The polymer material can not only eliminate wrinkles and eye bags, but also protect sensitive skin from the ravages of eczema and dermatitis.
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‘The silicon-based polymer skin could reshape sagging skin under the eyes for about 24 hours and make the skin hydrated.’
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"It's an invisible layer that can provide a barrier, provide cosmetic improvement, and potentially deliver a drug locally to the area that's being treated," said researcher Daniel Anderson, an associate professor in MIT's Department of Chemical Engineering. 
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"Those three things together could really make it ideal for use in humans."
Scientists have been working on a polymer like this -- one that could mimic the properties of natural skin -- for about five years, according to the report published in the journal Nature Materials.
Until now, the results have been messy and not very effective.
But researchers say the new product, called a cross-linked polymer layer or XPL, works better than the currently available options for wound dressing -- silicone gel sheets and polyurethane films.
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"Many people have tried to do this, and the materials that have been available up until this have not had the properties of being flexible, comfortable, nonirritating, and able to conform to the movement of the skin and return to its original shape."
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The silicone-based polymer can be applied in a thin layer on the skin during a two-step process.
"First, polysiloxane components are applied to the skin, followed by a platinum catalyst that induces the polymer to form a strong cross-linked film that remains on the skin for up to 24 hours," said the study.
"Both layers are applied as creams or ointments, and once spread onto the skin, XPL becomes essentially invisible."
Tests on human subjects showed it could reshape saggy skin under the eyes for about 24 hours, and made skin more hydrated.
Future uses could include using the "second skin" for protection against the sun and ultraviolet rays, researchers said.
Source-AFP