A recent skincare promotion was conducted at a major airport in Hong Kong.
The theme was "reveal timeless skin in just one day".
That's enough to capture most people's attention.
But can it be true? First of all, there is really no such thing as timeless.
There are fashions that never go out of style like the simple black dress.
There is beauty that is more than skin deep.
With age and wisdom, some women do grow more beautiful.
Some men do become more handsome.
The "just one day" part bothers me more than a little bit.
I keep up with the latest independent scientific research.
The company responsible for the products could have done their own research, but you never get unbiased results from researchers that work for a specific company.
Of the cosmetics that have been shown to provide instant or nearly instant results, the benefits have been purely cosmetic.
For example, one compound is said to relax the tiny muscles of the face, which serves to reduce wrinkles caused by habitual facial expressions.
Whether or not it actually works is questionable.
The ingredient has never been tested by independent researchers.
If it does work, the benefit would be strictly a cosmetic one, not a long-lasting improvement in the skin's health.
It would be similar to the benefits seen with Botox injections, except that those usually last for about six months.
The products included in the one day skincare promotion may have included mild acids.
Lactic acid is becoming a popular cosmetic ingredient.
Independent consumer protection groups suggest that it should be avoided, because it tends to cause allergic and other adverse reactions.
The mild acids are said to reveal more youthful looking skin.
They actually cause minor burns, which cannot be good for your skin's health.
Skin irritants trigger the production of inflammatory molecules.
Those molecules are among the causes of cellular aging.
Over time, they damage and degrade the skin's elastic fibers, which causes sagging and wrinkles.
The better companies are unlikely to host a major skincare promotion.
They prefer to spend their time and money providing safe and effective ingredients.