JessiccaTime to Face Facts? Money down the drain for anti-aging cream?
December 21st 2006 10:56
This is an interesting news article I got from msn.uk. Perhaps it is good to share with everyone... happy reading!
Time to Face Facts?
By Sarah Stone, MSN.Lifestyle
They promise to erase the lines from our faces, but when it comes to anti-wrinkle creams the only thing that will vanish is your cash, according to a new investigation. What’s more, there’s no correlation between the amount of money you spend and how effective an anti-ageing cream is.
In its January issue, the American Consumer magazine reports that one of the cheapest anti-ageing ranges – Olay Regenerist, which offers a 'regenerating serum' for £16.87 – performed slightly better than premium products costing hundreds of pounds. But none of the formulas tested produced effects visible to the naked eye.
So, can these anti-ageing elixirs ever really be worth it?
First off, whatever the marketing says, no topical product (ie: something applied to the skin as opposed to a medically invasive procedure) in existence is going to make you look 21 if you are 42.
Sun damage, the inevitable breakdown of collagen and loss of elasticity as we age, smoking and environmental factors all take their toll on our delicate facial skin. While anti-ageing formulas might seem to have a positive effect on your skin for a while, giving it the appearance of being plumper or more blemish-free, this is merely cosmetic according to beauty expert Rebecca Prescott writing on Buzzle.com.
She says: "Whilst it (your skin) may play the game for a little while, plumping up nicely to give the appearance of looking younger, more even and less lined, this is only a temporary, somewhat cosmetic ruse. It is actually a biological trick of the light, a chimerical nod to the quest for youth. Don't be fooled."
Barely visible
The American Consumer magazine study investigated ten of the biggest brands, from the mass market Olay Regenerist (pictured right) to the top end La Prairie Cellular range, which can cost up to £229 for a 30ml pot.
Each cream was tested on at least 17 women between the ages of 30 and 70 who were fair-skinned and the most susceptible to fine lines and wrinkles. They used the creams as recommended by the manufacturers on one side of their face for 12 weeks, while using a moisturiser with sunscreen on the other side.
Dermatologists used a high-tech optical system to detect changes in wrinkle depth and skin roughness (as little as 1/6,000 of an inch). They also looked at the areas where fine lines are most visible (around the eyes and mouth), as well as detailed before-and-after photographs.
The report stated: "Every cream helped at least some of our testers - including the ordinary moisturiser we used as a control. We found that after 12 weeks, our top-rated products did smooth out some fine lines and wrinkles."
However, it continued: "Even the best performers reduced the average depth of wrinkles by less than 10 per cent; a magnitude of change was, alas, barely visible to the naked eye. Moreover, the luxury-priced skincare offerings didn't work any better than the drugstore brands. La Prairie Cellular, the most costly product we tested, was among the least effective."
As well as Olay Regenerist, the Consumer Union named Lancome’s Renergie - and RoC Retinox as 'slightly more effective'.
Joining La Prairie at the bottom of the league was another RoC product - Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle cream.
Investigators found little relation between the active ingredients in the products and their overall performance.
But speaking to health website WebMD, leading dermatologist Susan Weinkle said she was surprised at this finding.
Weinkle claims that products containing the vitamin A derivative retinol do seem to have some effect on existing wrinkles. However, both the poorest performer in the test, RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle, and one of the best performers, RoC Retin-Ox, have retinol as their active ingredient.
Weinkle says antioxidant-based products, like those containing vitamin C, green tea, or copper, may also help prevent wrinkles, but they won't banish those that already exist.
For existing wrinkles, products containing hexapeptides or pentapeptides as their active ingredient may help, she said.
Olay Regenerist is a pentapeptide-based product, but so was one of the poorer performers in the test, StriVectin-SD.
For Weinkle, sunscreen is key to arresting the skin ageing process. "Wrinkling comes from ultraviolet light, so you can use expensive wrinkle creams until the cows come home but they aren't going to do much good if you don't protect your face from sun damage."
So what am I learning here today?
Anti-aging cream doesn't really works....
Time to Face Facts?
