LeighAnn longs to learn: The new Keri Renewal Serum claims to moisturize, protect and exfoliate with visible results in three days. I was wondering what your opinion on this product is and since they call it a serum, how different is it from any run of the mill moisturizer.
The Left Brain’s reply:
The Keri brand, which was created by Bristol Myers Squibb and recently acquired by Novartis Consumer Health, has gotten a make over. One of the new products they’ve launched is Keri’s Renewal Serum which claims to be “a triple-action formula that moisturizes, protects and exfoliates to give you fast, effective relief from rough, dry skin. This patented formula combines specialized polyhydroxy acids with rich moisturizers to help repair and nourish the skin while providing a protective barrier to retain moisture.”
Serum vs lotion
Let’s take the easy question first: why is this a serum and not a moisturizing lotion? In the cosmetic industry there are no absolute definitions for these terms; companies are really free to use whatever descriptors they want. But in general, lotions are creams made by mixing water and oil. Serums tend to be thick liquids, usually clear, because they don’t contain oils. The Keri product is a mixture of water in a silicone base.
Moisturize, protect, and exfoliate
Based on a review of the ingredients, this product should pretty much do what it says. That’s because it contains propylene glycol, a known humectant-type moisturizer, as well as lactobionic acid which is a relatively new type of cosmetic ingredient known as a Polyhydroxy Acid, or PHA.
Here’s the complete ingredient list:
Water, Urea, Propylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclomethicone, Lactobionic Acid, Gluconolactone, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ammonium Hydroxide, Dimethiconol, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben
What are PHAs
A PHA is special type of Alphahydroxy Acid (AHA) that is larger and has more hydroxy groups. Keri contains two: lactobionic acid which comes from oxidized lactose or milk sugar, and gluconolactone which is made from oxidized glucose (a natural sugar found in the human body). PHAs are considered to be the next generation AHA because they provide milder exfoliation and better moisturization. (Learn more about PHAs). This particular formula is patented, but I couldn’t find a reference to it (Novartis has over 2000 patents in the US!) If anyone has a bottle of the serum, let me know if the patent number is on the package and I’ll look into it further.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Keri product sells for about $16 US which is considerably more than a typical lotion. Is it technically worth more ? It might be, depending on your needs. If you have very dry skin, need exfoliation, and don’t tolerate AHAs very well, then buy a bottle of Keri serum and give it a try. But if you just need a regular moisturizer, save your money and buy a typical lotion.
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I once purchased a serum from the Clarins counter of a Department store for over $85. The person at the counter told me it would get rid of dark spots on my face. I forgot if it was less than an ounce, but it lasted less than 3 weeks. The next time I visited the store, I told the sales person that it did not lighten my dark spots. She said that in order to see results, I needed to use it for long time. Needless to say, I felt like I was duped.
Anyway, my question is: Is the Keri Renewal serun intended for use on the face?
The patent#’s for Keri Serum are:
US patents: B2 5,091,171,6,335,023 and 6,740,437
I SEEN ON A SHOW I WAS LOOKING ON LIFETIME BDLIVE IT WAS CALLED LOVING YOUR BODY THAT A MAN WAS TALKIN TO A LADY WHO HAD RADATION TREATMENT THAT THE SKIN IS LET RUFF AND DRY. THIS IS THE SAME THINK THAT IS HAPPING TO MY HUSBAND WHO FINISHED UP HIS RADATION TREATMENTS PM 3RD OF JAN. THE MAN SAID THAT KERI RENEWAL SERUM IS GRAT ON THE SKIN USE IT FOR I BELIEVE HE SAID THREE TIMES A DAY. DOES IT WORK THAT WAY AND IS IT GOOD ON MY HUSBAND CONDITION?
THANK YOU,
GOD BLESS!
MRS. VESTAL
My husband works w/ his hands daily. His hands are very dry and huge ridges and calluses. He is allergic & very sensitive to almost everything in beauty products. We change lotions & creams regularly because his tolerance ends and onto a new one. I saw this come out last year and thought what is one more new product. This product is super! It does not require alot, but you have to use it daily. It is the only “lotion” that I buy for him. We saw a change for the better in under a week. EXCELLENT PRODUCT, for him at least.
Keri Renewal Serum is the sponsor of the TV show on lifetime “How to Look Good Naked” (see Mrs. Vestal’s comment above). Of course they are going to plug it in during the show. A bit shameless, using the emotion-evoking radiation patient if you ask me, but hey, I’ll try anything once.
-F.C., Chicago
I was skeptical at first but now I am sold on this product. The price is up there but if it can help the dry skin that I have been suffering with for years then the cost is on low on my list of concerns.
I also suffer from Intertrigo and for anyone that knows what that is you know how painful the dry skin can be and this serum really helps. After using powders to keep the areas dry your skin gets very dry and itchy. I applied a small amount of this serum and rubbed it in good so as to not leave the areas moist and it really helped.
I have had Keratosis pilaris my whole life. I’ve tried many products and spent a lot of money trying to rectify this unsightly problem. I used Keri serum for one week and saw a huge improvement. After about 3 weeks the bumps are almost gone. I went back to the store where I purchased the first tube and bought the remainder of the product they had on the shelf. I only paid $5 a tube because it was on sale but I’ll gladly fork over the $16 because it works that well. Highly recommended for anyone who suffers from KP.