London, Sep 30 (PTI): Ladies, your dream of popping a pill that can make you look younger may finally come true!

In a first, scientists claim to have developed a new pill that is clinically proven to combat ageing by reducing wrinkles, providing an easier alternative to more invasive measures such as Botox.

The oral supplement, containing plant compounds and vitamins, could reduce the depth of crow's-feet wrinkles on faces by 10 per cent, tests at an independent clinic in Germany have shown.

The study also showed the supplement stimulated the production of collagen, which can prevent wrinkles from forming, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

The cocktail of ingredients could offer an alternative to more invasive measures such as Botox or the plethora of face creams on which hundreds of millions are spent by people seeking youthful looks.

The ingredients taken by the women in the study were soy isoflavones, which are plant compounds; lycopene, an antioxidant; vitamin C; vitamin E; and omega-3 fatty acids.

Silicone moulds were made of crow's feet around the eyes and made again after 14 weeks of taking the supplement. The skin was smoother with less marked wrinkles.

There was a "significant reduction in average wrinkle depth" on a test group of 53 women who took the supplement compared with the control group of 55 women who got a placebo, he report said.

"On average, there was a 10 per cent reduction in wrinkle depth in the test group when compared with placebo," the report said.

An analysis of the skin found increased levels of collagen and a "reduced severity" of skin roughness.

"We found that a significantly higher number of individuals consuming the test product showed increased levels of collagen after 14 weeks than those who consumed placebo products. To our knowledge, this is the first published report of increased collagen production in skin as a result of an oral intervention," the report said.

The study was published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.