NASA as the driving force in the cosmetic industry

To most people, getting information regarding a treatment to fade spots, reduce wrinkles or cellulite or tighten the skin is comparable to taking a physics or chemistry exam: the language can be a bit complicated. This all started about 40 years ago, when NASA aerospace physicist Max Huber, after suffering tremendous burns to his face while performing a chemical experiment in his laboratory, decided to create his own cure. The result would be the famous (and very expensive) La Mer cream (Jennifer Lopez’ favorite), with biofermentation of several types of seaweed.

To continue with the space references, here is an interesting fact. To keep the surfaces of spacecraft clean, NASA scientists use nanosilver, a material with known antimicrobial properties, instead of resorting to the vapors that regular cleaning products emit. Silver nanoparticles are powerful disinfectants, because fungi and bacteria die upon contact with them. Well, in the field of cosmetics, there is a facial line with a patented formula (Silver Hydrosol & DHA HP) that uses colloidal silver as the main ingredient.

Joy Isaacs is the founder of Argentum and, with the contribution of scientist Gilbert Mouzin, she based her line of products on the effectiveness of the active ingredients of silver. La Potion Infinie (Argentum’s star product) promises to treat spots, wrinkles and sagging. Conclusion: whether you are in the beauty salon or in orbit, hygiene is key. Another similar case is that of aerogel-textured creams (evanescent, light, airy), which benefit from the Active Rush technology originally developed by NASA to insulate space shuttles. Today it is used in skin care products as a lightweight, breathable moisturizer (Olay Regenerist Whip is one of them, and Clarins and L’Occitane also have creams with similar textures).

Going one step further, we enter the complex world of machines. In the era of artificial intelligence, the machinery used in the world of aesthetics is capable of detecting anything our skin needs. For a few years now, the lighting technology used to grow plants in space has been applied to human cells to promote faster healing, both in the medical and the aesthetic fields. NASA uses LED light for its plants; aerospace researchers discovered other benefits of this light on Earth — specifically, in age-delaying treatments (it reduces wrinkles, spots, acne, and rosacea). Near-infrared light penetrates the dermis at a specific wavelength, activating faster and healthier cell regeneration without causing burns.

The two most recent aesthetic LED light launches come from the Swedish brand Foreo. Their FAQ 202 anti-aging mask, with eight different wavelengths (including near-infrared), can access the deepest layers of the skin, while the Unicskin mask ergonomically adapts to the face. Both devices can be used at home, although they are not cheap (approximately $850 and $350, respectively). Natalia de la Vega, founder of the Tacha beauty centers, has been applying LED light therapy for a long time. “NASA discovered this type of light to accelerate the cicatrization and healing of astronauts in a zero-gravity atmosphere. It was then that Dior laboratories created a red light mask with Lucibel, specialists in photobiomodulation. Its design evokes the oval of the face and offers a brighter, firmer skin, homogeneous tone and closed pores,” she explains.

Another field developed at NASA has been the use of certain lasers capable of measuring the difference in density and volume between the treetops and the ground from space; a valuable piece of information that is used to study the tree cover and climate change, estimating the level of vegetation. As for the role of lasers in beauty, one of the latest that dermatologists use is called Endolift. Dermatologist Carlos Morales defines it as an interstitial laser for non-surgical skin tightening. “The problem with most non-surgical tightening treatments is the poor ability to reach deep layers of the skin without damaging the superficial layers. This laser is composed of a 0.3 millimeter optical fiber that introduces energy and tightens the skin from within; without a doubt, one of the greatest advances in skin rejuvenation,” he points out. The laser is the “perfect weapon” to go deeper into the skin (that was also the case with the diode laser that removed hair), just like the aeronauts who study the forests from above do with their accurate lasers.

All these new technologies are used to meet the needs of a society that demands the elixir of eternal youth at any price, in the shortest possible time, without undergoing surgery or the inconveniences of the postoperative period. For this reason, more and more sophisticated devices are being created (Israel and the United States are pioneers in their manufacture and development) and becoming part of the equipment of renowned doctors and beauticians for exclusively professional use, and they are in high demand for being a generally painless alternative to injections, fillings, or surgery.

One of the first machines to enter the market was LPG (along with hair removal lasers), more than 30 years ago. Its creator was Louis-Paul Guitay, a French engineer and inventor who mechanically reproduced the manual massage that a physiotherapist was giving him to recover his muscles after a serious accident. LPG is considered a therapeutic device (in France it is found in rehabilitation centers), but it was later discovered that it also had benefits in the aesthetic field, as it helps reduce volume, fat, and cellulite in specific areas of the body. Its complex technology is endorsed by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Lionel Galipienzo, general manager of LPG Spain, explains that the new head of the equipment includes a sensor capable of detecting whether it is localized fat, cellulite or flaccidity, in order to attack the problem intelligently. “It has already been patented and supported by 145 scientific studies and more than 80 publications in the scientific press, and is present at medical conferences,” explains Galipienzo.

Ana Revuelta, an aeronautical doctor and pharmacist, emphasizes the effectiveness of focused ultrasound with visualization from Merz Aesthetics. “It’s high technology, approved by the FDA and published in the prestigious Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. It acts in the deepest layers of the skin, creating thermal coagulation points whose main action is to stimulate collagen and elastin, achieving a lifting effect without having to undergo surgery. The thermal coagulation points enter the skin like meteorites that collide with the SMAS (superficial muscular aponeurotic system) and cause the formation of collagen, thus generating biostimulation naturally,” she explains.

Another scientific advance in the field of cosmetics is high-intensity fractionated bipolar radiofrequency. This radiofrequency can tighten the skin, obtaining an effect that could be considered a non-invasive replacement for surgical lifting and other, more aggressive methods. In this type of procedures, Dr. Agustín Granado Tiagonce particularly highlights the effectiveness of the Morpheus 8 device: “It improves the texture, looseness, and appearance of the skin, even eliminating fat from the jowl, a problem that worries men and women.”

Ricardo Ruiz, founder and director of the International Dermatological Clinic and head of Dermatology at the Ruber International Hospital, both in Madrid, is skeptical about many of these inventions. “In aesthetic medicine, there is a lot of smoke. Sometimes miraculous results and revolutionary innovations are promised, but the reality is that there have been no major advances in the last 15 or 20 years,” he says. “Today, the prevention and treatment of facial aging revolves around combining botulinum toxin with fillers and collagen inducers. And lasers for spots or veins, radio frequencies and ultrasounds have not evolved much, either,” he points out. “That said, with today’s technology interesting aesthetic results can be achieved and, in many cases, a lot of surgeries can be delayed or even avoided.” The debate is open, and if you decide to try any of the techniques available today, you should always seek the advice of a professional.

Meanwhile, cosmetic houses keep researching, creating and investing money in launching new formulations with ingredients that promise to be the elixir of eternal youth. The same thing happens with the technology. Scientists from cosmetic laboratories collaborate with renowned universities to research cell aging. Among the latest advances in this field, a study on the microbiome applied to a cream developed by the Shiseido group and presented recently at a conference in Barcelona, Spain, stands out. If the pace of the research is maintained, will they one day be able to find the magic formula to prevent the face and body from drooping? What if an internal antigravity mechanism was discovered in the skin? What if our skin could regenerate instead of sagging? Flaccidity is the biggest challenge in the fight against aging, much more than wrinkles. And firmness is the goal.

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