direct lipid replenishment.