January 2006
The Dream Cream: A Multi-purpose Skin Care Product Straight from the Heartland
Most anti-aging products boast the power of peptides, vitamins, antioxidants, and
even innate human-chemicals, however few explain why these elements prevent or treat
the wrinkles, lines, and spots people associate with aging. Nutraceutics, on the
other hand, has a lengthy report from scientists at Sederma, a French giant responsible
for developing key cosmetic ingredients like the lightening agent, Arbutin, or Haloxyl,
a chemical used for dark undereye circles, most recently used in the Patricia Wexler
line. Sederma’s research on Matrixyl, the main ingredient in Relastyl, explains
why Relastyl reduces the width and depth of wrinkles, and makes stretch marks less
prominent.
Most consumers know a lack of collagen and elastin are partially response
for the loss of tonicity, firmness, and smoothness over time. Many companies claim
their product will stimulate collagen production to reverse or halt aging, but what
they fail to admit is that the real problem is a lack of adhesion between the outer
and inner layers of the skin. Outside the skin cells, the layers of collagen are
bound by fibers. When these links or fibers in the extracellular matrix lose moisture,
it leads to fragmentation of the collagen structure, which causes a disconnect between
the layers of skin. The end result is thinner, looser skin.
According to Sederma
research, nutritional deficiencies and a lack of circulation on the part of cell
messengers is to blame for the thinning of skin. Sederma research suggests that
mature skin has more elastin, and the imbalance in the quantities of collagen and
elastin impact the structures responsible for keeping the skin plump and firm.
Butylene
Glycol, one of the major components of Matrixyl, and the second ingredient in Relastyl,
contains a pentapeptide. This element promises to enhance the fusion of collagen
and skin fibers, thereby restoring the fiber structure and the skin’s ability to
resist stretching.
The makers of Relastyl point out that there are many other viable
products on the market purporting to have created the one solution that will turn
back time. This company recognizes the benefits of vitamin C and peptides, but explains
how hard it is to find the right ones. They promote their product with confidence
because it’s well researched (35 women tested it for up to six months) and they’re
opposed to acids and peels because of the recovery time and their harsh nature.
Their studies showed that a 3 percent Matrixyl solution was more effective in wrinkle
reduction than a 5 percent vitamin C solution. Relastyl helps prevent stretch marks
by strengthening the elasticity of skin, and helps reduce the size of wrinkles through
the synthesis of collagen stimulated by peptides.