Shark Bile The Next Skin Care Star

August 18, 2004

Release from: Courier Mail (Australia)

A PRODUCT developed from shark bile by a Melbourne scientist has been picked up by one of the world's top cosmetic companies.

The product - called Ketsugo - helps control acne and restores the normal balance to oily skin.

Scientists at RMIT discovered the compound after hearing about Chinese women who smear shark bile on their faces to keep them wrinkle-free.

They analysed the compound and found that it switched off the excessive oil production activated by the body's hormones.

RMIT natural products research group head, Professor Theo Macrides, said the breakthrough came straight from Japanese and Chinese folklore.

"The fishermen gave the shark bile to women who used it on their faces for a smoother complexion," he said.

"For centuries the Japanese and Chinese used a preparation known as deep-sea shark liver oil, a source of shark bile."

Professor Macrides said it was also used to treat scalds, burns and other skin problems.

Scientists have tested Ketsugo on 40 men and women in their late 20s who suffered from severe oily skin.

About 85 per cent of the group had skin within the normal oiliness range after using Ketsugo for three weeks.

Follow-up tests at St Thomas Hospital in London found the compound could help cure facial acne.

Ketsugo has now been launched as a "secret" ingredient in an exclusive skincare range.

Professor Macrides said Ketsugo did not dry the skin because it affected only excess, not normal, oil production.