Cancel That Shuttle Excursion: Going To Space Might Make Your Skin Age Faster

We recently learned how an astronaut washes her hair in space — but what happens to the rest of her beauty situation way up there in the infinite sky? According to Cosmetics Design-Europe, the product to test the elasticity of one's skin in space has officially been chosen, meaning we'll soon know if blasting off to the moon is the new Botox. Or if it's the opposite.

The measurement device is made by the German-based company Courage + Khazaka and will be used to measure the change in skin elasticity of an astronaut aboard the Soyuz rocket that launched on May 29.

The project, called Skin B, is a successor to a 2006 skin care study in which skin hydration and structure in space was measured. According to the article, the test will hopefully reveal whether or not a six month period in space increases the aging rate of skin — if it does, "space experts promise [it] can be reversible after one year." Um, yay?

So, the hope is that in 50 years — when we've abandoned Earth in favor of an orbiting space station utopia à la Elysium — at least we'll know how to keep our skin looking all ageless. What, that wasn't on your list of immediate future concerns? (Cosmetics Design-Europe)