The Beauty Brains

Ava asks: I was hoping that you could settle something for us, being scientifically-inclined and all. I recently participated in a heated discussion about hydrogen peroxide being converted into bioavailable oxygen when in a cream, as claimed by Karin Herzog skincare. Not only does this seem impossible to me (and in fact very harmful in the long run to the skin barrier), but I tracked down all the research that supposedly upholds these claims and it is completely, utterly bogus.

Here’s my question: Is there a way to deliver oxygen to the skin in the form of a cream? Is it beneficial? Could hydrogen peroxide break down in order to deliver oxygen to the cells of the skin, as Karin Herzog claims?

The Left Brain responds:
I suggest you read the thread that Ava provided (see reference below) because it contains an excellent explanation from Paula Begoun, the Cosmetic Cop, on why oxygen is a bogus ingredient in cosmetics. Meanwhile, here’s my take on the subject:

A breath of fresh air

It’s true that oxygen is essential for healthy skin. But that’s only because you’d be DEAD without oxygen. Let me explain how that works: When you inhale oxygen it binds to hemoglobin in your red cells and is transported to various tissues throughout your body. From there it’s taken up into the cells, specifically into the mitochondria. These are tiny compartments that are equipped with special enzymes that bind to the oxygen to create energy for the cells. So oxygen that you breathe, that’s properly bound in your cells is important.

On the other hand, free oxygen is BAD for your skin because it can create free radicals that damage your cells. So despite the fact that Karin Herzog tells you her eye cream contains “0.5% oxygen that moisturizes, illuminates, tones, hydrates and firms the gentle eye area” your skin does NOT want free oxygen.

I can think of one case where there is a potential benefit to applying oxygen you skin. That’s using hydrogen peroxide as an antiseptic. The peroxide breaks and release oxygen that can have a mild germicidal effect. But that oxygen doesn’t penetrate into your skin!

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Don’t hold your breath waiting for oxygen skin care products to really work.

Reference:
Paula’s references on oxygen and skin can be found in this thread.

Rebecca’s request: I’ve been introduced to Prevage by my beauty consultant as being a great product to prevent environmental damage to skin and even reversing some of the already existing. This product is a little pricey, so I’d like to know how true are the claims on their web page. Please advise.

The Right Brain proselytizes about Prevage:
Prevage is originally from a company called Allergan who markets the full-strength 1% active version (formally known as Prevage-MD). Elizabeth Arden’s version contains 0.5% (or half as much active ingredient). Arden has launched a line of idebenone-based products including an anti-aging face treatment for 1.7 fl. oz. for $150 as well as a similarly priced night cream and an eye treatment.

Prevage’s claim to fame is that its active ingredient is an antioxidant known as idebenone. Long time readers may remember that we blogged about this “miracle ingredient” before. But in case you missed our first post, here’s a quick recap.

What is Idebenone

Idebenone came out of research in the ’70 and ‘80s that showed a material known as Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) could improve heart failure, reduce free radical damage and slow down certain neurological conditions. CoQ10 is a vitamin-like material that not only helps control cellular energy production but is also a powerful antioxidant. The researchers modified the CoQ10 molecule to enhance its properties and one of modifications became idebenone. Today, several companies , including Elizabeth Arden and Priori Skin Care market idebenone-based products as next generation antioxidants.

Does Prevage work?

According to Arden’s website, they claim that idebenone is “ currently the most effective antioxidant for addressing the visible signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, roughness and discoloration.” Interestingly, they qualify that claim with an “*” the reveals the comparison is to alpha lipoic acid, kinetin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q10. There’s not mention of other powerful antioxidants like flavinoids and polyphenols found in natural materials like tea leaves and grape seeds. So it’s really hard to tell how idebenone stacks up against these competing technologies.

Furthermore, Arden boasts their clinical tests “show a significant decrease in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and an improvement in the look of firmness, tone, texture, and radiance.” But frankly, those are not particularly impressive claims – many products that are much cheaper are said to perform similarly.

