Anti-Wrinkle Ingredient Thickens Skin
Researchers at the Université Lavel’s Faculty School of Medicine have discovered that a common ingredient in many anti-wrinkle creams and products causes a pathological reaction in skin cells.
The substance, DMAE (2-dimethylaminoethanol) first causes a rapid swelling of fibroblasts. Fibroblasts act as reservoirs and interface between the inside and outside of the cell.
But after a few hours there is a noticeable slowing of cell division and a dying off of fibroblasts. The initial thickening of the skin from the swollen fibroblasts is probably what causes the “anti-wrinkle” effect.
Cosmetics are not subjected to the same rigorous testing and safety trials as medications or other regulated products.
The researchers aren’t saying whether or not DMAE poses a health risk. But many compounds used in cosmetics are absorbed by the skin and enter the bloodstream, they may even be stored in the liver. That’s why Dr. Francois Marceau, one of the authors of the study, thinks it’s time that the possible dangers and health risks of cosmetic ingredients be studied.
