Did you know Diane De Poitiers was 20 years older than her royal lover, King Henry II of France? Yet, they looked the SAME age.
Her secret?
Gold. Diane drank a cuppa every day. Gold is the same shiny colour as the sun and, like the sun, it was thought to give you life. Youth. Beauty.
In the end, her golden elixir killed her.
Fast forward a few centuries, gold is still a beauty elixir. You’ll find flecks of gold in outrageously expensive skincare creams promising to firm your face and erase your wrinkles.
Does it work? Is gold worth its weight or is just a glistening gimmick to attract skincare magpies?
How Does Gold Benefit Skin?
Here’s the tricky part: very few studies have bothered to study what gold does for your skin.
Brands tell you a different story, of course. They’ll say that gold has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.
Where they get this info from? Well, from a handful of medical (not skincare!) studies.
The British Journal of Radiology says gold nanoparticles are emerging as a promising treatment for cancer. It seems it works for rheumatoid arthritis, too.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease. Inflammation is one of the main causes of aging. So it makes sense that gold can fight any problems caused by inflammation.
But we don’t know how it does this. Scientists have discovered it helps treats arthritis but don’t know why or how yet.
Some theories propose it works by deactivating the proteins involved in inflammation, while others suggest it’s merely a carrier that helps the active ingredients reach their intended destination.
One study on the effects of gold on rheumatoid arthritis found it can boost collagen production. In theory, that’s a good news. In practice, you have to consider how gold is delivered to your skin.
A few flecks of gold in a moisturiser are unlikely to be enough to firm your skin. What they do, instead, is catch the light and make your face glow.
FYI: a highlighter does the same and is cheaper. 😉
Struggling to put together a skincare routine that minimises wrinkles, prevents premature aging, and gives your complexion a youthful glow? Download your FREE “Best Anti-Aging Skincare Routine” to get started (it features product recommendations + right application order):
Does Gold Have Any Side Effects?
Yep. Gold is a common allergen. If you’re allergic to gold jewellery, avoid it in your skincare, too.
The Bottom Line
Get your gold fix from jewellery for now. Gold in skincare may be promising, but those flecks will only give you a beautiful glow.
I’ve tried a few products with gold in them, but only because I got them for being a beauty blogger. The one I actually liked was the Stila Charmed Eye Shadow Palette, but that’s just because they were some really good eye shadows.
Trisha, we beauty bloggers get to try all sorts of crazy things, don’t we? At least, that way we can tell people what works, what doesn’t and why so they can spend their money wisely.
I believe some products with gold are good, but not because they contain this metal. I wouldn’t buy a product just for that, but if something is good and has gold in it (and the price is reasonable), then it may be worth it.
I totally agree .. if you want great skin – eat healthy. Eat fruits and vegetables with all those great flavonoids and phyto-nutrients to help cells repair and regenerate.
Monica.
Monica, I agree with you. Even ingredients that, unlike gold, have been scientifically proven to benefit skin can only do so much if you don’t eat a healthy diet.