大象传媒

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All this week Michael Mosley has been on the hunt for the elusive elixir of youth.

In tonight's film he met dermatologist Dr Robin Stones and they put anti-wrinkle creams to the test. Dr Stones told Michael that 90% of wrinkles are caused by sun damage. But are there any face cream out there that can reverse this damage?

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Do anti-wrinkle creams work?

Michael and viewer Angela Drake applied anti-wrinkle creams to their faces for three months. The dermatologist believes that retinoic acid is effective at reversing aging, so...

Michael used a prescription-only cream containing retinoic acid on one side of his face and nothing on the other. Creams containing retinoic acid can cause intense irritation to skin, and that's why they're prescription only.

Angela used an over the counter anti-wrinkle cream (containing a weak concentration of retinoids) on half of her face and sunscreen on the other.

Please note: According to dermatologist Dr Stones 1 in 5 people will not respond to any anti-wrinkle treatments as they do not have a necessary receptor in their skin.

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The results

After three months they returned to the dermatologist to have their wrinkles examined.

The results: Michael's wrinkles were "significantly improved" by the prescription only cream.

Angela's over the counter cream made a small improvement to her wrinkles on one side of her face. Sunscreen made no improvement to her wrinkles but caused no extra damage to her skin.

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Recommendations

The dermatologist was cautious about recommending over-the-counter creams as they do not tell you what concentration of retinoids they contain.

When pressed he said to look for an anti-wrinkle cream that features retinol high up on its list of ingredients.

He recommends using a good sunscreen - because if you want to avoid wrinkles, it is better to prevent sun damage in the first place.

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Do you have a skin care routine that reduces wrinkles? Do you have a natural remedy for wrinkles that you'd like to share? Please don't mention brand-names. Add your comment.