Matrixyl is considered a "miracle" ingredient by many dermatologists.
It reduces wrinkles and leaves smoother, plumper, firmer, and more youthful skin, erasing years from the face – without the pain or cost of cosmetic procedures.
The most astonishing part: You may already have it in your bathroom cabinet.
Matrixyl was patented in 2000 by the French company Sederma. Since then, it's been sold in high-end stores in expensive anti-aging products that often cost more than a hundred dollars.
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But recently, the transforming ingredient has started to be used in more affordable skin formulations. Yet, you may have never heard of it.
Why? Competition in the cosmetics industry is keen, and manufacturers of anti-aging products prefer to tout ingredients that are unique to their products.
They aren't anxious to admit that the "secret" component in their expensive cream – the one that actually makes the product effective – is also being used by their competitors. Also, it's difficult for consumers to gain access to the results of studies about anti-aging products, since they are generally not published in medical journals.
"Cosmetic companies rarely publish their work so rivals can't copy their products," says professor Ian Hamley of the U.K.'s Reading University.
Hamley and his colleagues studied Matrixyl while searching for treatments to heal wounds. They discovered that Matrixyl stimulates collagen production.
Collagen is the protein that repairs and plumps skin and gives it elasticity. Collagen production slows around age 30, causing our skin to lose moisture and become thinner, creating wrinkles.
Matrixyl is a peptide which stimulates the skin to produce more of its own collagen as well as more hyaluronic acid, which also plumps and moisturizes the skin.
The scientists found that Matrixyl almost doubles the amount of collagen that the body produces, and concluded that it was effective in reducing the signs of aging.
Research showed that after using it twice daily for four months, subjects’ wrinkle volume was reduced by 36 percent and wrinkle depth by 26 percent, while skin roughness was decreased 13 percent. The thickness of skin was also increased.
Although Retin-A also increases the production of collagen, smooths lines, and improves sun damage, it's only available by prescription, says Dr. Kenneth Beer, a dermatology instructor at the University of Miami.
Some companies include retinol in their over-the-counter products because it resembles Retin-A. Products containing retinoids, however, can cause reactions in some people, but no side effects have been reported with Matrixyl.
You don't have to choose an expensive Matrixyl cream. "I think the $5 product is as good as the expensive ones that may cost hundreds of dollars," says Dr. Beer who practices in Palm Beach, Fla.
But do try to find a product with a high concentration of Matrixyl. For their study, Reading University researchers used a 3 percent concentration. "The concentration is really important," says Dr. Beer. "Some companies will put a drop of an active ingredient in a barrel of product and can say it is included.
"Some, but not all companies will list the concentration of Matrixyl," says Dr. Beer. "If there is no listing or it is not clear, call the company or check their website."
Products That Contain Matrixyl
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