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A Lot of New Wrinkles
In the Anti-Aging Segment
By Navin M. Geria
VP-R&D
Spa Dermaceuticals
Demand for cosmeceuticals will increase 8.1% a year to $6.4 billion by 2010, according to a study by The Freedonia Group, Cleveland, OH. Gains will be propelled by a stream of new and technologically advanced product introductions offering age-defying and other appearance- enhancing benefits for an aging population. The value of chemicals used in cosmeceutical products is expected to advance 8.4% a year to $960 million in 2010, with gains spurred by the use of new and higher value-added active ingredients in product formulations.
Skin care products are expected to dominate this demand for cosmeceuticals, with professional products experiencing the fastest growth with annual gains exceeding 15%. Botanical extracts and enzymes are among the chemicals expected to post a double-digit gains, according to the Freedonia Group. Meanwhile, Euromonitor predicts sales of anti-aging facial products to reach nearly $5 billion by 2010.
Fighting Aging
Health and longevity are genetically programmed, yet all of us have some measure of control over whether we age well or badly. With advances in anti-aging research, it is possible to reverse some of the damage that aging inflicts on the body and take steps to fight aging when old skin loses collagen and elastin, progressing to a photo-damaged skin where collagen is degraded and elastin has thickened.
Wrinkle Anatomy: Over time, collagen and elastin are diminished, so the skin gets thinner and does a poor job of transporting moisture to the epidermis. Also, the fat in the subcutaneous layer begins to disappear and therefore the epidermis begins to sag and wrinkles form. Inflammatory reactions that are activated on the cells cause premature degradation of collagen and elastin by collagenase and elastase. Wrinkles occur naturally as a result of aging.
Wrinkle Causes: These include heredity, smoking, sun exposure, drug use, life style, alcohol abuse, skin type and improper diet.
Wrinkle Prevention Measures: The best treatment is prevention. Avoid sun and use sunscreen SPF30 every day. Do not smoke. Use topical anti-wrinkle creams every day. Use moisturizer daily. Drink plenty of water.
Wrinkle Creams-Mechanism of Action: Topically administered products must be absorbed into the skin and delivered to the target tissue in the active form for them to be effective. They hydrate the skin. They protect the skin from environmental and lifestyle damages. They repair the damage caused by free radicals and scavenge them at the cellular level. They encourage extra turnover of cells in the aging skin. Used properly, they will reduce the need for cosmetic surgery.
The Food and Drug Administration prohibits cosmetic marketers from making claims that their products cure disease or alter the structure or function of the body. FDA will only examine product’s safety if a problem arises after it is launched in the market.
According to Daniel Behroozan, clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of California at Los Angeles, the number of officially recognized cosmetic ingredients has more than doubled in the past 12 years to 13,500 from 6,200 in 1994. Yet, for many of these ingredients no one has conducted independent clinical trials to measure their effectiveness.
Effective Anti-aging Actives
Face creams that have been proven to be effective at reducing wrinkles are those containing retinoic acid, available as Retin-A both in prescription and lower strengths. These creams work by stimulating the skin to produce more collagen, boost certain enzymes to reduce aging and correct pre-malignancy changes. Consumers should use these products with caution because they may irritate sensitive skin. Face creams containing vitamins C and E help to complex free radicals, reduce sun damage and boost collagen-forming compounds. Their efficacy is proportional to their use level and stability in the facial products. Facial products containing peptides stimulate enzymes in skin cells to produce more collagen. They are combined with other proven ingredients to provide amazing changes on skin. Facial products containing ceramides have shown excellent results on the skin. They are mixtures of skin barrier lipids and are often combined with other humectants to deliver excellent moisturizing benefits to skin. Facial products containing coenzyme Q-10 and idebenone have the ability to repair and protect the skin from sun damage. They help stabilize cell membranes and bring more oxygen into the cells, thereby generating healthy cell renewal and prevent fat molecules from becoming oxidized. There is some evidence to support the idea that co-enzyme Q-10 in products such as Eucerin and Nivea helps skin protection.
Anti-aging Products
There are five forms of anti-aging products—creams, lotions, serums, toners and oral supplements. Vehicle choice is the most important decision that a marketer has to make. Making the right choice determines if the product will be greasy or smooth, enhance or retard the efficacy of the active, improve the skin barrier, induce allergic dermatitis or comedogenic potential to the product. Most of the creams and lotions are oil-in-water emulsions, because they are not greasy and are smooth to the touch.