According to one of our favorite sources, Smartskincare.com, there have not been “head to head” studies to determine if idebenone is better than CoQ10 for fighting wrinkles. They also say that if you are using proven anti-wrinkle agents (like retinoids) with good results, you may want to hold off on idebenone until more studies are conducted. They sum it up nicely by saying: “trying idebenone is a question of willingness to spend time and money on a treatment that could work in theory but is not yet backed by hard evidence.”

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Prevage appears to be another high-priced skin care line that promises youth-in-a-bottle without much proof.

Reference: Smart Skin Care

Sherry’s peroxide predicament: I have extremely oily skin and have experimented over the years with several different face washes in an attempt to find one that cleanses deeply without over-drying. I have discovered that botanical based gel washes followed by a moisturizer rich in dimethicone work best in my case. I have also discovered that mixing in a little hydrogen peroxide with my face wash works even better. It completely removes any traces of excess oil and makeup without drying me out completely, and it’s completely eliminated my occasional breakouts. I’ve been using this cocktail with great results for a few years now with no problem. Is this safe for my skin?

Fore Brain’s free radical reply:
Sherry, it seems that most of the ingredients in your skin regimen are quite safe with possible exception of hydrogen peroxide. Although not totally conclusive, scientific evidence points to the fact that long term use of hydrogen peroxide on your face may result in skin damage. The quick answer is that if you are concerned about wrinkles and skin damage, hydrogen peroxide may not be for you.

A little about hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide (aka H2O2) is the liquid you get in a brown opaque bottle at the pharmacy, and for years has been used for all sorts of bleaching as well as an antiseptic to clean wounds. However, as of a few years ago, this practice has been discontinued since hydrogen peroxide was deemed too harsh for wound treatment. This is probably indication that it can’t be that good for your face either. The primary concern with hydrogen peroxide is its oxidative effect when it contacts other materials. The oxidation is what kills the bacteria; however, as per recent discoveries in free radicals and skin damage, it may also result in skin cell destruction and premature skin ageing. The free radical theories can get pretty complicated but I’ll try to explain it in simple terms.

Free radicals are just lonely

A molecule like hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is basically a water (H2O) combined with an oxygen (O) and it takes energy to hold that extra oxygen molecule onto the whole structure for several chemistry-related reasons that are too advanced for the scope of this article. The bottom line is, when the hydrogen peroxide molecule touches other materials, it gets a chance to fall apart to a more relaxed state of H2O (water) and the O (oxygen) that it nearly always takes. The problem however, is that oxygen molecules like to travel in pairs, and the newly released oxygen molecule will look for another oxygen to attach itself to. While the oxygen molecule is alone and looking for its pair, it is quite unbalanced, and can result in damage to the cells, DNA, as well as other cell components. The lone oxygen molecule looking for its partner is an example of a free radical.

Unfortunately, according to this theory, when we apply hydrogen peroxide to our skin, on a very tiny molecular level, it breaks down into water and the lone oxygen molecule that causes damage to the skin cells resulting in premature aging. (This kind of damage also happens normally with time from effects of the sun or the environment.)

The Beauty Brains bottom line

So is an acne spot treatment of hydrogen peroxide once in a while going to ruin your skin? Probably not. However, long-term use over large areas of skin (ie. your whole face), is something I wouldn’t recommend if you want your skin to stay healthy for a long time. If you do want some tips on how to manage your oily skin without the use hydrogen peroxide, check out this site.

Fun Fact: Highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide is often used in rocket fuel because of its oxygenating abilities!

References:

Meneghini, R., (1991) Iron homeostasis, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 23, 783-792.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidative_stress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_oxygen_species

Here’s a special treat for all you Beauty Brainiacs out there: our special guest-blogger for today is none other than Nicki, from Futurederm.com. If you’re a fan of the Beauty Brains, you’ll love Futurederm. Check it out! And now, on with Nicki’s post…

Want Clearer Skin? See the Light.

And no, I’m not talking about sunlight, sorry everyone! What I am talking about is the new Tanda Skincare System ($395.00, Amazon.com). The system emits visible wavelength (not UV) light from an LED source (414 nm blue light and 660 nm red light), to treat acne. According to a study by Tanda, the use of their light treatment was “significantly more effective” than treatment with a 5% benzoyl peroxide cream over the same period.

