Anti-Ageing Product Reduces Wrinkles: Commercial Serum Proves Successful on Ageing Skin
If you want to help prevent and even significantly reduce wrinkles, the findings of a new study will likely interest you. Scientists at The University of Manchester in the United Kingdom have found that an over-the-counter cosmetic, No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum, can improve sun-damaged skin.
The Wrinkle Study Behind The Protect & Perfect Serum
A total of 60 volunteers (49 women, 11 men; ages 45 to 80 years) who all had signs of sun-damaged skin participated in the double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The subjects were divided into two groups. One group was treated with the test product, No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum; the other group was given a placebo product.
After 12 months of daily use, 70 percent of the people in the treated group had significantly fewer wrinkles and an improvement in the appearance of their skin than the volunteers in the placebo group.
The product appears to be effective because it stimulates the production of a protein called fibrillin-1. Fibrillin-1 is a part of tiny, threadlike substances called microfibrils, which help to build elastic fibers in the skin and promote its elasticity.
The study was funded by the makers of the No7 product line and was conducted using standard scientific protocols. The importance of this study is that a commercially available product appears to significantly improve facial wrinkles and appearance following long-term use.
The authors of the study note that “it is rare for such benefits to be reported for an over-the-counter anti-aging product.” Additional research is needed, using larger populations, to verify these original findings.
Other Anti-wrinkle Treatments
Other substances that are used to help prevent or reduce wrinkles include ellagic acid, vitamin A (retinol), and certain natural oils, which help prevent dry skin.
Cosmetics to avoid include those that contain synthetic preservatives called paragenes. These substances, which can irritate the skin, can be identified on product labels as methyl-, propyl-, and butylparabenes.
For those who are willing to take a more dramatic treatment approach for wrinkles, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved Dysport (formerly called Reloxin), which is made from Clostridium botulinim toxin type A, the same active ingredient as Botox.
Both Dysport and Botox temporarily reduce the appearance of wrinkles by restricting the action of muscles that are involved in causing frown lines and creasing. These two treatment options are administered by an injection at the site of the forehead wrinkles.
