| Health Mail Vol.1 Issue 3 | Title : Effects of anti-ageing products | 1/1 |
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Anti-ageing products containing AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) have recently come under scrutiny by American government chemists. These controversial AHA creams came onto the market after the success of 'chemical peels' used by plastic surgeons and dermatologists. The 'chemical peels' have been used for years to remove discolourations, roughness and wrinkling by stripping off an outer layer of skin. Cosmetic manufacturers then decided to market milder versions of these peels in salons and for home use a decade ago. Marketing hype claiming that these produces could provide up to a 50% reduction in wrinkles and a 90% increase in skin clarity helped to make these products ever-increasingly popular. Glycolic acid is one of the strongest AHAs and is commonly used at full strength for etching metal and in a range of household cleaners. Therefore using a cream, which contains AHAs, could be like giving your skin a mild acid bath. The US Food and Drug Administration agency (FDA) has had hundreds of complaints from people alleging that their skin had been burned, bled and blistered after the use of AHA creams. The European Commission is investigating the claims made by the American findings. Some skin specialists now believe that these creams should not be sold over the counter. Currently AHAs are an unregulated product, and not categorised as a drug but as a cosmetic ingredient. Scientists in the U.S. are already advising that all the creams should contain only 10% or less AHAs – this is already in use for over-the-counter products in Britain. The European Commission and the FDA may now decide to force manufacturers to put a warning on their packaging and limit the percentage in age-defying products. Boots, the leading UK pharmacy, has reported that they have never had any complaints from customers about these creams. The questions raised are not just about whether the quality of the skin is improved but also about sensitivity to the effects of the sun. UK dermatologists are saying that although there may be no harm in a one-off therapeutic peel, the daily use of an anti-wrinkle cream can thin the horny layer of the skin thereby reducing its protection from the harmful rays of the sun. Boots stated that they have always advised customers to use a sun cream with a protection factor of 15 before going out in the sun wearing an anti-wrinkle cream. With regard to wrinkles caused by sunlight, the advice from a team of scientists is that the best protection for the skin is a good sun screen or better still to stay in the shade. (Source: Sunday Times 20/08/00– Style Sction page 42) |
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