Yet, the use of LED has been recently shown to have anti-aging effects for the skin as well. With skin-clearing and firming benefits, is an at-home LED treatment center worth the money? FutureDerm investigates…

Acne-clearing benefits

According to Kansas City dermatologist Dr. Audrey Kunin’s DERMADoctor site, the Tanda Skincare System is only to be used on patients with mild to moderate acne, not cystic acne. The site says that the way to know the difference is simply by counting the lesions: no more than 125 total lesions across the treatment area (100 whiteheads/blackheads, or 15-50 inflammatory lesions). According to a 107-person 12-week study by Tanda, a 63% mean reduction in inflammatory lesions and a 45% mean reduction in comedones was exhibited by those patients who completed the study.

It is speculated that the reason LED is effective against acne is two-fold. One, LED light may have anti-bacterial properties, and there is a small amount of evidence that suggests that light disrupts P. acnes, the primary bacterial species found in acne cases. Two, LED light may have anti-inflammatory properties, which may calm existing lesions and prevent new lesions from forming.

Collagen and Elastin Production Stimulation

According to a recent study, LED phototherapy repairs sun damage and increases collagen and elastin production, although “lasers and peels have faster, more substantial results, but more side effects,” according to Seung Yoon Lee, a dermatologist at the National Medical Center in South Korea. With regards to LED therapy’s fewer side effects, Lee adds, “LED is safe for dark skin, unlike some lasers.”

According to Allure magazine, in the study, the researchers treated one side of 61 subjects’ faces with a light-emitting diode machine, while 15 others received a one-sided placebo treatment. Twelve weeks later, only the LED-targeted skin had a decrease in wrinkles (26-36 percent) and an increase in elasticity (14-19 percent). LED therapy seems to increase collagen and elastin production, although less significantly than dermatologist-administered lasers and peels.

Overall Thoughts and Opinions

LED therapy has been proven more effective at fighting acne and promoting collagen and elastin production than other at-home procedures. However, greater effects are still available through prescription medications and treatments (lasers, peels) at your dermatologist’s office. At the present time, it is probably a better idea to spend your money on a dermatologist-administered treatment. Hopefully, however, the cost of at-home LED therapy systems like the Tanda Skincare System will decrease. At any rate, the treatment is certainly novel and exciting, and if you want the best in at-home treatments, then this is definitely worth a try!

Drew’s dilemma: I love Philosophy as a brand and I have two questions about their Shelter Sunscreen For Face. First, I don’t see any sunscreens listed as ingredients, yet they claim the product has SPF 30. Is that due to the melanin in the formula? Second, they claim to contain a blend of two peptides that “act in synergy to help restore and maintain the skin’s youthful appearance.” Is there any truth to that statement? I love this site and hope to continue seeing great information here!!

The Right Brain’s peptide proposal:
Drew thanks for your kind words and for your question. Here’s the scoop:

Gimme Shelter

To answer your first question, you are correct. We can find no listing of a traditional sunscreen ingredient in this product. That seems a bit odd since they do claim to have a specific SPF value. We doubt it’d due to the melanin because that ingredient is not officially recognized in the OTC monograph. So how they claim SPF 30 without the correct ingredients is a mystery to us too!

Your other question is interesting from a technical point of view and ties into one of the newest areas of research for skin care: peptides.

The peptide premise

As we’ve blogged before, in the generic sense a peptide is simply a small protein. And some kinds of proteins are beneficial to hair and skin because of their film-forming, moisturizing properties.

But the latest research indicates that certain peptides can interact with skin to trigger biological activity. For example, there’s a recent paper in the January 2008 issue of Cosmetics and Toiletries
entitled “Tetrapeptide Targets Epidermal Cohesion” by G. Pauly, et. al. of Cognis France. (Cognis is a major manufacturer of cosmetic ingredients.)

