Recently, I caught Olay’s new TV commercial for a new line of anti-aging products called Definity. The dermatologist on the commercial said, “For decades, the war against anti-aging has focused mainly on lines and wrinkles. However, a recent study suggests that there may be a “new wrinkle” in the fight against aging: brown spots, dullness and uneven tone.” This caught my attention because lack of facial luminosity and glow along with discoloration can pile on the years. But, what caught my attention next was the barely noticeable fine print on the bottom of the television screen saying something along the lines of, “Fights aging by moisturizing.” To me, fine print screams deception or conditions of some kind, so I decided to do a little investigating of my own. My purpose in investigating wasn’t to discredit the Olay line, but to figure out why and how this “moisturizing” fights signs of aging, and what it is made up of.
First, I wanted to know how the Olay Definity line works, so I checked out their website. From what I learned, the Definity line, “Helps reverse past damage”, and, “Eight weeks later, your skin looks highly defined, luminous, more flawless.” Reading into Olay’s site more thoroughly, I found that, “Definity’s exclusive Essential Glucosamine Complex hydrates intensely” using the main ingredients N-acetyl glucosamine and niacinamide. The site is actually excellent in that it gets into the science of how Definity can improve skin. One section of the site talks about brown spot breakthrough and how, “Definity reduces the appearance of age spots by 78 percent.” While this sounded wonderful, yet again, there was fine print that read, “Vs. base moisturizer.” Therefore, my preliminary conclusion is that while Olay truly may help decrease the appearance of age spots and uneven tone, it has not been tested against other products offering the same claims, and instead only your basic moisturizer. Armed with knowing the prized ingredients in Olay’s Definity line, I conducted a search of my own on its main ingredients.
N-acetyl glucosamine & Niacinamide
While Olay’s Definity commercial may contain some fine print that initially made me a bit wary, there is no denying the researched effectiveness of this more stable form of glucosamine. Medical News Today reported that at an International Consensus on Glucosamine Skin Benefits in 2006, it was discussed that based on data, “glucosamine…reduced the amount of melanin in skin cells; meaning there was less pigment in the skin to cause age spots. Additionally…N-acetyl glucosamine and niacinamide, a vitamin-B derivative, significantly reduced the amount and appearance of hyperpigmentation, age spots, and uneven melanin distribution.” The benefits of glucosamine were even proven in tissue studies presented at a 2006 American Academy of Dermatology meeting. Additionally, in a study supervised by Dr. Alexa Kimball, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, a glucosamine and niacinamide combination showed a clear improvement over the use of moisturizer and sunscreen in a study of 200 subjects with facial hyperpigmentation. “Three double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical studies…showed improvement in hyperpigmentation and skin tone and a decrease in the size of age spots.” (Medical News Today, 2007).While the effectiveness of glucosamine and niacinamide on hyperpigmentation were visual to the naked eye, the benefits were also demonstrated using a non-invasive skin imaging system called the SIAscope.
Just what is this ‘glucosamine’?
First and foremost, glucosamine is a natural, amino sugar that is extracted from the tissues of crab, shrimp, and lobster, and comes in many forms. The N-acetyl glucosamine form, as discussed above, shows promising results in treating hyperpigmentation and possibly even UV ray damage, while other forms are used in aiding the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis. While one study by H. Murad and M.P. Tabibian demonstrate that oral glucosamine helps improves the look of aging by reducing fine lines and wrinkles, oral glucosamine did not help to hydrate the skin in the way that Olay Definity, containing these ingredients, can.
Can I afford Olay Definity?
The Olay Definity line includes the Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer, Deep Penetrating Foaming UV Moisturizer, Correcting Protective Lotion with SPF 15, Intense Hydrating Cream, Illuminating Cream Cleanser, and the Pore Redefining Scrub. While each product can be purchased separately and can fight the signs of aging, Olay of course recommends use of the entire line together for the best benefits. Each product separately costs around $25.00, depending on where you buy it, but my final conclusion is that it may be worth it to remedy discoloration and other signs of aging, based upon the incredibly positive research.
