This article was created for i-On Skincare and appeared in the DERMASCOPE publication in Summer 2023.
Forget everything you think you know about the aging process and consider this: we, like the inanimate objects around us, are made of matter. Over time, this matter naturally breaks down and deteriorates, its structure and outward appearance slowly altered by the interplay of environmental elements. A shiny new bicycle, for example, will begin to show signs of rust as iron starts to oxidize on its surface and catalyze the aging process.
Iron is the most abundant transition metal in the human body. Iron accumulation within the body is known to contribute to increased levels of oxidative stress, linked to a higher
risk of chronic illnesses like cancer and diabetes. This led me to wonder: could the same element iron prove the culprit behind the way skin and other objects age? Fortunately, I had more than 125 years of research on the topic of iron buildup at my disposal. Dedicating my career to picking up where these studies left off, I applied my discoveries directly to skin health and discovered a vital missing piece to our modern understanding of aging.
Over a century of research clearly shows that 1) iron is the driving force behind oxidant
formation; 2) iron is pushed out through the skin; and 3) the buildup of iron on the skin leads to the production of destructive oxygen free radicals that cause visible aging. What does this mean, exactly? Essentially, it means that our current approach - using antioxidants to fight aging and improve skin health - is not nearly as effective as we imagined.
In order to truly slow the relentless march of time, it is not enough to focus on aspects such as selective antioxidants or surface moisturizers on cellular repair and regeneration mechanisms. This is because the oxidative damage is done, and it is hard for antioxidants to repair. If we want to slow down aging in its tracks, we must eradicate the buildup of excess iron on the skin - the real underlying factor behind all of it.
Female complexions begin to show signs of aging as early as age 30, including dullness, discoloration, and the emergence of fine lines. For decades, the scientific community believed that all of these surface “symptoms” resulted from decreasing estrogen levels. Yet, topical application of estrogen replacement shows little effect on skin appearance improvement. Interestingly, I have found that iron is increased by 42% in postmenopausal skin as compared to premenopausal skin. This increase in iron leads to more oxidant formation and accelerated skin aging.
Iron possesses redox activity, along with other special properties, such as its ability to form colorful compounds. This is why iron in hemoglobin is red, while ferritin - an iron storage protein for excess iron - is brown. Hemosiderin, a complex of hemoglobin and ferritin, contributes to skin tone, skin discoloration, age spots, and sunspots. Bruises are skin discoloration from damaged leaking blood vessels beneath the skin. Even though there is no external bleeding, blood is pooling, and this hemoglobin accumulation underneath the skin leads to different color appearances.
Understanding that the aging process is not only chronological (determined by the number of years since birth) but also biological (and therefore modifiable), I set out to disrupt it entirely… with astounding success. We have developed a novel class of actives termed “De-ironizing Inducers” (DII®) which can do what no free-radical neutralizing antioxidant or chelation can do. This revolutionary complex removes iron from the surface of the skin before it is converted to skin-damaging free radicals. In our 42-day clinical trial, women saw improvement across the board in objective, subjective, and biomechanical testing, including:
97% experiencing brighter skin
84% noticing a marked reduction in fine lines and wrinkles
90% seeing firmer skin
The patented DII® complex promoted healthier, more vibrant skin in an unprecedented 100% of users. Now, the expanding i-OnⓇ skincare collection is the only cosmetic line to effectively address and neutralize the threat of iron-induced oxidative stress. Industry peers are even calling it “the biggest scientific breakthrough since retinol when it comes to proactively disrupting the aging process. Even better, the research-based formulation can drastically improve bruising and redness associated with micro-injection or laser resurfacing treatments. Clinical trials also revealed the DII® complex effective in reducing sunburn healing time from seven days to 24 hours.
Here is what other estheticians have to say about their experience:
“I am very excited about this product! I read the white papers and I've never before thought of the idea of removing excess iron from the skin. It's a revolutionary concept in the science of skincare. Recently, I was speaking with my nurse injector who said she tries to be very careful not to bruise patients (when giving injectables) because the iron from the bruise can stain the skin. I actually did end up getting a small bruise and used this cream (after waiting 2-3 days post procedure). Upon waking the next morning, the bruise was completely gone. Normally, this would have taken at least a week to heal. This cream really does work!”
-Lauren S.
About Dr. Xi Huang:
Dr. Xi is a world-renowned iron expert and the founder of i-OnⓇ skincare. Applying over 125 years of scientific research, Dr. Xi introduces the health beauty tech industry’s first-ever “age disrupting” collection featuring his patented De-Ironizing Inducer complex (DII®) to remove iron from the surface of skin before it forms the oxygen free radicals that rapidly age skin. i-OnⓇ empowers women everywhere with the knowledge and products to truly disrupt signs of visible aging, achieving softer, smoother, healthier skin in as few as seven days. Start the disruption process at ionskincare.com. Follow @ionskincare on Instagram for product insights, how-to’s, and real results.