Simply put, the paper states that this peptide (formally known as N-acetyl tetrapeptide-11 or Tetrapeptide-11 for short) can stimulate production of syndecan-1, another biological chemical that helps bind skin cells together. Loss of this cellular adhesion is one of the benchmarks of aging skin. So, less adhesion loss means younger looking and feeling skin.

Two kinds of testing

To prove their point the researchers used a combination of in vitro and in vivo testing. The in vitro testing showed that Tetrapeptide-11 had the desired effect on skin cells in the lab. And the in vivo testing showed that people showed an improvement in skin quality after using a cream with 3% Tetrapeptide-11 for about 8 weeks. And here’s the important part: the researchers did their testing versus a placebo cream that did not contain the active ingredient.

So, the good news is, here’s a breakthrough cosmetic ingredient that seems to really work. The bad news is, this isn’t the blend of peptides that Philosophy uses. They use Palmitoyl Oligopeptide and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3 and we could not find supportive research on those ingredients.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

If you’re looking for a sunscreen, you should make sure the product uses proven SPF ingredients. If you’re looking for anti-aging peptides, look for products that contain 3% Tetrapeptide-11. (We haven’t found any yet, if you see any, let us know!)

Do any of your skin care products contain peptides? Take a look at your labels and leave a comment for the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Elizabeth smells bull-shiitake: Are there benefits to shiitake mushrooms as an anti-aging substance? Is it effective?

The Left Brain has fun with fungus:
Mushroom extracts have been shown to have legitimate medicinal properties (for example, see this reference from the Journal Toxicology in Vitro.) But the only shiitake-based cosmetic product I could was Aveeno’s Active Naturals line, by Johnson and Johnson. They use a mushroom extract that contains a combination of shiitake and mannentake (reishi) mushrooms. Here are some examples of what they claim for the Natural Shiitake Complex:

Uses an exclusive process that captures the natural benefits of shitake mushrooms.

Has been shown to help accelerate your skin’s natural renewal process to replenish surface cells.

Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles: Natural Shiitake Complex helps accelerate skin’s natural renewal process to replenish surface cells so that your skin looks and feels younger.

You’ll notice healthy and younger-looking skin in just 4 weeks.

Claims substantiation

As proof of these claims J&J offer a series of pre-clinical, in vitro studies. That means these are lab tests, not studies on actual human skin. These test appear to show that the mushroom complex can have a legitimate effect on factors that can make skin look older and wrinkled. The results showed the Complex could…

…inhibit the production of MMPs, metalloproteinases, from photoexposure that can degrade collagen and lead to the wrinkled, skin associated with photoaging.

…decrease the activity of elastase, an enzyme that can degrade elastin fibers and decrease in skin elasticity.

…reduce the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, when tested in vitro this may reduce extrinsic factors that can led to premature skin aging.

… reduce free oxygen radicals into a less reactive form giving it the potential to protect skin and reduce the damage to oxidatively challenged skin.

… stimulate epidermal proliferation after 4 weeks of application.

What does all this mean?

There’s more scientific testing behind Aveeno Active Naturals than most anti-aging products I’ve seen, and I applaud J&J for their thoroughness. However, these lab tests do not necessarily mean that you’ll experience these benefits when you use the product. In fact, the only testing done in vivo, or on people, was a consumer study in which 73% of the women noticed a reduction in lines and wrinkles in 4 weeks. This is a pretty standard claim made by many cosmetic treatments.

The Beauty Brains bottom line:

If you’re looking for a new anti-aging product to try, this one is reasonably priced at $19.00 (compared to most treatments.) But don’t expect a mushroom miracle.

Suzanne’s skincare search: My mother has a skin condition that makes her skin look dry and fragile. She read about something called HTY Gold and wondered if this all natural product can help as it claims. Any opinions or research on this product?

The Right Brain’s response:
The first thing we learned about HTY Gold is that the “HTY” stands for “Hide The Years.” The second thing we learned is that it’s secret ingredient is Red Palm Oil. Keep reading to see what else we learned…

Who Makes HTY Gold?

