The most obvious sign that we are ageing is the physical changes to our skin, including fine wrinkles, irregular pigmentation, and loss of skin elasticity. The severity of skin ageing is enhanced by the production of reactive oxygen species through extrinsic factors, such as UV exposure, chemical pollutants, and lifestyle factors. Reactive oxygen species lead to intrinsic changes that alter the basal cell layer by inducing cellular senescence, leading to thinning of the skin. Collectively, these factors increase the likelihood of age-related skin diseases and damage to DNA. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), a metalloenzyme known for displaying antioxidant properties and catalysing the breakdown of free radicals into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen, has been investigated for use in skin ageing treatments. This project aims to assess the efficacy of the potential use of SOD in anti-ageing treatments by comparing two clinical trials in this area. The three treatments that were explored in the clinical trials included in this project were Tazarotene 0.1% cream, a vehicle cream, and a combination of Tazarotene 0.1% cream and GliSODin Skin Nutrients Advanced Anti-Ageing Formula capsules. A significant difference was found when comparing the efficacy of all three treatments on the reduction of visible ageing signs; F2,6 = 13.217, p = 0.006, confirming the success of SOD when treating ageing skin. However, this area needs to be researched further, to reach an accurate decision on whether SOD should be used worldwide to combat the effects of ageing skin. As skin ageing is a natural and complex process, side effects of using SOD are inevitable, enforcing the need for thorough testing into the safety of this treatment. This area of research is apparent due to the large and ever-growing value of the global antiageing skin market and the development of an ageing population in the UK.
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