Well bust my buttons! We here at ProjectBeauty like to keep our fingers on the pulse of the latest anti-aging breakthroughs and it seems the good folks over at Health Magazine feel the very same way! Their latest “Beauty Bottom Line” tackles the topic of beauty’s best and brightest new advances and products in a little article entitled, “The Best New Skin Savers.” From lotions and potions to high tech new treatments, getting a gal back to her flawless fabulousness isn’t nearly as difficult as it was say… 10 years ago! So let’s give those science-heads a rousing round of applause and take a peek at some their progress, shall we?

Splitchy-spots got you down? Wrinkles cramping your style? According to Health Magazine there’s no need to run screaming directly to the prescription cabinet (In fact, running while screaming is not adhering to our safety first code of conduct, so let’s just refrain from that all-together.) There are a host of brand new magical potions that deliver almost the same benefit as their under-the-counter pharmacy friends. (Did you not the operative word in that sentence: almost? Good.)

The latest in over-the-counter spot treatment is the antithesis of the derm-prescribed skin-bleaching creams and their main ingredient hydroquinone, mostly due to the fact that they don’t contain the oftentimes skin-irritating ingredient. A new brand on non-hydroquinone based OTC lighteners are cropping up that contain a low percentage of kojic acid that breaks down the melanin in your skin to treat spots and also prevent new spots from forming. (Let’s play the good Lady Macbeth one more time. All together now, “Out damn spot!”)


And in regards to ironing the years out of your face, a crop of new anti-agers are popping up that are less-irritating than the hard-core vitamin A derived retinoids prescribed by doctors. Say goodbye to redness and flaking with new over-the-counter products that, while they still contain retinol, also contain magical time-release and/ or moisturizers that lessen the irritation. Those who prefer a greener approach can also opt for products without a trace of retinol and instead contain an ingredient called African Anogeissus, otherwise known as the bark of a West African tree. (Let’s re-read our optimal word here: ALMOST. Okay. Moving on.)


Your doctor or someone in their office who is well-trained, obviously is the only guy or gal that should be wielding the high-powered lasers and treatments available in their offices, but that doesn’t mean a DIY gal can’t um… DIY. There is a bevy of at-home alternatives in the sci-fi world that battle the effects of age from your very own home, including handheld devices that stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, allegedly keeping the skin nice and firm. (This is where we meet our second optimal word: allegedly.) Simply running these devices that emit beams of light over clean skin as directed can allegedly plump fine lines (red-light emitting diode—like an LED laser) and at least put a crimp in deeper lines style (fractional laser.)


If you’re not feeling the Star Wars vibe and prefer to leave the lasers to the professionals (your doctor), than there are also new potions and lotions that allegedly have laser-like results. Super supped up moisturizers contain enzymes that absorb UV light and convert it into skin-plumping wavelengths, while others utilize the energy from enzymes to repair DNA (Please refer to our past post GENETICS: Can DNA Really Be Prepared? ~ really.) and ultimately reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Later in the week, we’ll take a look at some of the latest and greatest advances in your doctor’s arsenal—but for now we’ll let you chew on this little supped-up beauty stew, perfectly spiced, of course, with our two savory optimal words: almost and allegedly.