HTY Gold is brought to us by Pacific Specialty Oils, Inc. and was formulated by cofounder George Kopas, who is a chemist. Their website has an interesting quote from George regarding “regular” skin moisturizers. He say: “Why would anybody think that these creams would work against ageing skin? Look at the ingredients they are made with chemicals, water and preservatives. The water in these creams evaporate off of your skin and leave you with chemicals that can actually harm your skin.”

This quote seems bit intellectually dishonest to us for two reasons. First, it implies that regular lotions are bad for your skin just because they contain chemicals. As regular readers of the Beauty Brains know, EVERYTHING is a chemical. Saying that something is bad just because it’s a chemical is ridiculous; there are good chemicals and bad chemicals.

Second, saying that regular lotions contain water that just “evaporates off your skin” implies that regular lotions don’t work at all. This is also a ridiculous statement. We work in this industry, and we know there are many safe and efficacious skin lotion brands that contain water. Water is a good diluent for certain active ingredients and it helps hydrate the surface of skin.

If George has to resort to scare tactics like this to make HTY Gold look better than other (much cheaper) products, it’s a huge red flag in terms of the brand’s validity.

What’s so special about HTY Gold?

HTY Gold is all about Palm Oil. Two of its primary ingredients are regular Palm Oil and Red Palm Oil. (Red Palm Oil is an unprocessed version of Palm Oil, which loses its red color as it’s heated. Red Palm Oil is rich in betacarotenes, tocotrienols, co-enzyme Q10 (ubiquinone), squalene
and Vitamins A and E that make it more healthful if you’re ingesting it. However, those components don’t necessarily mean it’s better for your skin. In case you’d like to see it, here’s the full ingredient list:

Elaeis Guineensis (Palm Oil), Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter (Cocoa Butter), Red Elaeis Guineensis (Red Palm Super Olein), Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam Seed Oil), Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose Oil), Triticum Vulgaree (Wheat Germ Oil), Lecithin

If you want an oil based moisturizer, this could be a very good product. But it’s not better because it’s chemical free or because it lacks preservatives. (Plus, it’s very expensive!)

Is HTY Gold worth the cost?

The Day Gold product is $160 for 3.4 oz. If you shop around you might be able to find other skin creams with similar ingredients for much less money. Pacific Oils are not the only source of Red Palm Oil - you can buy a gallon of Red Palm Oil for $34 on Amazon.com! Since this product is essentially a mixture of oils, it might be fairly easy to buy your own ingredients and mix up your own version at home. That’s something to think about, especially if you’re into DIY cosmetics.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

HTY Gold is charging a LOT of money for their product without giving us adequate reason to believe it’s worth it. They have a formula that does seem relatively unique, but they make some unsound scientific statements about their product that makes us doubt their credibility. If it weren’t so expensive, we’d definitely recommend giving it a try just to see if this unique blend of oils helps your mother’s skin. But the price is so absurd; we can’t in good conscience recommend it without more proof.

Are you aware of the controversy about Palm Oil? Some groups claim that mass harvesting ofpalm trees has a damaging effect on the environment because it increases global warming. Has anyone in the Beauty Brains community used Red Palm Oil? Leave a comment and share you thoughts.

Christopher’s quizzical about sirtuins: Avon is releasing a new product called Anew Ultimate with sirtuin technology. What are sirtuins and do they do anything special in a skin care product?

The Right Brain’s sirtuin story:
Chris, you may not know it, but you’re on the cutting edge of skin care technology. Sit back and we’ll tell you the whole sirtuin story:

What are Sirtuins?

It all started with a 2001 study that showed that a lower calorie diet can prolong your life span. One of the factors linked to this discovery is a family of proteins known as Sirtuins. This prompted a flurry of additional research, and today sirituins are heralded as the next breakthrough in antiaging.

What do Sirtuins do?

A review of the medical literature shows a plethora of research papers on sirtuins and their potential as agents in the fight against aging. That’s because they have been shown to reduce cell death by protecting cells against reactive oxygen species and DNA damage. This is the kind of breakthrough that could lead to the first truly effective antiaging drugs. (Here’s an example of one research paper that talks about stimulating sirtuin production to ward off a variety of aging and neurodegenerative diseases.)

Are Sirtuins good for skin?

