Botox alternative – nano particles could be the answer

The hunt is on for a true botox alternative and nanotechnology may provide the answer according to some leading cosmetic companies.

For a generation of baby boomers determined to look younger as they age – botox seemed to offer a miracle cure when it was first introduced in the late eighties.

Nowadays a botox injection can be almost as cheap as a good hairdo and many women – fed up with some of the disadvantages of botox – are looking for creams and serums that do the same thing.

The downside of botox is of course its non-sustainability. Botox injections wear off and you need to keep having them to get the same anti aging effect. The result – cost, inconvenience and dependancy.

As a result cosmetic companies have been falling over one another in the rush to find the best botox alternative cream – offering all the benefits of the original and none of the downsides.

Nanotechnology is being heralded in some circles as the answer to a range of anti aging problems. L’Oreal, the world’s largest cosmetics company is devoting most of its massive $650 million research budget to nanotechnology presumably because it’s "worth it".

Revitalift is the first of many anti aging products using the technology. Revitalift claims to give aging skin an immediate lift using nano particles to push anti aging ingredients deep into the dermis or surface layer.

Nanotechnology also extends the range of ingredients that can be used in cosmetics. Many highly active anti aging ingredients – such as vitamins and growth promoters – would cause skin irritation in their raw state.

Nano particles can be used to coat the surface of microscopic amounts of these anti aging ingredients delivering them to the underlying layers of the skin without causing inflammation or irritation.

Dior, Johnson & Johnson and Estee Lauder are among some of the other cosmetic giants who have developing nano particle products for their ranges.

The FDA in the US and the Royal Society in the UK have said they are worried about the long term safety of nano particles and want research done to assess just how far they travel in the human body once they are applied to the skin’s surface.

Boring though it may be the advice may be – proceed with caution. This is new technology and it’s best to try to look at any research and trial data that’s offered and keep your ears and eyes open for the latest pronouncements from the FDA.

A botox alternative cream is a good idea – but not at any price.

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