Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard are said to have developed a ‘second skin’ that can smooth wrinkles and under eye sagging as well as offer a range of medical applications.

The material was originally developed by Living Proof in the so-called Strateris Platform and offered to dermatologists in 2014. Initially offered as an under eye cream, scientists have now done further tests and unearthed findings that mean the skin coating could have dermatology benefits for eczema or psoriasis suffers.

Applied to the skin in two steps as a gel or a cream, the system is said to lock in moisture. The product is said to last for 24 hours when users can rub or peel it off. It is not said to come off on clothes or surfaces as other ointments or creams can.

Study Co-Author Barbara A. Gilchrest, Acting President of the American Skin Association, told the Washington Post, “The only thing we have to offer people at present is a heavy moisturizer, which does work temporarily… but it’s not at all ideal. This heavy layer of moisturizer looks and feels greasy. It gets all over your clothes and bedclothes. It’s just really not very good.
“Having something that would be practical and stay on and be acceptable to patients as a way of delivering more medication where it’s needed could open up a whole area in which we could provide more effective, more practical, more pleasant treatments.”

The second skin uses chemical structure Siloxane giving an elasticity of 250 percent when stretched as opposed to real skin, which reaches around 180 percent.

Cost wise – it doesn’t come cheap. While current estimates are not yet known, a month’s supply back in 2014 cost $500.