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The Good--and Bad--News About Idebenone
Idebenone is a potent antioxidant that is included in a variety of anti-aging products, including the Prevage anti-aging line. According to the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, idebenone neutralizes free radicals and protects the skin from UV-induced reactive oxidative species.
Does Idebenone Really Treat Signs of Aging?
Yes. According to a 2005 double-blind study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, forty-one female subjects with moderate photo-damaged skin used creams with either 0.5% or 1.0% idebenone. After six weeks, both groups reported a reduction in roughness and dryness, an increase in skin hydration, a reduction in fine lines/wrinkles, and an improved overall assessment of the skin. Idebenone has also been found to be more effective as at reducing oxidative stress than vitamin E, kinetin, ubiquinone, vitamin C, and lipoic acid.
So what’s the problem?
Idebenone has significant strength amongst antioxidants, but it is far from being the most potent antioxidant available. Studies have shown that idebenone is less effective than L-ergothioneine (EGT), an antioxidant found in food plants as well as in animal tissue, and that a cream with 1% resveratrol was found to have seventeen times the antioxidant effects of 1% idebenone. In addition, according to a 2007 review in Dermatologic Therapy, Coffeeberry has been reported to be the most potent antioxidant, as measured by the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance score). Don’t purchase idebenone expecting the highest antioxidant protection available, because it’s simply not true.
Even more significantly, idebenone is well-known for causing allergic dermatitis. I personally used it for a few weeks in 2009 and experienced a bout of contact dermatitis that was uncomfortable enough to cause me to discontinue using it altogether.
Bottom Line
Even though there are more potent antioxidants than idebenone, it has still been touted by for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as a part of a daily skin care regimen. It’s a wonderful ingredient with substantiated anti-aging properties, but you may wish to check with your dermatologist first if you have sensitive skin that is prone to break out after trying a new ingredient. Idebenone is worth it—as long as you have skin that is able to tolerate it.
Read more from Nicki at Future Derm. Visit her Facebook page to ask her a question about skincare.
Does Idebenone Really Treat Signs of Aging?Yes. According to a 2005 double-blind study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, forty-one female subjects with moderate photo-damaged skin used creams with either 0.5% or 1.0% idebenone. After six weeks, both groups reported a reduction in roughness and dryness, an increase in skin hydration, a reduction in fine lines/wrinkles, and an improved overall assessment of the skin. Idebenone has also been found to be more effective as at reducing oxidative stress than vitamin E, kinetin, ubiquinone, vitamin C, and lipoic acid.
So what’s the problem?
Idebenone has significant strength amongst antioxidants, but it is far from being the most potent antioxidant available. Studies have shown that idebenone is less effective than L-ergothioneine (EGT), an antioxidant found in food plants as well as in animal tissue, and that a cream with 1% resveratrol was found to have seventeen times the antioxidant effects of 1% idebenone. In addition, according to a 2007 review in Dermatologic Therapy, Coffeeberry has been reported to be the most potent antioxidant, as measured by the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance score). Don’t purchase idebenone expecting the highest antioxidant protection available, because it’s simply not true.
Even more significantly, idebenone is well-known for causing allergic dermatitis. I personally used it for a few weeks in 2009 and experienced a bout of contact dermatitis that was uncomfortable enough to cause me to discontinue using it altogether.
Bottom Line
Even though there are more potent antioxidants than idebenone, it has still been touted by for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as a part of a daily skin care regimen. It’s a wonderful ingredient with substantiated anti-aging properties, but you may wish to check with your dermatologist first if you have sensitive skin that is prone to break out after trying a new ingredient. Idebenone is worth it—as long as you have skin that is able to tolerate it.
Read more from Nicki at Future Derm. Visit her Facebook page to ask her a question about skincare.