The active ingredient becomes part of either the oil or water phase depending upon its solubility. Toners are either aqueous or hydro-alcoholic solutions. They basically condition and soothe the skin and usually contain humectants, emollients, botanicals, fragrance and astringents. They are helpful in cleaning makeup residue, provide pH balance of the skin and provide relief from irritation and inflammation. Toners currently available on the market are mild and well formulated. The term serums, according to Jeannette Graf, assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Medical Center, sounds more scientific than it is. Throw in growth factors, biopeptides and MMP inhibitors—just a few of the ingredients found in the latest crop of concentrated skin elixirs—and we start having flashbacks to high school biology.
Some of these technologies have been used for years, while others represent new areas of study. Many companies are throwing around these terms and in some cases overstating the science. Generally serums are very fluid and easily spread and absorb into the skin making it soft. They are applied on a clean face followed by a moisturizer.
Oral supplements are marketed to stave off the negative effects of aging through a healthy diet, regular exercise and antioxidant ingredients such as vitamins and minerals from either foods or supplements. This supports the consumer demand for a healthier skin from the inside out.
Aging Phenomena Observations
Skin becomes thinner primarily due to a loss of subcutaneous fat. The ceramide content of stratum corneum decreases with advancing age, presumably diminishing barrier function. Skin loses elasticity and tone because of changes in collagen.
Older skin usually does not contain as much hyaluronic acid as younger skin. Persons with high glutathione levels are bio-chemically young. Glutathione is a tri-peptide of glycine, cystine and glutamine. It is a major antioxidant in the body providing cell protection. Breaks in DNA strands generally accompany cell aging. This increasing instability of DNA in the cells is the aging process. UV rays and oxidative reactions cause the formation of free radicals. In turn, these inactivate or destroy phospholipids. The resulting lipid peroxides are somehow related to the number of inflammatory diseases and cancers. With age, skin cells divide more slowly and the dermis begins to thin. The elastin and collagen fibers loosen, causing depressions on the skin surface. Skin thus loses elasticity and is unable to retain moisture. Sebum glands also become less efficient, slowing the skin’s healing process. Cumulatively, these factors cause the formation of wrinkles.
Small facial muscle contractions, also known as laugh lines, cause frown lines as well as crow’s feet around the corner of the eyes. Over time, these lines become wrinkles, dark under eye circles and drooping eyelids. Smokers develop wrinkles faster than non-smokers because smoking causes a significant reduction in the production of collagen.
Ultraviolet radiation damages collagen fibers and causes excessive production of abnormal elastin—both leading to photodamage. Consequently metalloproteinase enzyme is generated resulting in a disorganized fiber structure. A repetitive nature of this process results in the formation of wrinkles. Drs. Barbara Gilchrest, professor and chair of dermatology at Boston University, School of Medicine and Gary Grove, president, skin study center, Broomall, PA, have each reported on the age-related decrease in barrier function of intact stratum corneum, which renders old skin more susceptible to irritant and allergic reactions.
Inflammatory response of older skin is also different than normal skin. According to the late Dr. Richard Stoughton, aging skin is paper thin, shriveled, cracked, lifeless, spotted, yellowish, hairless and hanging. But what’s worse, we really don’t know how it got that way.
Dermatological Treatments
Melvin Elson, a dermatologist from Nashville, TN, speaking at the 63rd Dermatological Conference said that there are several types of facial aging that dermatologists evaluate. Intrinsic aging is the natural process that is characterized by loss of underlying fat resulting in a gaunt, thin look with hollowed cheeks and eye sockets. The treatment options for this type of aging are aimed at replacement of the lost tissue with solid implants, which are surgically placed under the skin, or fat transfer, where fat and tissue from other parts of the patients’ body are used to fill in deeper wrinkles and contour the “hills and valleys,” associated with aging.
Sleep lines etch the surface of the skin and result from putting the face into the same position on the pillow every night. These lines seem to diminish or disappear once a patient is no longer lying in bed, but by repeating this procedure every night, these lines return creating more damage. Dermatologists recommend the use of Botulinum rejuvenation to hold the skin taut. When injected, It causes a temporary relaxation of muscles. This procedure effectively reduces the appearance of facial lines, crow’s feet and wrinkles, when performed by a qualified physician.
Expression lines results from every smile, frown and laugh and affect the underlying collagen fibers. These lines are also known as laugh lines and are more noticeable around the eyes and the mouth. Botulinum rejuvenation softens or removes these lines. Another treatment option is soft tissue augmentation and a dermatologist can assist patients in selecting from the variety of Food and Drug Administration’s approved fillers, which produce immediate, yet temporary, results to improve the appearance of facial lines.
Forces at Work
Gravity affects the face too. As soon as we stand up everything moves downwards—the eyelids fall, the jowls form, the upper lip disappears while the lower lip pouts and even the ears get longer! These facial changes related to gravity become more pronounced as we age.
