Pro-Xylane: The Superstar Molecule That Boosts Collagen Production

Our skin sags with time... It wilts away as it becomes less dense and plump. Skin cells that support the dermis can't keep up the pace, cell renewal slows down and collagen production runs out of steam. Our skin becomes thin and fragile, wrinkles deepen and laughter lines settle in for good. The Deep Wrinkle Invasion has landed. However, wrinkles aren't just age-related - smoking, sun exposure, pollution and lifestyle all affect our skin. Frown lines, crow's feet, laughter lines, tear troughs, barcodes above our mouths… But don't panic, help is at hand! Nowadays there are treatments designed to tackle the deepest of furrows.

It all started in L'Oréal's Research and Development labs in Chevilly-Larue, France. Fine-tuned in 2006, Pro-Xylane was the first environmentally friendly, natural active ingredient to emerge from a 'green chemistry' manufacturing process. It's an active ingredient that took 7 years of research before being patented and becoming a star ingredient in L'Oréal's Revitalift Laser X3 range (3% dose). But before we added it to our anti-ageing products, Pro-Xylane was tested in vitro on reconstructed skin and then subjected to numerous clinical studies.

During the testing process, this innovative active ingredient proved to work wonders on wrinkles as well as dry and sagging skin. Both in vitro and in vivo (biopsy) tests showed that it improved skin quality by 17%. Which is why Revitalift Laser Renew treatments can alter our skin's architecture in our fight against signs of ageing.

Pro-Xylane is the first active ingredient to be derived from a green chemistry process and remains a major player when it comes to L'Oréal Laboratories' cutting edge technology. Its origins stem from the synthesis of xylose, a natural sugar sourced from beech trees, hence its eco-friendly reputation.

So, what does 'green chemistry' involve? 

- use of a renewable, primary raw material (beech wood), 

- synthesis that's limited to a fixed number of steps (two in the case of Pro-Xylane) in order to reduce waste,

- use of water as the solvant.

Pro-xylane comes from a natural sugar called Xylose and is the first global action, anti-ageing molecule capable of rebuilding our skin's extra-cellular matrix. In other words Pro-xylane restructures all of our skin's support tissues. It can deal with deep wrinkles, dry skin and sagging, to leave our skin youthfully dense. The result? Plumpness all round! Regularly applying Pro-xylane-based treatments will leave your skin plump, smooth, even-toned and glowing. Pro-Xylane is able to thicken and plump up the skin. It works on the skin's biomechanical properties by reinforcing the link between the dermis and epidermis. Wrinkles are reduced, pigment spots fade and the skin's quality improves. In a nutshell, the skin looks visibly younger.

While anti-wrinkle treatments are used when wrinkles are settling in or getting deeper, anti-ageing treatments are a preemptive strike that work on the entire face. Moisturising and packed with antioxidants, they combat all age-related skin problems - pigment spots, lines, wrinkles, lack of plumpness, sallow skin and dryness. And forewarned is forearmed, so it's worth applying anti-ageing treatments from your mid-20s onwards.

Anti-ageing products are packed with active ingredients that combat ageing skin. Some act on the surface of the skin such as royal jelly, which boosts skin cells on the upper layer of the epidermis, resulting in better elasticity and firmness. Other ingredients, such as retinol, work on a deeper level thanks to its ability to protect skin from uneven tone, lack of firmness and wrinkles. Those derived from retinoids boost epidermal cell renewal, while others, such as hyaluronic acid, specifically attack wrinkles. Finally, there are active ingredients that work in the dermis - including Pro-Xylane, which helps reconstruct this deeper layer.

Article supplied & written by Marie Claire, part of Hearst Communications, Inc.