High-Tech Beauty Breakthroughs

The other day I was asked to comment on what I liked about the beauty industry. After thinking for a moment, I realized that what excites me is the constant innovation. I believe that as beauty consumers we have become more knowledgeable and demanding and as a result, the industry has to keep up. Here at Truth In Aging, we are always trying to hunt down the latest innovation and here are some high-tech breakthroughs that I have been able to try out.

Darutoside

Extracts from two plants, gotu kola and siegesbeckia, combine to form darutoside. It is an anti-inflammatory and skin repairer and it is even claimed to make stretch marks go away. I haven’t found any independent research on the latter, but there is evidence that siegesbeckia will inhibit inflammatory mediators. You’ll find it in Deciem Hylamide SubQ Eyes ($35 in the shop) and Elena Rubin Remedy ($119 in the shop)

Polyglucuronic Acid

It is hard to believe that polyglucuronic acid was unknown to science until the 1990s. They are isolated from complex cell walls such as green algae. Noted for collagen biosynthesis and skin firming (source), it is being touted as the long awaited antidote to cellulite. Still hard to find in cosmetics, it is one to keep on your radar. Deciem included it in their very hi-tech NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate ($68 in the shop)

3D cell cultivation

Most of the extracts in our potions and lotions have been cultivated in a lab somewhere. Imagine cells in a petri dish clustered in two dimensions and therefore with limited communication between them. Even worse, cells in a dish start sticking to the plastic and form “unnatural cell attachments.” 3D cells are cultivated whilst suspended in a cylinder — a technique invented by NASA so that cells could grow properly and communicate more effectively. Rejuvel used the technique for the green tea stem cells it uses in 3D Microgravity Cell Renewal Cream ($149 in the shop).

Prawn sage

Scientists won a Nobel Prize a couple of years ago for working out how telomeres are critical to aging. Telomeres allow cells to distinguish chromosome ends from broken DNA. If DNA is broken there are two options after the cell cycle is stopped: repair or death. Telomeres shorten every time a cell divides. When they become very short, they trigger cell crisis and cell death. Until now, there have only been a couple of actives that are supposed to stabilize telomeres. Now there is one that can actually lengthen them.

Prawn sage (salvia haenkei) is part of the sage family and has flame-colored flowers. Supposedly, it can slow down cellular aging due to its ability to lengthen telomeres. This extract is the signature ingredient of Bottega Organica. They even grow it on their own farms in Upstate New York. Check out Bottega Organica’s Overnight Renewal ($165 in the shop), the Multi-Active Face Serum ($88 in the shop) and the Eye Contour Serum ($195 in the shop).

SymHelios

Anyone who can innovate in the area of sun protection gets my vote. SymHelios, which offers a unique form of sun protection. UVB rays are toxic and cause long term skin damage because they cause an amino acid, tryptophan, to form a toxic substance. SymHelios actually protects against this toxin. Look for its INCI name: Benzylidene Dimethoxydimethylinadanone. I recently came across it in Soleil Toujours Anti-aging Power Serum For Face & Neck ($145 in the shop).

Perfluorodecalin

I recently became interested in what happens to our skin when we improve its absorption of oxygen. By increasing capacity for oxygen uptake, we can create a perfect environment for the synthesis of ATP (the main energy source for the majority of cellular and muscular functions). Perfluorodecalin is a perfluorocarbon that mimics the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to the skin cells. It is used in wound healing therapies and for treating acne. I included it in the Truth Vitality Treatment Gel ($49 in the shop) so that it could enhance the performance of ultrasound on the Lux Renew to bring oxygen to the skin’s cells. You can also find it in and Elena Rubin Remedy ($119 in the shop).

Chelators

Dr. Dennis Gross turned me on to the importance of chelators. Most of us are in contact (especially via our tap water) with heavy metals that can be harmful to our skin. Heavy metals include iron, copper, magnesium, zinc and lead. They interact with free radicals, which then attack collagen fibers in the skin. Their harsh effects can also result in breakouts. Chelating ingredients actually chomp up these metals and dispose of them. The Pacmen of the cosmetic world come in the form of gluconolactone (also an antioxidant) and trisodium ehylenediamine disuccinate. Check out Elena Rubin Incognito ($119 in the shop). Dr. Dennis Gross Hydra-Pure Intense Moisture Cream ($125 in the shop) has been formulated around a proprietary Hydra-Pure Chelating Complex.

Uplevity

Sagging skin solutions are a Holy Grail. Uplevity is a peptide, tetrapeptide-2. According to Lipotec, which is the company that makes Uplevity, it induces the expression of fibulin 5 and lysyl oxidase-like 1. The latter is a gene that catalyses the first step in the formation of crosslinks in collagens and elastin. Fibrulin 5 is an extracellular matrix protein. Tetrapeptide-2 regulates the gene expression of talin, zyxin and integrins, which contribute to the improvement of “dermal cohesion.” The goal is firmer, lifted skin. Still relatively rare, Your Best Face has embraced this ingredient and has put it front and center of the Uplift Toner Mist ($22 in the shop) and the newly reformulated Restore Night Treatment Serum ($130 in the shop).

from phytoceramides reviews http://ift.tt/1pGUWRI via anti aging wiki
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/21fFtWr