Prevage and Prevage MD are manufactured by Allergan Inc., a global specialty pharmaceutical company. Elizabeth Arden sells Prevage in department stores, and Prevage MD is only available through a dermatologist's office. Both products contain the same ingredients. The difference is Prevage is sold with .5 percent idebenone and Prevage MD, with 1 percent idebenone. Prevage claims that the active ingredient idebenone helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improve skin texture, tone and firmness. It includes other active ingredients, such as green tea extract, thiotaine, bamboo isoflavones, liprochroman 6 and lys-lastine V.
Idebenone
Idebenone, pronounced eedy-bee-known, is an antioxidant similar to CoQ10. In a clinical trial at the Institute of Anti-Aging Research at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, a study of 41 female subjects ages 30 to 65 used idebenone skincare for six weeks. The study found 26 percent reduction in skin dryness, 37 percent increased hydration, 29 percent less fine lines and wrinkles and 33 percent improvement in photo-damaged skin with the 1 percent solution. The numbers for the .5 percent solution were close enough to the 1 percent to be considered negligible.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is found in many wrinkle creams. It contains antioxidants and is an anti-inflammatory, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Thiotaine
Thiotaine (AGI) is the product name for the chemical L-ergothioneine. It is an antioxidant enzyme. It has a protective function of reducing oxidative damage and may enable DNA repair of sun-damaged skin, according to a study reported in the August 26, 2008, issue of Free Radical Biology Medicine. The article also notes that skin cells can easily utilize the potent antioxidant, which is a naturally occurring amino acid, for skin defense.
Bamboo Isoflavones
Bamboo isoflavones are an antioxidant that stimulates cell growth. They also provide a protective covering to the skin, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Liprochroman 6
Liprochroman 6 is an antioxidant that protects cells from free radicals and glycation of proteins, which is the breakdown of the protein molecule, according to the NIH. It is an effective anti-aging ingredient.
Lys-Lastine V
Lys-lastine V is responsible for "elastin cross-linking," according to the NIH. It helps protect and maintain elastic fibers. Lys-lastine in the body decreases with age, causing a breakdown of the skin's elasticity.
References
- Science Direct: Free Radical Biology and Medicine: Skin Cells and Tissue Are Capable of Using L-Ergothioneine as an Integral Component of Their Antioxidant Defense System
- Elizabeth Arden: Skin Care Questions
- PubMed.gov: Clinical Efficacy Assessment in Photodamaged Skin of 0.5 Percent and 1.0 Percent Idebenone; D.H. McDaniel, et al.; 2005
- Mayo Clinic: Wrinkles
- Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd.: Thiotaine (AGI)
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