Stem cells (this one from a rare swiss apple) are one of the latest anti aging ingredients to hit the cosmetics counter. Can they really help to get rid of your wrinkles?
Stem cells are cells found in most organisms; they are interesting in skin care because they have the ability to replicate through cell division. The theory is that this replication could help to make up for the cells that age and die through the aging process. Because the law bans the use of human embryonic stem cells in cosmetics, researchers have turned their attention to plants, which also produce stem cells.
The swiss apple first garnered attention because it was noted that it could be kept for months without withering. To find out if this would benefit human skin, scientists took an extract of the apple and grew the cells in a liquid culture. A 1% solution of the apple stem cell solution seemed to boost production of human stem cells by 80%. In addition, the stem cell solution appeared to protect the human stem cells from UV radiation. The solution also seemed to increase the lifespan of hair follicles. A study on real women found that crowsfeet wrinkles were reduced by 15 percent after 4 weeks.
Impressive sounding results – should you try it? Keep in mind that while the results show promise, that clinical trials have yet to show any anti aging benefits for the swiss apple stem cell.
