Could the key to silkier skin be … silk? | Sali Hughes on beauty

The lustrous fibre has been shown to increase collagen production, and now skincare brands are getting in on the action

Remember Boswelox? The dubiously named skincare ingredient may be gone, but it lives on as industry shorthand for “marketing ingredient, no evidence”. Dozens are “discovered” each year, none of them able to hold a torch to proven heroes like retinoids, hydroxy acids and antioxidants. But the mounting evidence for silk has me interested – or, at least, not declaring it utter Boswelox.

This Is Silk founder Sonal Keay has created an entire skincare line based on the stuff. Pre-development, she took to the British Library, discovering swathes of material about the medical applications of silk proteins and fibres. Modern dermatology is more sceptical, but peer-reviewed studies indicate that silk can significantly aid skin healing, and the application of silk in diabetes treatment and in corneal, nerve (Parkinson’s) and tissue repair are all currently being investigated.