As an industry, skincare companies continually look for newer and better ways to care for human skin. There are so many plants out there that have been used for ages to help keep the skin healthy that might have elements we can isolate to benefit our skin more directly. Admittedly, there are plenty of free standing chemicals that might be able to help as well too that don’t need to be isolated from plants. The continual quest to find new ingredients for products is one that benefits us all. Sometimes we end up discovering a compound that might be absolutely perfect for helping the skin that had been previously overlooked. This is the case with the compound methylene blue. A recent study suggests that it may be a big part of the future of the skincare industry if it can be harnessed properly. Anti-aging products might never be the same if this research ends up going anywhere. In fact, they might be more effective than we had hoped possible.

What Is Methylene Blue?
The compound methylene blue has a somewhat unnerving chemical-sounding name that can put some people on edge. This is unnecessary as the compound has actually been being used effectively by the medical community for a long time. Prominent uses over the course of methylene blue’s service in the medical community have included it being a treatment for cyanide poisoning, urinary tract infections, and treating neurotoxicity from certain kinds of chemotherapy. Some of these uses have fallen into disfavor over time thanks to more effective treatments being discovered, but others remain in use. Methylene blue is known to be relatively safe and effective as a compound with very few issues associated with higher concentrations. This makes the fact that it shows antioxidant properties with such a low chance of toxicity particularly attractive for skincare.

The Research
Researchers moved to test the potential effects of methylene blue on the skin thanks to those antioxidant properties. The results were fairly surprising. Exposure to the compound actually seemed to reduce the signs of aging in skin cells that were exposed to it. Their entire behavior and life cycle improved to match younger cells and as a result, the skin cells lived long and were overall more resilient. What makes this even more interesting is that none of these effects faded immediately after exposure stopped. They were persistent, long-term changes as opposed to temporary ones. All of this makes it seem highly promising as a skincare treatment. On the surface, it seems like it could be the breakthrough so many of us have waited for in skincare that will keep us looking our best for the majority of our lives. There are a few things that need to be highlighted about this research though.

The Problems
Every study has its weaknesses and this one is no exception. Notably, this is the only study of its kind. Results need to be properly replicated before being able to be believed to be both reliable and effective. The results may be promising, yes, but we’ll need to see where they go after others test them. Additionally, the research was conducted on samples of human skin cells. The particular kind of test this represents is called a “simulated human skin test”. It replicates the layers of skin effectively and is a trustworthy guide when it comes to testing the effects of various products, but it isn’t exactly true human skin in the way most of us would expect even if it is a highly effective model. These are both weaknesses that will need to be overcome in the future to see if methylene blue will truly have a place in the skincare and beauty products of the future.

Methylene blue is a promising compound with strong antioxidant properties that can be harnessed for skincare. Initial research is proving promising and offers a glimpse into potential skincare solutions of the future. The research that revealed these potentials will need to be studied further and likely refined before we see it used in any major products though. The promise is enough to be hopeful that there may be a future compound that will make skincare even better than it is now.