We have skin to protect us from external factors such as extreme temperatures and toxins. Skin’s ability to do this is irreversibly compromised by aging. The pesky wrinkles and age spots on the skin that accompany the aging process seem inevitable, but are not. Scientists at M.I.T. have developed an invisible, silicone-based polymer that mimics the properties of normal, youthful skin and protects it as well.

Younger skin has more elasticity due to its abundant collagen, a type of protein that provides tensile strength and elasticity to the skin. We lose a certain amount of this substance each year as we age, in turn, our skin lacks elasticity and is more prone to wrinkles and bags. There’s not much we can do to reverse this course, but “Second Skin,” a material “made up of siloxanes, which together form polymers, or molecules that are made of long chains of repeating units” may be a step in the right direction, Popular Science reported. Researchers found that the coating, which adheres to the skin, was able to reshape “eye bags” under the lower eyelids and also enhance skin hydration.

“The goal was to really create something that was invisible, breathable, could coat the skin, protect it, perhaps deliver drugs to it and also perhaps even make it look better,” said Daniel Anderson, an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering.

Researchers created a cream that can be applied to the skin. Once it’s on the skin, the cream forms an elastic second skin that’s transparent and has mechanical strength. In addition to protecting and tightening dry skin, the material can also be used to help treat skin conditions such as eczema and other types of dermatitis.