An Israeli company which is a leading provider of thin and flexible micro-power source technology and devices, has developed two new revolutionary product lines which they expect will radically improve cosmetic skincare.

Power Paper’s micro-electronic enhancers of cosmetic creams and gels are intended to boost topical delivery of cosmetic formulations and increase their overall efficacy by several orders of magnitude.

“My mother spends $60 on a small jar of cosmetic cream of which only 2 percent of the vitamins actually get into her skin. As opposed to passively applying a cosmetics cream onto the skin – in which only a very small quantity of the ingredients are effective – our products can vastly boost the topical delivery of cosmetic molecules. With PowerCosmetics `patches,’ you can start to see results within 10-20 minutes, whereas previously it might have taken over a month to achieve the same results.” CEO Shalom Daskal told The Jerusalem Post last month.

The main breakthrough in both PowerCosmetics product lines lies in the application of proprietary ultra-thin micro-electronic components that are integrated into a simple cosmetic patch. The products are safe, gentle, and pleasant to the skin, easy to use and fully disposable, according to Daskal.

The company’s products can be used to treat a number of cosmetic concerns, including skin-aging and wrinkles, dark spots or discoloration, skin lightening and whitening, firming and lifting, moisturizing, slimming and cellulite reduction.

“The techniques we are using – micro-electric currents and micro-stimulation – have well known cosmetic benefits,” said Daniela Mavor, who heads the PowerCosmetics division. “The reason our products are revolutionary is that we provide these benefits in an easy-to-use, disposable, thin and flexible format, which customers can use in the comfort of their own homes.”

To date, Power Paper, a start-up in Kibbutz Einat outside Petah Tikva, has completed agreements with three of the world’s leading cosmetics groups, and its first products are expected to reach the shelves in the third quarter of 2003.

Power Paper has enlisted a number of leading world experts in dermapharmacology and cosmetology, as well as top executives from the cosmetics industry to its PowerCosmetics Steering Committee.

“The fact that some of the world’s most important cosmetics companies have signed agreements with Power Paper and that our advisory board contains some of the leading cosmetics experts worldwide is an excellent vote of confidence for the company,” said Dr. Art Rosenthal, the Senior VP and Chief Scientific Officer of Boston Scientific and a board member of Power Paper. “All of these people are convinced that Power Paper’s new cosmetics products will make a very important contribution in skincare.”

Established in 1997, Power Paper produces paper-thin energy cells that are printed on silk-screen printing presses, can be adapted to fit the size and shape of almost any product and are safer for the environment than conventional batteries.

The cell, which boasts a shelf life of two and a half years, can be printed, pasted, or laminated onto paper, plastic, or other media, becoming part of the end product itself. According to Daskal, this means that the value it provides is based on economies of scale.

“Our batteries are not price sensitive, they are volume sensitive,” he said. The battery creates electricity in the same way as conventional batteries, with two electrodes – a cathode and an anode – separated by an electrolyte ‘ink’ that conducts the energy. The patented ink is the key to the company’s success, and the secret recipe is referred to within the company as the ‘Coca-Cola formula.’

“Current batteries are case batteries, which are made with heavy metals and dangerous gases,” explained Daskal. “Ours is an open battery using only safe materials.”

He compared the 1.5 volt battery’s power output level to that of the small ‘button cells’ commonly used to power handheld games and calculators, but noted that multiple cells can be stacked or located side by side for increased voltage-and-current requirements.

The company currently operates in two other markets besides its cosmetics division. Its PowerNovelties division focuses on creating toys, games, gifts, stationary, and promotional items using the flat power cells. Companies such as Hallmark and Marks & Spencer are already selling products around the flat cells, Daskal said. In addition, toy manufacturer Hasbro Inc., which counts among its brands Playskool, Tonka, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, and Tiger toys, recently entered into an agreement with Power Paper as well, and plans to start marketing toys with Power Paper cells next year.

Next, the company’s PowerID division develops smart tags that can track products from anywhere, store data and transmit it over extended communication ranges. Unlike ‘passive’ labels that must be manually scanned or registered, Power Paper’s tags actively transmit information for just a few cents per label.
‘With these, you can find out where any product is at any time,’ Daskal said. ‘They can also track environmental factors, so you can track whether a temperature-sensitive product, like meat, or blood being sent for a transfusion, stays above a certain temperature for too long.’
He said the tags have a market potential of billions of units a year.