Anti-ageing creams - a miracle in a jar?

“Anti-ageing creams that promise to hold back the physical ravages of time are ‘ineffective’ according to leading dermatologists”.[1] Such headlines must feel like sobering news for the multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry. What can be done to maintain healthy and beautiful-looking skin?

If we believe the television infomercials and ‘clinical studies’ of manufacturers, absolutely nobody should have a blemish, wrinkle or scar. A simple search for anti-ageing creams on google.com returned more than 10,000 results. Results? Latest researches by skin specialists like Professor Chris Griffiths of the University of Manchester and Dr. Nicholas Lowe from London hint at the opposite to be the case: Genetic factors and lifestyle played pivotal roles in the ageing process. Especially overexposure to sunlight, smoking, stress and lack of sleep contribute to prematurely aged skin and have a strong impact on skin appearance – particularly the face. The university studies conclude that only sunscreens as well as irritant- and toxin-free moisturizers can have a protecting or repairing effect on our skin. Both scientists have prominent company among the growing community of skeptical experts. The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, guru of new-age cosmetics found claims “anti-wrinkle creams can slow down the ageing process” are simply “rubbish”.[2] Roddick accuses the cosmetics industry of “pedaling a scandalous lie” by claiming their products can stop wrinkles. She recommends consumers who are concerned about their looks to “eat tomatoes, avoid too much sun and spend the money on a good bottle of Pinot Noir instead of wasting it on an expensive anti-ageing cream”. Mrs. Roddick’s rather blunt opinion is supported by several independent studies.[3] Only 20 % of all women who took part in an extensive double-cross blind study reported an improvement of their skin appearance after using anti-ageing creams. Want to hear the funny part? The control group was given a simple moisturizer (aqueous cream), yet 25 % reported that their skin condition got significantly better.

Anti-ageing products – the bare facts

There is no miracle ingredient that will take years of your appearance. The only miracle is that the cosmetics industry has managed to persuade us otherwise for so long. In fact, most of the popular anti-wrinkle ingredients are believed to accelerate ageing rather than prevent it. Retinoids, salicyclic acid, hyalauronic acid, alpha-lipoic aicd and alpha- hydroxy acid are commonly used but can cause strong irritation, itching, soreness and a tight feeling. Even so-called natural products use these popular but questionable ingredients since media hype helps promoting them. Especially women magazines are not exactly known to be critical when it come to publishing new breathtaking results of so-called ‘clinical studies’[4]. These magazines largely finance themselves through ad spending of the cosmetics industry. One good turn deserves another but who protects the consumer? Albeit misleading information about the sad but inevitable fact of ageing, it is undisputed that we can improve our skin health and wellness by using cleansers, exfoliating preparations and moisturizers.  

The importance of moisturizers

Using moisturizers is of crucial importance for maintaining healthy and beautiful looking skin. What moisturizers do is ‘seal and protect’. Seal in the skin’s own moisture and protect against environmental aggressors such as general dirt, UV rays and pollution. They can also help to supplement skin’s moisture with humectant ingredients that act as ‘moisture magnets’. To understand how moisturizers benefit the skin, let us look at the epidermis – the skin’s top layer: It consists of 5 layers.

Cells are born in the lowest layer and then pushed up until they reach the outermost layer and eventually fall off. When they are born the skin cells are full of moisture, think of big fat ‘juicy grapes’. As they make their journey upward the cells go through changes due to the process of keratinization. Now think of ‘dry raisins’. The outermost layer looks like a brick wall in which keratinized cells act as bricks and the intercellular glue acts as mortar. The ‘glue’ is called the skin’s lipids. They are made up of oil soluble and water soluble components. We need both to keep the skin healthy, feeling soft, flexible and firm. Also, our ‘stratum corneum’ is protected by a slightly acidic mantle which protects our skin cells from germs.

The problem comes when these protective membranes are weakened due to use of harsh cleansers and toners, toxins, exposure to UV rays, pollution and the natural ageing process. A damaged ‘wall of protection’ will easily let moisture evaporate, leaving the skin dehydrated and exposed. Foreign debris, irritants and germs can penetrate and can cause irritation or even skin infection. This is where today’s advanced moisturizers come in and basically strengthen the epidermis. Yet, skin type and the composition of moisturizers need to be looked at before choosing the correct ‘repair & maintenance kit’.

Choosing the right skin care system

Before going into detail about selection criteria it should be emphasized that ideally a skin type analysis should be performed by a cosmetologist or dermatologist before identifying the right ‘care package’. For instance, oily skin types or patches of oily skin usually do not require a moisturizer.

Here are some basic tips what to look for in products, helping your skin to stay healthy and beautiful.

Ø       Any moisturizer will be significantly more effective if you use it in combination with a gentle cleanser without irritants such as alcohol, sulfonate and sulfate ions (common in soap bars). Soap salts that emulsify dirt and oil are by nature alkaline and will raise the skin’s acidic pH as well as provoke swelling of the skin surface.

Ø       Exfoliate your most exposed skin parts (face, hands) once or twice per week with a gentle natural scrub

Ø       Use a product that has an occlusive ingredient – the idea is to form a seal over the skin. Avoid petrolatum as it can block oil from being secreted from the follicles or pores. Great occlusive ingredients are wheat germ oil or jojoba oil.

Ø       Choose a moisturizer that is simple in its composition and is composed of high-quality raw materials. Ingredients that are rich in fatty acids are helpful as they supplement the skin’s intercellular glue (wheat germ oil, jojoba oil, olive oil).

Ø       Make sure your moisturizer contains valuable ‘direct barrier replacements’. Rose hip oil or grape-seed oil are extremely effective as they are natural antioxidants and amplify the effect of popular antioxidants vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin E is best assimilated by our skin and represents a very effective free radicals scavenger.

Ø       Sensitive skin types should be treated with pH-balanced (5.5), irritant-free products. Avoid irritants such as cetyl alcohol, ethanol, isopropyl, parabens, ureas, propylene glycol, SLS and synthetic fragrances.[5]

Ø       A good moisturizer contains quality humectants. Aloe, honey, algae peptides, collagen amino acids and silk amino acids are excellent ‘moisture magnets’.

Ø       Always use moisturizers with sunscreen when being exposed to midday sun (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.) over prolonged periods of time. Effective screening agents are mirconized zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and natural para amino benzoic acid. Avoid ray-diffusing chemicals such as benzophenone since they increase the skin’s sensitivity to UV rays in the long run.

All what it now takes is a balanced lifestyle and your skin’s health will never be compromised or jeopardized again. In particular a healthy diet, sufficient water consumption, stress management and sufficient sleep at night supplement a good skin care regime very effectively. So, the next time you see an ad for a miraculous new anti-ageing cream in your favorite magazine, smile at the airbrushed model who is promoting it, have a glass of Pinot Noir and feel good about yourself without spending $ 100 + for such cosmetic placebos.

Stefan Busse is a health consultant and skin researcher from Hamburg, Germany. After graduating from University of Hamburg, he held numerous senior positions in skin care and cosmetics companies before founding Bioplanet, a natural health company specialized in integrative skin therapy.  E-mail: stefan@bioplama.com 

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