Breakthrough Skin Care Product Reduces Signs of Aging

MUNCIE, Ind., May 30, 1996

A new, genetically engineered skin care compound, B-2 Actigen, increases skin thickness by an average of eight percent and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and skin discoloration, according to a pilot study conducted at Ball Memorial Hospital. The study was conducted to confirm the results of independent laboratory testing that concluded B-2 Actigen stimulated the production of collagen twice as much as Retin-A. The research is being submitted to Skin Research and Technology, an international peer-review journal.

"The results are very exciting. If you think about Retin-A and alpha hydroxy acid as first generation, this is clearly a second generation product. It works better and is totally non-irritating to the skin," comments Alexander Zemtsov, principal investigator of the study and director of the Dermatology Research Laboratory at Ball Memorial Hospital.

B-2 Actigen is a proprietary combination of natural substances developed by Geneda Corporation (Long Beach, CA), a privately-owned company specializing in the development of dermaceutical products. B-2 Actigen is the active ingredient in Geneda's skin care system called the Geneda B-2 Actigen System which consists of a mask, activator, moisturizer and cleanser. The Geneda System was the focus of the study.

In independent laboratory tests conducted on Geneda's B-2 Actigen System, scientists measured proline incorporation, which indicates that the skin is producing collagen. These tests showed that proline incorporation increased 300 percent with the Geneda B-2 Actigen System. Comparative studies with Retin-A produced a 134.2 percent increase in proline incorporation.

"The purpose of the study was to confirm the results of independent laboratory tests with a quantitative and invivo study involving actual patients. We employed high-frequency ultrasound technology to measure the impact of B-2 Actigen on actual epidermal thickness," reports Dr. Zemtsov. "The eight percent increase in epidermal thickness is a direct result of collagen production and skin rejuvenation."

A key component of the study was the use of high frequency (20 Mhz and above) ultrasound technology to measure the effect of B-2 Actigen on epidermal thickness. High frequency ultrasonography is an advanced bioengineering technique designed specifically for examination of the skin. Nine participants were measured at the initiation of the study and then remeasured 24 hours after application of the B-2 Actigen System. Six additional participants were measured upon initiation of the study and then again at week two, four and six. The average of eight percent increase in thickness was realized in both groups.

In addition to sophisticated measurement techniques, participants completed a questionnaire to rate product efficacy upon completion of the study. The data compiled from 13 patients concluded that Geneda's B-2 Actigen System is a highly efficacious rejuvenation product. Patients were asked to rate the product from one (no efficacy) to 10 (high efficacy). Ninety percent of patients rated it eight or higher resulting in a statistically significant p-value = 0.0225. In addition, 92 percent of patients reported improved overall cosmetic appearance and less visible pores. There were no side effects experienced among participants or observed by the lead investigator.

"I was really skeptical about B-2 Actigen's ability to get rid of wrinkles and make me look younger. But the product really works. I saw a definite improvement in my skin's appearance and a real reduction in wrinkles, particularly the crow's feet around my eyes," comments Jerilyn Justice, study participant from Muncie, Indiana. "I've tried many other products including Retin-A and alpha hydroxy. Geneda's product is better and doesn't irritate the skin at all."

The open-label, six-week pilot study involved 15 women between the ages of 28 and 56 who have a moderate amount of actinic (sun) damage and who have some sun and age-induced brown spots and wrinkles. Women who were using Retin-A or other rejuvenating cream at present or in the past 3 months were excluded from the study; however, all of the participants had used Retin-A and/or chemical peels in the past.

Ball Memorial Hospital is a regional medical referral center and teaching hospital serving a seven-county area in East Central Indiana. It has 436 operating beds, 2,400 employees and more than 250 physicians on its Clinical Staff, trained in 26 recognized medical specialties. A teaching facility, Ball Hospital is affiliated with Indiana University School of Medicine and is the largest teaching center outside of Indianapolis with 64 physicians involved in family practice, internal medicine, pathology and flexible residencies and a sports medicine fellowship program.