med|3 Dermaceuticals

New antiaging skin creams claim to do as much as a medical procedure -- but can they? Doctor's explain.
By Colette Bouchez
WebMD Feature Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

You've seen the antiaging skin care claims, in newspapers, magazines, and even online: ominous photos of hypodermic needles posed along side innocuous, even innocent-looking jars of cream.

The message: A new generation of topical cosmetic creams promises the same wrinkle-relaxing, age-defying results as some pricey and maybe even some potentially dangerous medical procedures, including Botox and collagen injections.

But can they? Well if you're skeptical about what you read, you're not alone. Not surprisingly, some doctors also question the claims and the promises.

"The bottom line is that if these creams could accomplish the same thing as a medical procedure, they would be drugs and not cosmetics -- and that's what you have to keep in mind when deciding whether to try or buy," says Marsha Gordon, MD, vice chairman of dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Much of the new antiaging treatment technology focuses on compounds called pentapeptides -- small groups of long chain amino acids that function as chemical messengers throughout the body. Among the most popular creams boasting the new technology include the Regenerist line by Olay, Strivectin-SD by Klein Becker, Wrinkle Relax by DDF, and the Principal Secret "Reclaim" line. And while doctors say there are no published medical studies showing they work, experts involved in product testing say there is ample science behind the pentapeptide technology.

"It had a very strong pedigree going into the process -- we weren't just looking for the next hope in the jar, we were really looking at medical science before we started down the path with these products," says Lauren Thaman Hodges, director of Beauty Science for Olay skin care products.

Initially, the research on pentapeptides was done in relation to wound healing. As part of the body's natural response to help skin heal, published studies showed peptides are instrumental in increasing cells in the skin to produce more collagen.