US researchers develop new material to smooth wrinkles

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Living Proof, and Olivo Labs have developed a new material, which can protect and tighten skin temporarily, as well as smooth wrinkles.

A further development could also be of help in delivering drugs to treat skin conditions such as eczema and other types of dermatitis.

The material is a silicone-based polymer that could be applied on the skin as a thin, imperceptible coating.

This polymer mimics the mechanical and elastic properties of healthy, youthful skin.

The researchers, in tests conducted on human subjects, found that the material was able to reshape ‘eye bags’ under the lower eyelids and also enhance skin hydration.

This kind of ‘second skin’ could also serve as ultraviolet protection, the researchers say.

MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering associate professor and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science member Daniel Anderson said: "It’s an invisible layer that can provide a barrier, provide cosmetic improvement, and potentially deliver a drug locally to the area that’s being treated.

"Those three things together could really make it ideal for use in humans."

Researchers created a library of more than 100 possible polymers, all of which contained a chemical structure known as siloxane.

These polymers can be assembled into a network arrangement known as a cross-linked polymer layer (XPL). The researchers then tested the materials in search of one that would best mimic the appearance, strength, and elasticity of healthy skin.

In laboratory tests, the novel XPL’s elasticity was much better than that of two other types of wound dressings now used on skin — silicone gel sheets and polyurethane films.

Currently, the XPL is delivered in a two-step process.

In the first step, polysiloxane components are applied to the skin, followed by a platinum catalyst that induces the polymer to form a strong cross-linked film that remains on the skin for up to 24 hours.

This catalyst has to be added after the polymer is applied because after this step the material becomes too stiff to spread.

Both layers are applied as creams or ointments, and once spread onto the skin, XPL becomes essentially invisible.

The material was also tested for its ability to prevent water loss from dry skin.

The researchers found that two hours after application, skin treated with the novel XPL suffered much less water loss than skin treated with a high-end commercial moisturiser.