STOKO^® Skin Care: Research at Zero Gravity

 Astronaut of ISS study the effectiveness of STOKO^® Skin Care products

A Russian Soyuz capsule lifted off for the International Space Station (ISS) on September 18th, 2006 with an innovative product from the Degussa STOKO® Skin Care Business Line on board. At an elevation of 400 km and a speed of 28,000 km/h, scientific experiments are being conducted on the ISS. On this trip, one of the areas of research is, for the first time, the systematically analysis of the impact of zero gravity on the human skin. Tracking skin changes During extended missions in space astronauts are exposed to extreme conditions.

 The structure of bones and muscles, for example, is altered by the particular conditions the body experiences in the space station, and the cardiovascular system is subject to drastic changes. Previous extended stays in space have also indicated that the skin in particular gets very stressed. During this mission, the astronaut will use several methods to assess the condition of his skin over a longer period.

For approximately three months the daily routine aboard the ISS will include comprehensive skin measurements on one arm treated with the STOKO^® Skin Care product and on one untreated arm. Different measurement techniques will be used to determine the physiological condition of the skin. Additional tests done prior to and after the ISS mission will supplement these measurements. The STOKO^® product's restorative effect on the skin will be used in this long-term experiment under extreme conditions.

"The research and development department is a hugely important part of STOKO^® Skin Care. The findings from the ISS research will help us optimally develop our products and find other processes and technologies that can combat everyday skin changes," notes Marketing Director Dr. Annette zur Mühlen.

Creatine: the body's own cell energizer
The STOKO^® soothing gel used on ISS contains the Degussa active ingredient creatine, which acts as an "energizer" to promote skin regeneration, among other things. This product improves the condition of the skin, does not make it greasy and is absorbed quickly and completely, so that people who use this product can operate sensitive instruments, and objects will not slip out of their hands. Dr. zur Mühlen emphasizes that not only the astronaut conducting this experiment in his workplace 400 km above the Earth will benefit from these features, but also customers in the industry will benefit, too.

Further information on the Business Line STOKO^® Skin Care is available here.