There’s no shortage of beauty products that claim to reduce wrinkles. Whether any of them work, however, is highly disputed. While the XPL, short for cross-linked polymer layer, won’t magically erase the signs of aging like those suspicious beauty products swear to do, it can literally shave decades off your face by covering your wrinkles up.
Instead of turning back the clock on your skin like most anti-aging products claim to do, this new material is designed to merely mask the signs of aging. You know, just like makeup. Except, it’s made up of a skin-like material that can be applied to any part of your skin, covering up wrinkles, crow’s feet, and any other blemish for up to 24 hours at a time.
Developed by researchers from MIT and Harvard, the XPL is applied in a two-step process. In the first step, polysiloxane components are applied to the skin, after which, a platinum catalyst is added to stiffen it up into a cross-linked film that looks and feels like regular skin. While that sounds technical, both layers are actually applied in the form of creams and ointments, so it should be no more complicated than your regular beauty routine. Aside from its cosmetic functions, the material can be used to protect damaged skin similar to bandages, as well as deliver topical skin medications while ensuring it doesn’t get wiped or washed off.
A startup called Olivo Laboratories has been formed to further refine and develop XPL, with plans to bring it to market in the near future. Learn more about the research from the link below.