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Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffMany wrinkle creams and lotions sold in department stores, in drugstores and on the Internet promise to reduce wrinkles and prevent or reverse damage caused by the sun. But these products are not likely to make a noticeable difference in your skin.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies these creams and lotions as cosmetics, which are defined as having no medical value. So the FDA regulates them less strictly than it does drugs. This means that products don't need to undergo rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness before approval to go on the market.
Because the FDA doesn't evaluate cosmetic products for effectiveness, there's no guarantee that any over-the-counter product will reduce your wrinkles.
- McCullough JL, et al. Prevention and treatment of skin aging. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2006;1067:323.
- Renova (tretinoin cream). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2002/21108s1lbl.pdf. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Rabe JH, et al. Photoaging: Mechanisms and repair. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2006;55:1.
- Soft tissue fillers. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/SoftTissueFillers.htm. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Kafi R, et al. Improvement of naturally aged skin with vitamin A (retinol). Archives of Dermatology. 2007;143:606.
- Facial skin rejuvenation. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/cosmetic_facial.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Helfrich YR, et al. Overview of skin aging and photoaging. Dermatology Nursing. 2008;20:177.
- Mature skin. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/MatureSkin.htm. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Baumann L. Cosmetics and skin care in dermatology. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3007166&searchStr=xerosis. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Freiman A, et al. Cutaneous effects of smoking. Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. 2004;8:415.
- Physician's guide to cosmetic surgery: Facial surgery and skin care surgical procedures. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/medical_professionals/publications/Physicians-Guide-to-Cosmetic-Surgery-Facial-Surgery.cfm#. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Rados C. Science meets beauty: Using medicine to improve appearances. FDA Consumer Magazine. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/204_beauty.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Just M, et al. Effect of smoking on skin elastic fibres: Morphometric and immunohistochemical analysis. British Journal of Dermatology. 2007;156:85.
