Pierluigi Paganini
April 09, 2016
According to documents obtained by The Intercept, the CIA is funding a new skincare line that can allow the agency to collect DNA.
“SKINCENTIAL SCIENCES, a company with an innovative line of cosmetic products marketed as a way to erase blemishes and soften skin, has caught the attention of beauty bloggers on YouTube, Oprah’s lifestyle magazine, and celebrity skin care professionals. Documents obtained by The Intercept reveal that the firm has also attracted interest and funding from In-Q-Tel, the venture capital arm of the Central Intelligence Agency.” states the Intercept.
The CIA if particularly interested in the Clearista a product line that boasts a “formula so you can feel confident and beautiful in your skin’s most natural state.”
The CIA is interested in the ability of the Clearista product in removing a thin outer layer of skin that could allow investigators to obtain unique biomarkers that can be used for DNA collection.
The product is not invasive, it is able to remove the layer of skin just by using a special detergent and water.
“Skincential Science’s noninvasive procedure, described on the Clearista website as “painless,” is said to require only water, a special detergent, and a few brushes against the skin, making it a convenient option for restoring the glow of a youthful complexion — and a novel technique for gathering information about a person’s biochemistry.”reports the Intercept.
The CIA intends to use the skincare line for DNA extraction, as confirmed by the Russ Lebovitz, the chief executive of Skincential Science.
“Our company is an outlier for In-Q-Tel,” said Lebovitz “If there’s something beneath the surface, that’s not part of our relationship and I’m not directly aware. They’re interested here in something that can get easy access to biomarkers.”
Lebovitz highlighted that the CIA is interested in easy methods for the DNA extraction, but he admitted having no idea of the CIA’s intent of the technology.
It is likely the CIA would use the Clearista for DNA extraction directly on crime scenes.
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(Security Affairs – DNA extraction, CIA)