Not surprisingly, the cosmetic industry is interested in sirtuins for skin care applications. Sirtuins for skin make a lot of sense since skin suffers from the same kind of oxidative damage described above. And the research to date looks promising - some researchers have established a link between sirtuin production and life cycle of skin cells. (Reference: “Sirtuins: A Breakthrough in Antiaging Research by Isabelle Imbert, et. al, in the January 2008 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries.) According to the researchers, sirtuins have several specific benefits for skin cells.

Benefits of Sirtuins

Skin cells were treated in vitro with agents that increase the production of sirtuins and the following benefits where seen:

• Protection from stress
• Increased cell longevity
• Restoration of aged cells ability to adapt and thrive
• Preservation of skin structure and integrity

The researchers conclude that “interest in including Sirtuin Activating Compounds in different skin moisturizers or specific antiaging products, as well as cosmetics, is occurring with the knowledge that sirtuins play a key role in protecting skin from stress and photoaging.”

What does that mean exactly? Basically they’re saying that if some cosmetic company can figure out how to stimulate sirtuin production with a cream or lotion, it could be a real antiaging breakthrough. Unfortunately, the article doesn’t make reference to any such products existing today (as of January 2008).

Avon Anew Ultimate

So how does Avon figure into the sirtuin story? According to the company’s website, their line of Anew Ultimate skin care products are “powered by pro-sirtuin TX.” There’s no more explanation of what this technology is, but it certainly sounds like they’ve unlocked the secrets of making sirtuins work in skin. Why then don’t they come out and say that? Our guess is that they’re using some material that has been shown to some ability to promote sirtuins in lab testing, but not on actual skin. That would allow them to make claims related to “pro-sirituin technology” without them actually having made a significant, consumer perceptible breakthrough.

Of course, Avon may have patents pending, or some other technical publication, that proves this technology really does provide such a breakthrough but we were unable to locate it.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Avon may be selling a very well formulated line of products but without some kind of evidence of a technological breakthrough, we’re assuming that this is another skin care product capitalizing on the “ingredient of the month.”

If anyone from Avon reads this and can provide more details on your technology, we’ll gladly print your comments. Meanwhile, you can learn more about Anew Ultimate here.

When you see new sciencey ingredients do you believe it’s better for your skin or are you skeptical? Leave a comment and share your favorite high tech ingredients with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Jessica’s asking about aging: It seems to me that the best way to keep my skin looking great and wrinkle-free would be to prevent as much aging as possible, as opposed to trying to reverse the process when I’m older. Other than sunscreen, what kinds of products should I be using at this point (I’m 25) to keep my skin looking young?

The Left Brain’s rejuvenating reply:
This is a great beauty question and one that we see asked more and more. The proliferation of anti-aging products has gotten so extensive, you’d think cosmetic marketers want us all to revert to 3-year olds. And with some of the claims made, they certainly treat us like that is the age of our intelligence.

The Anti-Aging Secrets for your Skin

You want to know what’s been proven to work? Here it is…

Sun Protection
First, protect your skin from the sun. This is the number one environmental cause of skin aging. Do this by minimizing your sun exposure and using sunscreen.

Eat Well
Next, eat a balanced diet. While everyone is different, this meta-review study on skin health and diet concluded that people who had higher intake of Vitamin C and linoleic acid and lower intakes of fats and carbohydrates had younger looking skin. You get linoleic acid by eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and seeds.

Exercise
Finally, exercise. Nothing keeps you looking and feeling young like regular exercise. Thousands of studies have shown that physical exercise is a highly effective way to treat all all signs of aging.

Anti-aging Treatments

Most scientists are skeptical of anti-aging treatments. This is because there is little published evidence from controlled clinical trials to show most anti-aging products have any benefit. You could say this is because private companies don’t want to make their research public, but if they did have meaningful, positive results you can be sure the PR arm of the company would crow about this where ever they could.

We’ve seen previously that price is not indicative of the effectiveness of an anti-aging skin treatment. The conclusion was that none of the products were as effective as claimed.