According to Dr. Elson, no amount of facial exercise or “good genes” can offset the pull of gravity. Dermatologists treat effects of gravity surgically using a surgical procedure to correct the “droopy” look of eyelids, known as blepharoplasty. Surgical procedures are invasive and mostly require extensive downtime.
Photodamage results from long-term exposure to the elements. On fair-skinned individuals, photodamage is characterized by blotchy pigmentation, wrinkling and scaling. Dermatologists improve the appearance of photodamaged skin via laser resurfacing. Using this technique, heat or laser light pulses rejuvenate the skin’s tone and texture, and minimize fine lines. Depending on the type of laser used (erbium or carbon dioxide), moderate to advanced fine lines and deeper wrinkles are treated with very little downtime. Chemical peels and lasers activate cell’s natural defense mechanism and rejuvenate the skin. The strength of chemical peels can vary from very superficial to deep and their strength determines the degree of benefit to the skin and the needed downtime following this procedure.
Mass and Prestige Brands
Top-selling mass market lines, including Olay and L’Oreal, and some costlier products, such as La Prairie and StriVectin, were examined in a 12-week clinical study by Consumer Reports (January, 2007). The best performers reduced the average depth of wrinkles by less than 10%, a magnitude of change that was barely visible to the naked eye. Premium-priced products didn’t work any better than the drug store brands.
In fact, La Prairie Cellular, the most costly product that was tested ($335 for an ounce) was among the least effective. Both the photo assessments and instrumental measurements found only slight improvements, but every product performed better for some test subjects and failed completely for others. No relationship was found between the types of active ingredients in the products and their overall performance, nor did the presence or absence of UV protection have any effect, but all products were effective moisturizers.
According to Consumer Reports, there was no correlation at all between price and effectiveness. Regenerist (P&G) was a top performer and was also the cheapest product tested. If price is no issue then Lancôme’s Re’nergie performed nearly as well as Regenerist. All brands were tested for anti-wrinkle, moisturizing and tolerance attributes. Here are the results:
Slightly more effective were Olay Regenerist, Lancôme Paris Renergie and RoC Retin-Ox. Average performers were Neutrogena Visibly Firm night cream with active copper, Avon Anew Alternative Intensive age treatment, L’Oreal Paris’ Dermo-Expertise Wrinkle Smoother and StriVectin-SD Intensive Concentrate for existing stretch marks. Slightly less effective were La Prairie Cellular and RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle. Consumer Reports tested nine anti-wrinkle brands with prices ranging from $18.99 to $335.
Dermatologists have weighed in on some leading skin care ingredients. For example, according to Dr. Nick Lowe, author of Away with Wrinkles, a cream designed to tighten stretch marks (Strivectin) is not going to be very good at relaxing muscles that cause wrinkles. According to Rajiv Grover, a plastic surgeon at King Edward VII Hospital in the UK, Botox works at a deep level by temporarily freezing the action of muscles that are the cause of overlying wrinkles by reducing the signals from nerve to muscle. A cream cannot penetrate anywhere near as deeply as that. It is very difficult indeed to make a cream that will penetrate the top layer of skin. It is certainly unrealistic to imagine that any cream could have the same effect as Botox.
There is similar skepticism about Créme de la Mer’s claims that it contains water molecules that have been divided, dramatically enhancing the action of various ingredients within the “miracle broth.” It is absolute nonsense. There is not a scrap of evidence to show that Creme de la Mer is anything more than a very nice moisturizer, says Dr. Lowe. He recommends Vaseline Intensive Care as an excellent example of a moisturizer that contains a multiple vitamin complex just like that hyped in some of the very expensive creams.
Conclusions
Skin care technology is growing by leaps and bounds. Anti-aging products are incorporating more high tech ingredients, because mere moisturizers and exfoliating agents are no longer enough to keep skin looking young. Everyone’s skin is different and they often respond differently to ingredients such as antioxidants, collagen stimulators, peptides and vitamins. Efficacy is in demand, which puts pressure on the cosmetic industry to appeal to today’s educated consumer who often knows the difference between AHA and Retin-A. Still, the cosmetic industry should advise consumers not to expect overnight improvement.
Consumers should read beyond bold promises and examine labels to see whether the products contain any ingredients that are scientifically proven to help skin look and feel younger. Health and medical breakthroughs are always widely reported in leading newspapers and magazines where consumers could easily acquire information on these new ingredients and other discoveries. But no matter what consumers put on their faces, the best way to fight wrinkles and premature aging is to limit DNA damage, control collagenase and elastaseand GAG-degrading enzymes.
