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" US scientists at Harvard and MIT have teamed up to take on wrinkles and the results are pretty ah-mazing.\u00A0 We&amp;#039;re not talking about some kind of wonder cream here, nope, they&amp;#039;ve actually invented an elastic-like polymer that acts as a &amp;#039;second skin&amp;#039; sitting on top of the dermis and hiding wrinkles.\u00A0 It starts\u00A0out as a gel, which is applied directly to the skin. This\u00A0then dries down to an invisible film and &amp;quot;mimics the properties of youthful skin&amp;quot; Nature Materials reports.\u00A0 The &amp;#039;second skin&amp;#039; \u00A0is actually a polymer made up of silicone and oxygen\u00A0molecules. It looks and feels like real skin, but the film helps to prevent\u00A0dehydration\u00A0and lock in moisture, whilst also boosting\u00A0elasticity. It acts almost like a backbone for ageing\u00A0skin, reinforcing any areas\u00A0that may have begun to lose\u00A0firmness and\u00A0sag.\u00A0  The scientists proved it&amp;#039;s awesome powers in an experiment known as the &amp;#039;recoil\u00A0test&amp;#039;. They pinched the skin under both eyes, however one side was coated with the film, whilst the other was not.\u00A0 The coated side proved to be much more elastic than the other side, and it also\u00A0appeared to look\u00A0WAY smoother and firmer.\u00A0 Dr Tamara Griffiths of the British Association of Dermatologists told the BBC, &amp;quot;The results [with the polymer film] appear to be comparable to surgery, without the associated risks. Further research is needed, but this is a novel and very promising approach to a common problem.&amp;quot; So what does this mean?\u00A0Could we finally be waving goodbye to anti-ageing\u00A0lotions and potions in favour of wrinkle-banishing &amp;#039;second skins&amp;#039;? The scientists hope to eventually market their patented formula, claiming it could work as a\u00A0commercial\u00A0cosmetic\u00A0product due to the fact that &amp;#039;it\u00A0can be worn all day without causing irritation and can withstand things like sweat and rain&amp;#039;. They\u00A0say their &amp;#039;second skin might also\u00A0eventually be used to deliver medicines and sun protection&amp;#039; as well. Is there anything it can&amp;#039;t do? Watch this space...  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/beauty-hair/news/a43214/harvard-scientists-second-skin-wrinkles/>