In the race to find new and effective ingredients with anti-ageing benefits, more brands are launching using oxygen within their formulas. The theory is that oxygen works at a cellular level and can promote faster cell renewal. However, independent beauty enhancement consultant and author, Wendy Lewis, is sceptical, saying: "I do not know of any clinical studies that prove that oxygen can really get delivered into the skin to do anything. It sounds good in theory, because ageing and free radicals, smoking and UV exposure zap the skin cells of oxygen, but my feeling is that these effects are very temporary and not always worth the price point."
One of the first brands to use oxygen as a positioning claim was Karin Herzog's range, which uses a stabilised form of oxygen to keep skin looking fresh and healthy. A favourite with plastic surgeons, Karin Herzog oxygenation products have been used before and after surgery and resurfacing treatments based on the wound healing benefits of oxygen.