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Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Seven

Dr Dilip Gahankari looks at collagen skincare products and supplements: do they work, or are there better alternatives? As we age, many of us look for ways to help us look younger and fresher. The so-called 'cosmeceuticals' industry is a billion dollar one, and it thrives on our desires to keep our looks radiant for as long as possible. The use of 'collagen skin care' is a relatively new chapter in the development of this industry, but in actual fact, some of the active ingredients of this skin care have been in use for quite some time. In my research, I’ve uncovered hundreds of these collagen skin and beauty care products but they weren’t really common knowledge because there wasn’t one definition to really explain what it was or why it was beneficial. When I broke it down, the common ingredient listed as appearing in many of the products appeared to be a form of peptide. These peptides are molecules in our bodies essential for many of physiological functions including reactions that are essential for healing and collagen formation. These collagen skin care products are often advertised as being able to enhance the natural collagen in our skin, firm the skin, and work against wrinkles and lines. But once again, despite these products relying on selling scientific reactions, my research didn’t produce any compelling evidence that they actually worked. And those studies they list on the adverts to support their claims of a miracle skin salve? They’re usually sponsored by the very industry trying to sell the products. It makes their assertions a little difficult to swallow for a skeptic like myself. The problem is, although these peptides and pentapeptide molecule (KTTKS for example) are known to be part of Type-1 collagen, and do actually signal pathways for collagen to be deposited in the in skin, their effectiveness as a topical cream is controversial. As far as I can tell from my research, these assertions aren’t really based in evidence. But there are several other cosmeceuticals that have indeed been the subject of extensive research. Many commonly known ingredients such as vitamin C, antioxidants, AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids), retinoids and others are also commonly used skin care products. The concern that I have about these products though, is their quality control. They’re manufactured at a large scale and are generally sold over the counter and therefore have very few measures in place to ensure quality. Interestingly, different regulatory bodies have differing policies. For example, the US FDA does not recognise the term 'cosmeceuticals' so in the US and Australia, products such as sunscreens are sold over the counter. However, in Europe, sunscreen is considered to be a cosmeceutical and has more regulatory criteria. Like most things in the commercial world, the more expensive a product, the better it is supposed to be. In cosmeceuticals, certainly, high-end products from well-known brands are more expensive, and generally speaking, the branded products are known to have better quality control. However, given the lack of evidence surrounding the efficacy of many of these products, it’s difficult to know exactly which products will deliver tangible results. With so many as yet unfounded claims being made about cosmeceuticals and the results they purport to deliver, there is a very real possibility that you may be paying big dollars for a product that may not be the best option for your skin. As always, consulting a professional, such as a dermotherapist, is the best option, and in the long-run is it’s likely to be the most cost-effective. These trained specialists, (such as Moana Ford who works in our rooms at Advanced Aesthetics), offer a detailed skin analysis and can then suggest the products best suited to your individual needs. In addition to their advanced training, dermotherapists have extensive handson experience with many of the products available, and can advise on which ones deliver results, and which ones don’t. With so many billions of dollars being spent on the marketing of cosmeceuticals, sometimes with little evidence to back up their enticing claims, we need to scratch beneath the surface to find products and treatments that will produce real results. BEAUTY pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 69


Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Seven
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