Your Elastic 'Second Skin' May Be The Key In Getting Rid Of Pimples, Eczema And Aging

This may sound like taken directly from a sci-fi novel but a group of scientists have recently claimed to have found an ingenious way to cheat aging. Their method involves no lotions or injectable to make wrinkles disappear. Through chemical engineering, they are able to develop an invisible elastic film that reportedly 'mimics the properties of youthful skin.'

In a recently published report featured in journal of Nature Materials by researchers from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an artificial 'second skin' made from common chemicals recognized as safe by FDA is currently being explored for possible commercial application as a cosmetic product. However, authors of the study hope that it will also be used for non-cosmetic purposes such as sunscreen protection.

This elastic material is actually a polymer film- tens-of-thousands less than a millimeter thick- applied on the skin as two creams one after the other. This creates a second layer of skin that supports the underlying tissue, thus, making the skin look younger due to light diffusion caused by particles in the second cream as reported by Geek.com.

The researchers tested the film on 170 volunteers. None of the participants has reported any signs of allergic reaction to the film- a polymer composed of one oxygen atom bound with two atoms of silicon.

Apart from the obvious cosmetic application, the polymer may also prove medically useful in treating skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis by putting a protective coating on the skin.

"We hope this can be used for many different things," Daniel Anderson, an MIT chemical engineering professor as quoted by CNN. "For example, if you need it for a large area of skin you might put it on like sunscreen, or you might be able to apply it with your fingers."

For other purposes, the polymer will also have practical usefulness in protecting skin from sunburns, preventing moisture loss, hide undesirable birth marks or dressing wounds.

While the study looks impressive with its various potential applications, doctors remain cautiously positive as the study requires in-depth research and experiments.

"This is a first step and all these applications will require further work," remarked dermatology professor Dr. Murad Alam, who is not associated with the study, as quoted by New York Times. If future tests will be successful, he added, "I think it will be very popular."