And now, a sweet way to keep the wrinkles away

LONDON - Two of the world’s biggest confectionery and cosmetics giants have joined hands to develop a sugar-coated tablet that they say can dramatically slow down ageing of the skin.

The anti-wrinkle sweetie, developed by Nestl and L’Oral, the world’s biggest cosmetics company, uses a compound found in tomatoes to promote the regeneration of new skin cells and protect old ones from damage, The Sunday Times reported.

Called Inneov Fermete, the product of nutritional and dermatological science - a cosmeceutical - is already available in parts of Europe and South America.

Patricia Manissier, head of research and development at Innov, a L’Oral/Nestl joint venture, said: We have done a lot of research which shows this product works and now we’re looking for ways of improving it.

We know that good nutrition can prevent the skin from ageing and that there are clear links between certain nutrients and skin health.

The pill is based on lycopene, the red carotene pigment found in tomatoes, combining with a form of vitamin C and isoflavone chemicals extracted from soya bean.

The paper said one drawback is the cost - the new drug will cost about 25 for a 10-day supply. In addition, manufacturers say women may not notice a difference for three months.