Associates - Polished Prose editorial services, Judith Broadhurst, medical editor and writer

Antiaging Cosmetics
By Judith Broadhurst

Deciphering antiaging claims about cosmetics is so daunting without a PhD in chemistry that even dermatologists can’t always keep up with some of the hype vs. the reality. Contrary to popular belief, the FDA does not regulate cosmetic ingredients unless they cross the line into XXX, which requires them to be classified as drugs. "Cosmeceutical” is merely a marketing term, says the FDA, with no scientific basis whatsoever. Same thing goes for “natural,” usually, which may not even be entirely natural.

To fend off the continual bombardment of confusing and misleading claims, such as “look 10 years younger” and “facelift in a bottle,” it’s tempting to dismiss all of the ads and use just any moisturizer, nothing but sunscreen, or nothing at all. That would be a mistake, though, because some of the ingredients actually help.

Aging isn’t the only cause of aging skin

First, let’s be clear that it’s how you’ve lived your life that has the greatest effect on how your skin looks now, and you can’t un-do that, of course. Most signs of aging are actually signs of sun damage, known as photoaging. Smoking also ages your skin significantly beyond your chronological years. So the best things you can do are protect your skin from the sun by avoiding midday exposure and always, always using a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 (preferably SPF 30) and, if you smoke, stop now.

Nothing short of surgery is going to make you look 10 years younger, no matter how much you pay. And it takes a prescription-strength product if you hope for dramatic results in wrinkle reduction, and that won’t help sagging, blotchiness, nor brownish age spots much, if at all. But three of the ingredients now commonly found in creams available over the counter, at either drugstores or department stores, can diminish fine lines and make your skin look a bit smoother and younger and slow the process somewhat if you use them correctly and continually.

Alpha and beta hydroxy exfoliants

· Tretinoin, a substance in the vitamin A family, has been shown to reduce fine wrinkles, splotchy pigmentation, and rough skin associated with chronic sun exposure. Tretinoin cream 0.02% and 0.05% are the only prescription treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for these indications. Other available forms of tretinoin are indicated for the treatment of acne. Talk to your dermatologist about which tretinoin formulation may be right for you.

· Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHSs) may be used alone or in combination with tretinoin to treat mildly damaged skin. AHAs are derived from fruit and dairy products.

Retinoids for X

· Over-the-counter products containing retinols (of the vitamin A family), AHA, anti-oxidants and moisturizing agents may temporarily improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Topical antioxidants

· Sss Topical antioxidants, especially vitamins C and E, function to help cells repair damage caused by ultraviolet radiation and smoking.

About all the rest

Botanical or “natural ingredients” xxx

Customized cosmetics DNA face cream xxx

Skin antiaging action plan

Why there isn’t more research or more reliable research.

$45 billion cosmetics industry

Try a half-face experiment, as the researchers do.

WILMA: most you risk is wasting money.

LUCCHIA: Mosturizer better than nothing.

Handy chart to take to the store

xxx

For further info

Anti-aging therapies: Youth in a bottle?
MayoClinic.com, accessed June 2, 2003

From the National Library of Medicine

Aging changes in skin, MEDLINEplus, accessed June 2, 2003

Cosmetics, MEDLINEplus, accessed June 2, 2003

From the FDA

Cosmetics

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Cosmetics and Colors
Accessed June 5, 2002

From the American Academy of Dermatology

AgingSkinNet

A Closer Look at Aging Skin and Cosmetic Dermatology [32-page PDF], Dermatology Insights, American Academy of Dermatology’s consumer magazine, Vol. 3, No. 2, Fall 2002

Book by Dr. Bergfeld, who is quoted in this article

Bergfeld, Wilma F. Skin Care: A Woman Doctor's Guide: Keeping Your Skin Young and Healthy at Any Age. Kensington Pub Corp; May 2001 (ISBN: 1575666642)