Lactose May Be Good for Your Skin

Katie Bird of CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com reported on a study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.

[A] combination of retinol, lactose and glycolic acid significantly decreased the number of wrinkles and the length of the wrinkled area.

Forty women with fair complexions between the ages of 35 and 50 were involved in the study, applying a formulation containing the three ingredients to one side of the face and a placebo cream to the other twice daily over a 12 week period.

A significant decrease in the number of wrinkles was seen in comparison to the placebo cream after two weeks, report the researchers led by C. Bertin, and after four weeks the total surface area with wrinkles was found to be significantly smaller.

Other parameters measured by the team included the regularity and elastic properties of the skin. Although these properties improved during the treatment period there was no significant difference between the effects of the active and the placebo formulations, according to the team.

The team concludes that "with a well-chosen combination of active ingredients, a significantly better efficacy can be obtained with an anti-ageing cream in comparison with its placebo on photoageing signs".

The 'well-chosen combination' in this case was 0.1 per cent retinol, 5 per cent lactose and 4 per cent glycolic acid (a commonly used Alpha Hydroxy Acid or AHA).

Scientists from Johnson & Johnson were part of the research, for those of you worried about studies funded by corporations who have a stake in positive findings.

I should note that it is highly unlikely that even anyone with a sensitive dairy allergy would be affected by a small amount of pharmaceutical grade lactose applied to the skin, but that is always a factor to consider.