Household bleach: the latest anti-ageing remedy?

While people spend billions on anti-ageing creams, a new study by Stanford University in the US reveals that a heavily diluted bleach mixture could be effective in treating skin damage caused by excessive exposure to sun, ageing and radiation therapy.

While people spend billions on anti-ageing creams, a new study by Stanford University in the US reveals that a heavily diluted bleach mixture could be effective in treating skin damage caused by excessive exposure to sun, ageing and radiation therapy.

According to the study, a .0005 per cent solution can be used as an anti-ageing remedy. In a trial on mice, a diluted bleach mixture reversed inflammation and ageing of the skin, and low doses of bleach blocked a chemical that triggers the inflammatory response. “The solution may serve an antimicrobial function, killing bacteria and viruses on the skin,” says Dr Thomas Leung, researcher, Stanford University. He adds, “In addition to being beneficial for antimicrobial functions, it could also aid in healing diabetic ulcers.”

Leung and his colleagues tested the effect of the bleach solution on laboratory mice with radiation dermatitis. They found that the animals bathed in the bleach solution experienced better healing and hair regrowth than animals bathed in water.