A polymer film that sticks to human skin reduces the appearance of wrinkles and bags under the eyes.

Robert Langer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and his colleagues designed a polysiloxane-based film that is applied to and cured on the skin. The transparent film has similar mechanical properties to skin, allowing it to conform to the surface. In small studies with human volunteers, the researchers showed that the film reshapes the skin, making bags under the eyes look less puffy and reducing wrinkling.

The film was made from reagents that are considered to be safe for the skin. It could be used cosmetically or in wound dressings, the authors say.

Nature Mater. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmat4635 (2016)