Dimethyl MEA

Dimethyl MEA is a chemical compound with many names - it can also be listed as DMAE, deanol or 2-dimethylaminoethanol. It is described as a colorless liquid with a fishy smell.

There are two clinical studies that tested DMAE’s effects in vivo and reported some anin firmness and anti-aging properties. The first one (Uhoda et al.) found it had an insignificant effect (4%) on one parameter of skin firmness, and no noticeable effect on other parameters.

The second study, done by J&J (Grossman), involved 156 (quite a remarkable number for a skincare clinical study) subjects using a 3% DMAE gel versus a placebo. They looked at things like forehead lines, periorbital fine wrinkles, sagging neck skin, neck firmness, and even lip thickness.

But instead of giving the exact results for each of these, the study only reported an overall anti-aging improvement score, which showed about a 5% improvement with the 3% DMAE gel compared to the placebo. For the specific parameters mentioned above, they just reported p-values to show statistical differences, saying the 3% DMAE formulation was statistically better than the placebo. So, we don't know which parameter exactly contributed to the overall moderate 5% antia-aging improvement - lip thickness or wrinkle depth, for example.

DMAE is also added to skincare products to regulate the pH balance, but can potentially be toxic.