New anti-wrinkle cream will trick human cells into regenerating themselves.
A new range of anti-ageing creams which ‘trick’ human skin cells into regenerating themselves is expected this year.
The products, designed to smooth out wrinkles and repair damaged skin, have been designed by experts in ‘glycobiology’, the science of using naturally occurring sugars to improve health.
L’Oreal hopes its attempt to harness the technology, registered as Glycanactif, will prove a popular addition to the 2billion British cosmetics market.
Ruling out the wrinkles: Scientists claim they have found a cream that can help skin cells regenerate
Artificial chemicals have been developed to mimic the behaviour of natural chemicals which penetrate the surface and stimulate the regeneration of skin cells.
These natural chemicals become less active with age, so it is hoped the cream would cause a manufactured stimulus to the skin to hopefully improve its condition and appearance as if the body was much younger.
Researchers are reported to have found improvements in skin’s elasticity, thickness and smoothness.
Bruno Bernard, research director at L’Oreal, said: ‘There is still much more to cell signalling and the ageing process, but all the cosmetics we had before were acting on the surface.
‘Now we are able to create a rejuvenating effect on the deeper levels of the skin.’
Fountain of youth Researchers are reported to have found improvements in skins elasticity, thickness and smoothness after testing the chemicals
Similar technology in glycobiology has led to the medical advances such as a vaccine against fatal infant flu. It is also expected to be a key element in the fight against cancer.
Peter Seeberger, a director at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, has been working with L’Oreal on the project, said: ‘The research has shown clear beneficial biochemical changes [to skin quality], both in the laboratory and in human studies.’
He added: ‘I’m interested in health, not face paint, but I was very surprised to find out how much real scientific experimentation was going on in a cosmetics company.
‘I could see a value for our work in collaborating with them.’
L’Oreal could not be contacted yesterday to discuss the price of any new cosmetics due for release in 2012.
But Richard Gallo, a professor of dermatology at the University of California in San Diego, says there is still room for more research into the creams.
He told the Sunday Times: ‘The study results are surprisingly good, but we don’t know if these molecules are really getting into the skin or how the beneficial effect works.’
He added: ‘There are a number of companies looking into this area. The optimistic side of me says it does have the potential… but the pessimist in me says it might be just another piece of hype.’
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