Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a new material that can temporarily protect and tighten skin – and smooth wrinkles. They hope it could also be used to deliver drugs that help skin conditions such as eczema.

The material is a silicone-based polymer that is applied to the skin as a thin, imperceptible coating. In tests, the polymer was able to reshape eye bags and enhance hydration; researchers hope it can also be used to provide ultraviolet protection.

“It’s an invisible layer that can provide a barrier, provide cosmetic improvement, and potentially deliver a drug locally to the area that’s being treated,” said Daniel Anderson, an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering. “Those three things together could really make it ideal for use in humans.”

A paper describing the polymer was published in Nature Materials.