Short answer
Claims substantiation is the evidence you need to put a specific claim on your pack or in your advertising. Molecular evidence shows what your product does to the skin at the protein level, and it is mainly used to tell the scientific story to retailers, distributors, publications and your own formulation team, not to back a claim on the bottle. Most serious brands need both, for different jobs.
What claims substantiation is for
Claims substantiation answers one question: can you stand behind the exact words you are publishing? In Australia, claims on packaging, websites and social media must not be misleading, and the ACCC enforces this under the Australian Consumer Law. A claim like "hydrates for 24 hours" or "visibly reduces fine lines in 8 weeks" needs evidence that matches that wording, on the product as sold.
The studies that serve this purpose are usually built around the claim itself:
Instrumental measures of the skin property named in the claim, such as hydration or elasticity
Participant questionnaires for claims about look and feel
Expert grading or imaging for visible changes over a set time
The study design, the endpoints and the wording are all fixed before it starts, so the result can be read straight across to the claim. If a claim touches on treating a condition, it may fall under therapeutic goods rules, so take regulatory advice first.
What molecular evidence is for
Molecular evidence answers a different question: what is this product actually doing in the skin? Skin tape strips collect cells non-invasively from participants. Mass spectrometry then reads thousands of proteins in those samples, so you can see which biological pathways change between a treatment group and a control group, without choosing the biomarkers in advance.
That makes it useful for jobs where the audience wants the science, not a pack claim:
Retailer and distributor pitches. An independent data set on how your product works sets you apart from brands that only offer supplier data or surveys.
Scientific storytelling. Decks, websites, education for clinics and sales teams, grounded in measured biology.
Publication. Peer-reviewed results carry weight with buyers, journalists and partners.
Formulation decisions. Compare versions of a formula, or check whether an active behaves in people as it did in the lab.
Ingredient development. Ingredient makers can show brands what their active does in human skin.
This kind of data does not replace a claim study. A change in protein levels shows a biological response, and it does not automatically translate into wording for the front of a bottle. Keep the two roles separate, and check any wording with a regulatory adviser.
Side by side
Claims substantiation
Question it answers: Can I say this on my pack or in my ads?
Who it convinces: Regulators and consumers
Where you use it: Packaging, advertising, website claims
How it is designed: Around the exact claim wording
Typical measures: Hydration, elasticity, grading, questionnaires
Main limit: Says little about biological mechanism
Molecular evidence
Question it answers: What is my product doing in the skin?
Who it convinces: Retailers, distributors, scientists and partners
Where you use it: Pitch decks, publications, sales education, formulation decisions
How it is designed: Open-ended, without a preset list of biomarkers
Typical measures: Thousands of skin proteins from tape strip samples
Main limit: Not a substitute for a claim study
How the two work together
A brand with a product to launch or grow usually does best with a simple sequence:
Decide the claims you want to make and have regulatory advice on the borderline ones.
Run a claim study designed around that wording, so the pack and the ads are covered.
Add molecular evidence to explain why the product works, for retailers, distributors, publications and sales education.
Keep the roles clear in your marketing. Claim wording comes from the claim study. The molecular data supports the story around it.
This also helps in distribution talks. A buyer can see that the claims are covered and that the brand understands its own science, which is more convincing than either alone.