By Sarah Stone, MSN.Lifestyle
They promise to erase the lines from our faces, but when it comes to anti-wrinkle creams the only thing that will vanish is your cash, according to a new investigation. What’s more, there’s no correlation between the amount of money you spend and how effective an anti-ageing cream is.
In its January issue, the American Consumer magazine reports that one of the cheapest anti-ageing ranges – Olay Regenerist, which offers a 'regenerating serum' for £16.87 – performed slightly better than premium products costing hundreds of pounds. But none of the formulas tested produced effects visible to the naked eye.
So, can these anti-ageing elixirs ever really be worth it?
First off, whatever the marketing says, no topical product (ie: something applied to the skin as opposed to a medically invasive procedure) in existence is going to make you look 21 if you are 42.
Sun damage, the inevitable breakdown of collagen and loss of elasticity as we age, smoking and environmental factors all take their toll on our delicate facial skin. While anti-ageing formulas might seem to have a positive effect on your skin for a while, giving it the appearance of being plumper or more blemish-free, this is merely cosmetic according to beauty expert Rebecca Prescott writing on Buzzle.com.
She says: "Whilst it (your skin) may play the game for a little while, plumping up nicely to give the appearance of looking younger, more even and less lined, this is only a temporary, somewhat cosmetic ruse. It is actually a biological trick of the light, a chimerical nod to the quest for youth. Don't be fooled."
Olay Regenerist, the best performer in the tests (image©Olay)
Barely visible
The American Consumer magazine study investigated ten of the biggest brands, from the mass market Olay Regenerist (pictured right) to the top end La Prairie Cellular range, which can cost up to £229 for a 30ml pot.
Each cream was tested on at least 17 women between the ages of 30 and 70 who were fair-skinned and the most susceptible to fine lines and wrinkles. They used the creams as recommended by the manufacturers on one side of their face for 12 weeks, while using a moisturiser with sunscreen on the other side.
Dermatologists used a high-tech optical system to detect changes in wrinkle depth and skin roughness (as little as 1/6,000 of an inch). They also looked at the areas where fine lines are most visible (around the eyes and mouth), as well as detailed before-and-after photographs.
The report stated: "Every cream helped at least some of our testers - including the ordinary moisturiser we used as a control. We found that after 12 weeks, our top-rated products did smooth out some fine lines and wrinkles."
However, it continued: "Even the best performers reduced the average depth of wrinkles by less than 10 per cent; a magnitude of change was, alas, barely visible to the naked eye. Moreover, the luxury-priced skincare offerings didn't work any better than the drugstore brands. La Prairie Cellular, the most costly product we tested, was among the least effective."
As well as Olay Regenerist, the Consumer Union named Lancome’s Renergie - and RoC Retinox as 'slightly more effective'.
Joining La Prairie at the bottom of the league was another RoC product - Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle cream.
Investigators found little relation between the active ingredients in the products and their overall performance.
But speaking to health website WebMD, leading dermatologist Susan Weinkle said she was surprised at this finding.
Weinkle claims that products containing the vitamin A derivative retinol do seem to have some effect on existing wrinkles. However, both the poorest performer in the test, RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle, and one of the best performers, RoC Retin-Ox, have retinol as their active ingredient.
Weinkle says antioxidant-based products, like those containing vitamin C, green tea, or copper, may also help prevent wrinkles, but they won't banish those that already exist.
For existing wrinkles, products containing hexapeptides or pentapeptides as their active ingredient may help, she said.
Olay Regenerist is a pentapeptide-based product, but so was one of the poorer performers in the test, StriVectin-SD.
For Weinkle, sunscreen is key to arresting the skin ageing process. "Wrinkling comes from ultraviolet light, so you can use expensive wrinkle creams until the cows come home but they aren't going to do much good if you don't protect your face from sun damage."
So what am I learning here today?
Anti-aging cream doesn't really works....
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Comment by Deorre
Stress Alive
Man Lessons
Thanks for the tip.
Comment by Jessicca
Health 2 Know
Learning Something Everyday
Daily History
Malaysia Found
Truly nice of you to drop by. ^_^
Yes, you apply on your skin, not to eat it... I almost fell off the chair reading your comments. ^_^
Hope to see you around again!