Biophysical Therapeutics Launches IF1 Longevity Skincare Brand With IF1 Protein Moisturizer

September 24, 2026 · 11:56 a.m. ET

By Regina Bonham Bordeaux

Biophysical Therapeutics launched its consumer skincare brand IF1 on September 23, 2026, and opened U.S. preorders for its first product: an anti-aging moisturizer built around IF1 protein, also known as ATPase Inhibitory Factor 1.^[1]

The launch brings a longevity-research concept into skincare. The company says IF1 protein is tied to differences in aging rate across species and is using that biology to position the moisturizer as a way to make skin look younger.^[1]

What launched

IF1 is a new consumer brand from Biophysical Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on computational biology and aging research. Its first skincare product is a 50 mL moisturizer containing IF1 protein.^[1]

The company says the initial production run is limited to 500 units and that profits from the skincare business will help fund its drug-development programs.^[1]

Availability is less clear than the launch announcement makes it sound. The press release says the moisturizer is available for preorder, while the brand’s preorder page says the company is still optimizing the IF1-protein formula and aims to make it available soon. The main product page currently displays a “Buy Now” option.^[2][3]

What the IF1 claim is based on

IF1 is a real mitochondrial protein involved in regulating ATP synthase. Biophysical Therapeutics connects that biology to its broader theory of aging and says species with more IF1 protein age more slowly and live longer.^[4]

The brand points to work by founder Michael Forrest examining ATP hydrolysis, metabolic rate and lifespan across species. The cited 2021 paper is a preprint and is not a human skincare study.^[5]

That distinction matters. Evidence that IF1 participates in mitochondrial biology does not by itself show that applying IF1 protein in a moisturizer makes human facial skin look younger.

What shoppers should know

The launch materials reviewed by BB do not cite a controlled human trial of the finished IF1 moisturizer. They also do not provide shopper-facing evidence showing how much IF1 protein reaches the skin target the brand says matters or whether the finished formula changes wrinkles, sagging, age spots or other visible signs of aging in people.^[2][4]

That does not make the technology meaningless. It means the product is entering the market while the skincare evidence is still much earlier than the longevity story used to explain it.

Why it matters

Longevity language is moving quickly into skincare, often by taking a biological pathway associated with aging and turning it into a cosmetic claim.

IF1 is a clear example of why shoppers need to separate those two steps. A pathway can be scientifically interesting before a finished face cream has shown that it produces a meaningful visible benefit.

What we’re watching

BB will be watching for finished-product human testing, clearer delivery data, a finalized commercial formula and clarification of the moisturizer’s current preorder versus purchase status.