Expression wrinkles are often the first signs of aging, caused by the excessive stimulation of facial muscle fibers. This leads to the inward pulling of the skin, forming those pesky wrinkles we all dread. But is it enough to target muscle contraction alone? What if there was another way to combat this process effectively?
The Science Behind Muscle Contraction
The contraction of facial muscles is triggered by neurotransmitters released from skin neurons, a process known as neuronal exocytosis. These neurotransmitters reach the muscle cells and induce their contraction. Traditionally, many anti-wrinkle strategies have focused on inhibiting this neurotransmitter release. Argireline® peptide was the first peptide on the market designed to target this pre-synaptic region and reduce expression wrinkles.
The Aging Process and Muscle Relaxation
But what happens after a muscle contraction? Normally, facial muscles quickly return to their resting state, causing wrinkles to disappear. However, as we age, muscle cells undergo functional changes, leading to decreased muscle quality and slower relaxation. This results in wrinkles being more visible for longer periods. This insight has paved the way for a new, innovative approach that improves the relaxation state of aged muscle cells, offering a more effective solution for reducing expression wrinkles.
A World First Innovation with Argireline® Amplified Peptide
Lubrizol has developed a pioneering active ingredient that specifically targets both the pre-synaptic region as well as the post-synaptic region – a world first in the fight against wrinkles. To test whether Argireline® Amplified peptide could target this new mechanism, Lubrizol scientists used 3D-bioprinted muscle tissues, developed in collaboration with the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC). They discovered that treatment with the peptide significantly reduced the time that muscles need to relax after a contraction by 63% in young muscle models and 31% in aged muscle models. This means Argireline® Amplified peptide can successfully increase muscle relaxation beyond the reduction of neurotransmmiter release.
Real-World Efficacy
To further assess its efficacy, Lubrizol scientists developed an innovative protocol to evaluate skin roughness after facial expressions. Volunteers performed a smiling expression, and skin roughness was measured 60 seconds after relaxing the facial expression at the crow's-feet and nasolabial fold regions. This protocol was repeated after 28 days of using a cream containing 2% Argireline® Amplified peptide. The results were impressive, showing a reduction of -5.9% and -7.4% in skin roughness in the crow's-feet and nasolabial fold regions, respectively.
A New Frontier in Anti-Wrinkle Solutions
The persistence of expression wrinkles, especially in aged individuals, is due, in part, to the slowing of the muscle relaxation process. Argireline® Amplified peptide presents an innovative active ingredient that uniquely targets the appearance and persistence of expression wrinkles during dynamic facial expressions, marking a new frontier in anti-wrinkle solutions.
Discover the power of Argireline® Amplified peptide and embrace a more youthful appearance today!