If only we could begin the new year with a face as fresh and unmarked as a 1993 calendar. We can't, of course. We can only resolve to take care of the face we've already got - to use sunscreen, eat right, sleep deeply and moisturize.
But there's one thing more we can do as we embark on our journey through 1993: We can review what dermatologists and skin-care manufacturers said about beautiful skin and "exciting" new products during 1992.- The big news in skin care continues to be acids from fruit, sugar cane, old wine and sour milk. (Estee Lauder's new Fruition promises triple fruit acid formula.) These extracts are known as alpha hydroxy acids, of which glycolic acid is the most widely used in cosmetics.
The smoothing and healing properties of these acids are historical. Cleopatra was said to have bathed in sour milk. Ancient Romans put wine on their faces.
In the United States, says dermatologist Nia Terezakis, doctors have recommended alpha hydroxy acids for a century. "The cosmetic industry just discovered them."
During 1992, several of us at the Deseret News sampled moisturizers containing alpha hydroxy acids and found they do help heal chapped skin and blemishes. (None of us, however, ended the year with fewer wrinkles than we started with.)
Scientists are still studying the alpha hydroxy acids, says dermatologist D'anne Kleinsmith. "Some preliminary evidence shows they help smooth the skin. We know they get rid of dead cells on the surface. We know they can be used alone or with bleaching agents to lighten brown spots. And we know they can be used in higher concentrations in the form of facial peels. But it's still being researched as to whether or not they reduce wrinkles."
Alpha hydroxy acids do have the potential to be irritating, Terezakis adds. "But life irritates." By which she means there's not a skin-care product made that won't irritate someone.
- Trying to get rid of wrinkles was a big trend in 1992. Especially among fair-haired, light-skinned women who grew up in the "Beach Blanket Bingo" era and made getting a tan their No. 1 career goal of 1962.
Yet 30 years later, many cosmetic manufacturers avoid the actual word wrinkles. Their advertisements are decidedly euphemistic. "Improves the appearance of fine lines," they promise, or "reclaims youthful vitality."
Manufacturers avoided the W-word for two reasons. First, consumers are growing disgusted with miraculous claims. According to a Cheesbrough-Ponds survey, one-third of women are dissatisfied with products that promise more than they deliver along the line of erasing lines.
Another reason advertisers avoid wrinkle claims? "The FDA has kind of clamped down on the cosmetic industry," says Kleinsmith. "The only product that has been shown to really aid in reducing wrinkles is Retin A. And Retin A is still a prescription drug."
Meanwhile, you can keep on using whatever moisturizer you like. But when you hydrate your skin you are only plumping it up temporarily, Kleinsmith reminds. "There is no scientific evidence that moisturizer reduces wrinkles for any length of time."
- The search continues for aluminum-free deodorants. Several years ago we welcomed The Crystal, a big chunk of something that looked like rock salt and didn't do much. Now we are testing a new coriander-seed roll-on called Tom's Natural Deodorant. Stay tuned. (And don't sit too close.)
- This was the year Vaseline announced we don't need to bathe our babies so often. They quoted experts who say infants' oil glands are less developed than adults'. Weekly baths may be enough. Less frequent bathing may actually prevent skin irritation.
- Also in 1992, a research chemist in Salem, Utah, warned consumers to read the ingredients before buying beauty products. "Sodium lauryl sulfate is a common ingredient in shampoos . . . but studies have shown it can actually inhibit hair growth and cause cataracts if it gets into the eyes," says Thomas Mower. "Propylene glycol, found in moisturizers, is an industrial anti-freeze. It coats and suffocates skin cells. Bentonite or kaolin is also a suffocating substance, used to fight fires."
- A worldwide survey done by Lubriderm showed American women, when compared to French, Russian and Japanese women, are the most willing to "age gracefully." Though they spend significant time caring for their skin - about 20 minutes a day - the average American won't spend as much as a French woman will on beauty products, nor is she as willing to consider plastic surgery.
French and Russian women are the least likely to use sunscreen. Japanese women spend the least time caring for their skin (about 12 minutes per day) but are the most likely to use sunscreen. Not only do they fear cancer, but they want white skin. One-fifth of Japanese women do "skin whitening" routines.
Russian women have few beauty products available. Still they find skin care relaxing and spend more time than other women (25 minutes per day) in facial cleansing and massage.
- As more and more women travel on business, consumers are demanding travel-size containers of their favorite beauty products, according to Dial Corp.
- The July 1992 issue of The Journal of Dermatologic Surgery and Oncology noted that while only 5 percent of patients with basal cell carcinoma are under 30 years old, the vast majority of these young patients are female, and their cancer is linked with the use of hair dye and tanning booths.
- In the final analysis the best way to fight wrinkles and, more importantly, skin cancer, is to stop smoking, use sunscreen and protect the next generation, says Kleinsmith. If you have fair children, Vaseline suggests scheduling outdoor activities only before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m. and teaching them to use sunscreen daily, just as you teach them to brush their teeth.