Expensive face creams that promise to turn back the clock could instead be adding to wrinkles.
Experts believe anti-wrinkle creams containing acids found in fruit and sour milk may make skin more likely to age.
The European Commission is consulting scientists on the additives, called alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), as evidence emerges that they render skin more vulnerable to the ageing effects of sunshine - claims backed by research from the US Food and Drug Administration.
AHAs speed the shedding of dry, dead cells from the skin's surface. Dermatologists have been using AHAs for more than 40 years to treat dry and scaly skin and to reduce acne scarring.
They are used in skin creams at concentrations lower than 10 per cent. At this level they are unlikely to cause damage.
But at concentrations of 20 to 70 per cent, they become "peeling agents."
The revitalising properties of AHAs have been used for thousands of years. Women in ancient Egypt bathed in sour milk, while those at the court of Louis XIV washed in old wine.
Consumer magazine warned those using an AHA product to always wear a sunscreen, even if they had not applied the cream that day.
Anti-wrinkle acid may speed ageing of skin
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