Ep 26: Is Gold the Secret to Anti-Aging? Humans Love It, Science Explains Why.

Gold can be found in the pot at the end of the rainbow, but it can also be found in your skincare. Today we’re going to explore the history of gold, how it’s been used in cosmetics, and whether it’s actually the anti-aging miracle some people claim it to be.

The history of gold in skincare

Gold has been used around the human body for thousands of years, just not always in the way that our current skincare marketing suggests. In Ancient Egypt, gold was incredibly symbolic. It represented divinity, eternity, and permanence. Archaeological evidence shows it was widely used in jewelry, burial masks, decorative objects, and gilding (applying super thin sheets of gold to things, usually seen in art). We also know Egyptians were sophisticated about cosmetics; they used oils, pigments, and kohl regularly (if you want to learn more about ancient skincare, check out our first episode). What we don’t have strong historical evidence for is the popular claim that Cleopatra slept in a gold face mask as part of her skincare routine. That story is repeated constantly, but I couldn’t find any primary sources that actually said it happened. 

The historical use of gold is actually better documented in medicine than cosmetics. In traditional South Asian medicine, including Ayurveda, preparations containing gold, which was often referred to as Swarna bhasma, were used therapeutically. These were complex mineral preparations that were intended for health rather than cosmetics. The presence of gold in historical medicine doesn’t automatically mean it works the same way in topical use, which is important when we think about the claims companies make about gold in cosmetics. 

By the 17th and 18th centuries, scientists were producing colloidal gold, which are tiny suspended particles of gold that create really vibrant red and purple colors. These particles were even used in stained glass and decorative arts. Long before “nano skincare” was a buzzword, gold nanoparticles were already being studied because they’re so cool to look at. 

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, nanotechnology entered the cosmetic industry. As researchers were exploring nanoparticles for drug delivery and medical applications, gold nanoparticles became really interesting because of their physical and visual properties.

Around the same time, luxury skincare brands began incorporating visible gold flakes and colloidal gold into formulations; sometimes it was for aesthetic reasons, and sometimes gold was marketed as a “high-tech” active. Today, regulatory bodies like the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety evaluate gold nanomaterials specifically, which just goes to show how far gold has come from being a sacred metal to regulated cosmetic additive.

The chemistry behind gold

To understand why gold keeps reappearing in skincare marketing, we have to understand what gold actually is at a chemical level.

Gold is an element with the chemical symbol Au on the periodic table. It’s very inert, which means it doesn’t react easily with other substances, and is highly resistant to corrosion, oxidation, and most acids (with the notable exception of aqua regia, a special acid mixture that can dissolve it). Early alchemists were obsessed with gold and often tried to change base metals (usually lead) into gold. Today, it’s commonly used in jewelry; 24-carat is pure gold, but it’s really soft, so 18- and 9-carat alloys are used more often because they’re more durable. It’s also used in coins, and thin sheets of gold are used in art and architecture.

Interestingly, gold is one of the few metals that occurs in nature in its elemental, metallic state. Most of it is mined from countries like South Africa and Russia, but it’s also found in ocean water. Seawater only contains trace amounts - roughly a few grams per million tons of water - which adds up to a large total amount overall, but because the concentration is so low, it wouldn’t be practical or economical to extract.

Regular gold is a solid metal and is generally non-reactive, but colloidal gold is a suspension of very small gold particles in a fluid, typically water. These particles are often nanoscale in size and can appear red-wine or blue-purple instead of metallic yellow. The color change happens because of how electrons on the surface of the tiny particles interact with light — a phenomenon called surface plasmon resonance. The properties of these particles depend greatly on their size and shape; for example, rod-shaped particles behave differently than spherical ones. They’re often studied in drug and therapeutic applications.

Gold nanoparticles are extremely small clusters of gold atoms, typically between about 1–100 nanometers. They’re still elemental gold, but because they’re so small, they behave differently than bulk gold. They appear red, purple, or blue instead of yellow, and they have a much higher surface area relative to their size, which allows other molecules to attach to their surface. This is why they’re interesting in biomedical research; drugs, peptides, or antibodies can be attached to the surface of the gold particles, which allows them to act as potential delivery systems.

Gold in cosmetics

Gold nanoparticles (aka the tiny little golden delivery drivers) have been used in luxury skincare products for several years. Many companies claim they have anti-aging, hydrating, restorative, and regenerative properties. The benefits that are cited most often include improved circulation, stimulation of cell turnover, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, increased firmness and elasticity, collagen support, and overall “revitalization” of the skin.

How well these ingredients work primarily depends on their size, shape, surface coating, and concentration. There also isn’t much long-term safety data specifically looking at gold nanoparticles in cosmetics. Interestingly, we actually have more research on how gold nanoparticles behave inside the body in medical settings than we do on how they behave when they’re applied topically in skincare. Studying this is complicated, because cosmetic formulas are complex mixtures; safety and behavior not only depend on the gold particles themselves, but on the overall formulation and how those particles are stabilized and delivered.

It’s also common for companies to add gold flakes to their cosmetics, which are just very thin sheets of metallic gold. These are probably what most people think of when we mention gold in skincare products, but in reality, they probably don’t really have an effect when used in cosmetics; the gold nanoparticles are where the theoretical benefits might be. 

Based on our current body of evidence, gold nanoparticles aren’t necessarily dangerous, but they have been known to cause contact dermatitis for some people. If you do use a product with gold, just make sure you patch test it first. 

Why are we so drawn to gold?

As humans, we are so drawn to gold. It doesn’t tarnish or corrode, it stays bright and pretty. In a weird way, it symbolizes permanence, both in its structure and also how we use it in society (hello gold wedding rings). Gold also signals wealth and exclusivity - a product with gold flakes just looks luxurious or expensive. And if we think something looks expensive, we naturally infer that it works better. However, we know by now that expensive does not mean effective, and our skin doesn’t care about fancy metals; it cares about things like barrier integrity, hydration, cell turnover, and protection. 

Is gold worth the money?

Based on the evidence? Probably not - at least not if you’re paying a high price purely because it contains gold. We have so many other ingredients with strong evidence like retinoids for collagen synthesis, niacinamide for barrier function, sunscreen for protection against UV rays, and humectants for hydration. 

Gold has an interesting science story, but the clinical evidence is very limited and right now it doesn’t show meaningful anti-aging benefits when it’s used topically in cosmetics. It’s not that it’s inherently harmful in most cases - it’s that the return on investment doesn’t seem to match the marketing or the price you’re paying. If you’re buying it for the aesthetic and the experience, that’s one thing. If you’re buying it expecting an actual skin transformation, the data just isn’t very strong. Instead, focus on using products that have actual evidence behind them so you can actually get the results you want!

Bibliography

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“Beauty and Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_cosmetics_in_ancient_Egypt.

“Cleopatra the Physician.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra_the_Physician.

“Colloidal Gold.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloidal_gold.

Eltom, M. A., et al. “Gold Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Applications in Biomedicine.” Journal of Nanomaterials, vol. 2022, 2022, pp. 1–24, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10144145/.

Hänsel, Florian, et al. “Gold Nanoparticles — A Critical Review.” Toxicology Reports, vol. 10, 2023, pp. 957–71, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8951203/.

“How Did People Try to Prevent Aging?” Atlas Obscura, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-did-people-prevent-aging.

“The Gold Rush: What’s the Value?” Practical Dermatology, 2019, https://practicaldermatology.com/topics/aesthetics-cosmeceuticals/the-gold-rush-whats-the-value/23537/.

“Gold.” Periodic Table, Royal Society of Chemistry, https://periodic-table.rsc.org/element/79/gold.