Since the days of Cleopatra, gold has been touted as a luxury beauty ingredient. But what does it really do? Here we speak with top dermatologists and get some insight on gold skin care.
You’ve seen it time and time again on your social feeds—another viral beauty product boasting about how it’s infused with 24 karat gold. It looks so shiny, and sparkly, and magical. But then you start wondering: Are skin care and beauty companies just adding gold into their products for the viral factor? Does it actually benefit your skin?
We reached out to Joshua Zeichner, the director of clinical and cosmetic dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, to get some insight into this shimmering metal. He says: “Gold skin care may help reduce inflammation, improve the appearance of wrinkles, and brighten dark spots.” Sounds great, right?
Well, Mara Weinstein, a dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, has some more in depth information about that claim. She says that the effects of gold in skin care products hasn’t been tested enough to form concrete conclusions about its perceived benefits. “The truth of the matter is we haven’t seen any controlled scientific studies looking at the effects and absorption of gold when used in skin care,” she says. Despite this, Weinstein says this doesn’t mean gold skin care products shouldn’t be used, and that they are still safe to use. “Give them a try and see how they work for you,” she says.
However, Weinstein does say that topical use of gold does have a brightening affect since the particles are reflective. “Gold can certainly have a brightening effect, even a bronzing effect due to the color itself,” she says. “It’s the perfect ingredient to use to temporarily brighten those under eye circles or to give a nice glow for an evening out.” These brightening effects are why we’ve seen many makeup products adding this ingredient for that hydrated and dewy look. One in particular—the Skin79 Super+ Beblesh Balm VIP Gold—features gold as one of its main ingredients and it does aid in adding that highlighted finish so many people covet.
The verdict:
The jury is still out on whether gold skin care does or does not have any anti-inflammatory or wrinkle reducing properties, so when buying products that feature it as the main ingredient, don’t fall for the hype if the price tag is too high.
Ultimately, you shouldn’t be buying a product just because it has gold in it; instead choose a product that has a well rounded list of ingredients (learn how to read that list here) and see whether or not it works for you. At the end of the day, this applies to all ingredients and not just gold in particular. You want to make sure you’re buying quality products that will actually help your skin!
+ Has gold skin care worked for you? Let us know in the comments below!