Anti-Aging: A New way of Using the Natural Electricity in your Skin? : Anti-Aging Information Highway

I really enjoy bringing you interesting news about products that use natural ingredients to get the best out of your skin, and this is bang up-to-date – I read about it in my Daily Mail over breakfast this morning.

It has long been known that skin cells naturally repair and regenerate via tiny electrical currents called bio-electricity. These currents are stronger in young skin and weaken as we age. U.S. scientists at Johnson and Johnson have used this knowledge to discover a way to harness the power of bio-electricity in a pot! Yes, you read that right – a high-tech skin cream has been developed by two of J and J’s “child” companies, RoC and Neutrogena. RoC’s Brilliance range contains E-Pulse Skin Electro-Stimulation Technology (10 U.S patents) and Neutrogena’s Clinical Skin Care also contains a patented ion2 complex.

Both claim to rejuvenate by producing low level micro-currents to boost collagen, making skin appear firmer, smoother, and less wrinkled. A dermatologist reports that diminished bio-electrical signalling has been observed in older skin. These changes may affect the balance of healthy turnover in the skin, resulting in visible signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin. An anti-aging consultant adds that we know that electronic micro-current stimulation works. It has been used in medicine for wound healing, physiotherapy rehabilitation and even orthopaedics and bone growth.

The new miracle creams are actually two products designed to work together. The first is a greyish, silicone-based serum containing vitamin E and powdered copper and zinc (the elements of the battery). The second is a water-based moisturising cream that when applied over the serum activates a weak ten-micro amp electrical charge in the top layers of the skin. Apparently, you can’t feel it, but it’s claimed that this will trigger the skin to produce both collagen and elastin – proteins in the skin that diminish as we grow older. Collagen gives the skin its smooth structure and prevents wrinkles, while elastin gives skin its youthful bounce and resilience.

These new creams are apparently already generating great excitement in the U.S so you may have heard of them – RoC say that 97 per cent of the women in their clinical trials said they saw positive results. However, not everyone is convinced. It is said that the micro-currents generated by these creams are a watered down version of those created by professional grade machines and it is doubtful that the results will be as good. Also, they cannot give the same improvements in muscle tone and firmness that have a powerful anti-aging effect. Others are even more sceptical and say that although skin cells do communicate using electricity it is thought unlikely that a topical cream can work at a cellular level in the way these companies claim.

If you want to try the newest micro-current electrical creams for yourself, and make up your own mind whether they work or not, you can already do so in the U.S. but in the UK you will have to wait until later this year for the L’Oreal and RoC versions to be launched. (I’m afraid I have no information about launches in other countries).

I would be very interested to hear the opinion of anyone who has tried this treatment.