Is there a more precious metal than gold? While the answer to this question is subjective, the fact is that some premium beauty brands have decided to integrate gold into the heart of their skincare or make-up formulasespecially in gold leaf masks with undeniable instagrammable potential.
Real interest or marketing argument? To learn more about the virtues of gold in cosmetics, we interviewed the cosmetologist Lionel de Benetti.
Antioxidant and protective properties for the skin
Unlike hyaluronic acid, vitamin C or even retinol, gold is not a “fashionable” active ingredient, which is found in many face or body treatments. Which doesn’t mean it hasn’t been studied.
“Laboratory studies have highlighted the antioxidant properties of gold“, indicates Lionel de Benetti. The active ingredient thus makes it possible to fight against oxidative stress and the production of free radicals linked to daily aggressions such as exposure to UV rays, pollution, tobacco or even stress. However, the cosmetologist specifies that this antioxidant potential remains “fairly low compared to reference active ingredients such as vitamin E” (it would be half as effective as this one).
In addition, “tests have demonstrated its ability to limit the action of metalloproteases, in particular collagenase, that is to say that it ensures slight protection of essential proteins such as collagen and elastin and limits their degradation in the face of attacks such as UV rays“, explains Lionel de Benetti.
An attractive asset, but…
On paper, gold therefore seems to be a good ally for preserving the youthfulness of the skin. However, our expert would like to point out that it does not only have positive points. “It is certainly capable of protecting the proteins of the skin, but at the same time, it has been proven that it slightly inhibits the synthesis of these same proteins”, indicates the cosmetologist. In the presence of gold, the existing proteins are therefore preserved, but the skin produces less of them…
Also, in an article published on June 29, 2021 on the INCI Beauty websiteit reads: “The European Scientific Committee (CSSC) has just indicated that the use of the ingredients Gold (nano), Colloidal Gold (nano), Gold Thioethylamino Hyaluronic Acid (nano) and Acetyl heptapeptide-9 Colloidal gold (nano ), cannot be considered safe when used as nanoparticles in leave-on products and may pose a risk to the consumer.”
A conclusion that is not very surprising when we know that these ultrafine particles are able to cross the protective barriers of the body and end up in our organs.
Finally, the last downside and not the least: using gold in a cosmetic product has a cost, which is reflected in the final price of the product. For our expert, formulating a product with gold is more of a marketing argument than anything else: “If the products that contain it are effective, it is not thanks to the gold but to the other active ingredients that are used in the formula.”
And gold in make-up?
If Lionel de Benetti remains quite reserved on the interest of integrating gold into a face care formula, he recognizes that the active brings light to the surface of the skin, which can be a plus in a make-up formula. It is therefore no coincidence that a brand like Guerlain has chosen to incorporate gold into the formula of its foundation.
But here again, the question of the cost of the raw material necessarily arises. This is why most brands prefer to use pearls or tiny glitter rather than gold in highlighters and other complexion products whose names often contain the term “gold”.
As the saying goes, “all that glitters is not gold”.
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Mother-of-pearl, a promising active ingredient for regenerating the skin
