SKIN DEEP

Only fools would use gold

By DR. LESLIE BAUMANN

drb@drbaumann.com

Q:I recently read about a facial that involves massaging gold leaf into the skin. Is the pampering worth the price?

A: Absolutely, unequivocally not! Not only are there no proven benefits to gold, it can actually harm your skin.

Companies that tout the gold in their creams or facials typically suggest that gold has skin-firming, collagen-boosting properties. These claims are unsubstantiated by any convincing clinical data. Other companies note gold's anti-inflammatory benefits -- which are indeed proven, but come with so many side effects that gold-based injections have been largely discontinued.

Gold allergies, on the other hand, are real. Many of us in the dermatological community are concerned about this phenomenon, which may be due in part to the ''trend'' of including gold in skin care products. (Another likely culprit? Mineral makeup. Many doctors have theorized that the microscopic minerals in some powders and foundations scratch tiny specs of gold from jewelry, eventually introducing this potentially irritating metal to the skin.) Reactions can range from minor redness, itching and inflammation to a more serious condition called lichen planus, which manifests as purple papules on the skin.

Bottom line: If you're going to splurge on your skin, do it with a prescription-strength retinoid or well-stabilized vitamin C product (like Skinceuticals' C E Ferulic or La Roche-Posay Active C) -- those are investments that will work magic!

Dr. Leslie Baumann is a board-certified dermatologist at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. E-mail: drb@drbaumann.com