Spend a half-hour in a bath, and your skin will start to crinkle with saturation. So why is it, after nine months in a wet womb, that a baby has such smooth skin when it’s born?
The secret is a safeguarding substance called vernix caseosa, or VC, which essentially waterproofs the fetus and then hydrates and purifies the newborn. Because it has such amazing and unique properties, including the ability to heal ulcers, scientists are trying to create a synthetic cream that mimics VC.
The key to VC is a combination of water, lipids, and epidermal cells, so their exact balance was closely studied by Dutch specialists. Using lanolin as a source of lipids, they successfully recreated the ultimate moisturizer.
The cream holds great potential for treating compromised, dry and even normal skin in people of all ages, offering a way for the skin barrier to recover more quickly and effectively.