Does any treatment work?
The only thing that scientists and reputable dermatologists agree on is that application of topical retinoids can repair sun damaged skin and prevent future collagen damage. Oh yeah, and they all say using sunscreen is a good thing.

Beyond that, forget about it. Yes, that includes the $95 Perricone Restorative Cream. Vitamin C works when you eat it, not when you slather it on your skin.

Lasers for your skin?
Recently, lasers and LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) have been shown to effectively rejuvenate photoaged skin. Cosmetic surgeons have been making lots of money from these treatments and the big cosmetic manufacturers like P&G and L’Oreal are trying to bring you this same treatment at home. But the technology isn’t quite ready. Products you can buy right now like the Beurer Softlaser will likely disappoint.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Scientists in the anti-aging field (who are not trying to sell you products) agree, anti-aging products are over-priced and under-deliver. For a 20-something, the best thing you can do is eat right, exercise and avoid long sun exposure. If you’re a bit older, start using skin products that contain vitamin A derivatives. They’re the only thing that has yet been proven to be effective.

Stephanie says: Is it true that it is better for your skin to sleep on silk pillow cases?

The Left Brain believes:
There is some evidence, like this Pubmed article, that indicates special silk clothing can reduce atopic dermatitis in children who are prone to that condition. However, I have can’t find any evidence that sleeping on silk pillowcases is really better for your skin. Nonetheless, one brand, Silkskin Antiwrinkle Pillowcases, says they actually fight the signs of aging. Here are a few claims from their website followed by my comments:

1. Gives your skin the chance to breathe naturally

While your skin does perspire and while certain chemicals can clog your pores and cause acne, skin does not really “breathe” so silk doesn’t really make a difference in this regard.

2. Because moisture levels are being maintained throughout the night, deeper lines and wrinkles are not forming.

Moisture loss causes dry scaly skin, not wrinkles. A pillow case can not stop wrinkles from forming.

3. Different from run of the mill silk pillow case as it is made from organic silk which contains amino acids, the building blocks of your skin.

ALL silk is made of amino acids, so the fact that this silk is organic is completely irrelevant. And the amino acid profile of silk is different than keratin protein, which is what skin is made of. And, even if it were the same, it’s not like the amino acids leap off the pillowcase and attach to your skin.

4. Organic silk also has the same pH balance of your skin.

Measuring pH really only makes sense when you’re talking about a water solution. Yes, skin has a optimal pH balance, but the pH of fabric you’re sleeping on is really irrelevant.

5. When sleeping on this pillowcase, your night cream is fully absorbed by the skin and won’t rub off like it usually does, therefore allowing the cream to work to maximum effect.

I’m curious if Silkskin has any actual data to back up this claim. I suppose it’s possible that silk is less absorbent than cotton, which means it could absorb less oils and moisture from the surface of your skin. But even if silk is less absorbent, just the friction of your skin against the fabric as you move around in your sleep is still enough to wipe some of the lotion off your face. Without some kind of test data to show Silkskin has a beneficial effect, I’m skeptical on this claim.

6. Silk stops you getting the dreaded ‘bedhead’ as your hair will simply glide over the pillowcase.

Bed head isn’t just caused by rubbing your hair across the fabric of the pillow. It’s also caused by the warmth and moisture of your perspiring scalp saturating your hair and reforming the hydrogen bonds (also known as salt bonds) in your hair, which results in the bizarre hair configuration you wake up with. Since silk doesn’t stop you from perspiring, it probably has little effect on bed head. But once again, if there’s test data to the contrary I’ll gladly reconsider my position.

7. Dust mites cannot live on silk so the pillowcase is excellent for allergy sufferers.

This is the most intriguing of all Silkskin’s claims. While I found references to very tightly woven pillowcases being used to prevent dust mites from penetrating into pillows, I could not find any legitimate scientific source that answered this question one way or the other.

The Beauty Brains bottom line:

There may be some legitimate benefits to sleeping on silk, but Silkskin makes a number of definitive claims without providing much information to back them up. Maybe it’s true that dust mites can’t live on silk, but I’d rather not take the word of the company trying to sell me the product as proof. A little independent confirmation would go a long way toward making me feel better about buying this product.