with age.
Coenzyme Q10 is a popular cosmetic ingredient, but many antiaging products contain too little of
this chemical to make any difference on a cellular level. You may purchase pure synthetic coenzyme
Q10, ubiquinone, as capsules or loose powder and use it to create potent yet gentle moisturizers and
serums in the following proportion: 300 mg ubiquinone to 1 ounce of a base product. You can add
ubiquinone to your sunscreens and moisturizers because it mixes better with oil-based cosmetic
products. Coenzyme Q10 appears to synergize well with vitamin E. You may add up to 300 mg
vitamin E to each ounce of your DIY preparation to boost effectiveness of coenzyme Q10.
Collagen
Moisturizers containing collagen and other proteins, such as keratin and elastin, claim to rejuvenate
the skin by replenishing its essential proteins that diminish with age. However, the protein molecules
are too large to penetrate the skin cells. Collagen may provide temporary relief from dry skin by
working as an emollient. When proteins dry, they shrink slightly, stretching out some of the fine
wrinkles and providing a temporary lift effect.
Corn (Zea mays)
Cornstarch is used as a thickener in cosmetic products, and more recently as a replacement for talc
in natural baby powders. Corn meal, or corn flour, is a cheap facial exfoliator that can be safely used
in homemade cosmetic preparations.
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
Cultivated for at least three thousand years in western Asia, cucumber is widely used in cosmetics
thanks to the high presence of vitamin A, vitamin B6, thiamin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium,
phosphorus, copper, and manganese, and may have soothing and mild bleaching agents. A small study
found that cucumber is rich in phytonutrients and naturally occurring vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that
may protect the skin from chemically induced skin cancers (Villaseñor et al. 2002).
DMAE
Also known by its chemical name, dimethylaminoethanol, this substance is naturally present in
human bodies in small amounts, particularly in nerve tissues. It stimulates production of the
neurotransmitter choline, which is involved in cell membrane biosynthesis. Synthetic
dimethylaminoethanol, an industrial compound commonly used as a paint remover and an epoxy resin
curing agent, gained popularity in the cosmetic industry after the discovery that it produces an instant
face-lift effect. Topical application of DMAE causes quick and visible swelling of fibroblasts,
integral parts of skin cells. Swollen skin cells make the skin look smoother, and for this reason
DMAE appears in many antiwrinkle treatments.
But such remarkable results come at a price. A recent study indicates that synthetic DMAE applied
topically may pathologically alter the functioning of skin cells. Canadian researchers found that skin
cells treated with DMAE died up to 25 percent slower (Morrisette et al. 2006). Skin cells “stop
dividing, they stop secreting, and after 24 hours a certain proportion of them die,” according to Dr.
Francois Marceau of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec in Canada. “I don’t want to
scare people. The risk is probably not very big, but in my opinion it hasn’t been measured