Fellr asks…My friend is looking at direct marketing with Nerium International. She dropped off a bottle of anti-aging cream, NeriumAD, for me to try for one week. Forever the skeptic, I am not convinced this is the savior for our aging skin. Does this product work?
The Right Brain responds:
Nerium’s claim to fame seems to be two proprietary ingredient blends: an oleander extract (made from a type of evergreen shrub) and a mixture of proteins (which appeared to be quite common so I’m not sure why these are exclusive.) Here is the complete ingredient list (as provided on the Nerium website):
NeriumAD Ingredients
- NAE-8 Proprietary Blend (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Nerium Oleander Leaf Extract)
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf
- Proprietary Protein blend (Collagen, Elastin, Glycosaminoglycans)
- Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
- Stearic Acid
- Cetearyl Glucoside
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Glycerin
- C14-22 Alcohol
- C12-Alkyl Glucoside Glyceryl Stearate
- Ricinus Communis Seed Oil Cetyl Alcohol
- Olus Oil
- Chondrus Crispus Powder
- Sodium Borate
- Dicaprylyl Ether
- Hydrolyzed Quinoa
- Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate
- Dimethicone
- Sodium PCA
- Proprietary Blend (Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol)
- Parfum
- Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
- Tocopherol
Note: This is how the ingredients appears on their website but they don’t seem to be listed correctly in order of concentration because, according to their clinical study (see below) the NAE -8 blend is only used at 0.0117%. Therefore it would NOT appear at the top of the list.
What is NeriumAD supposed to do?
According to their website they have done clinical testing to prove their product dramatically reduces the appearance of…
- Fine Lines and Wrinkles
- Hyperpigmentation
- Uneven Skin Texture
- Enlarged Pores
- Aging or Sun-Damaged Skin
These are fairly standard claims made by many products on the market.
What do their test results show?
According to their clinical test report, they used impressive methodology involving state of the art wrinkle tracking imaging equipment and software. But we’re a bit perplexed by how this methodology satisfies the objective of the study. The report indicates that “Ingredients that may provide additional efficacy are sought to improve existing products” and that the purpose of the study was to investigate “the safety and efficacy of two such ingredients….Nerium oleander extract and proprietary protein blend.” Given this objective, we’d expect the test to be done comparing a lotion containing the “new” ingredients to a control that does NOT contain them. That comparison is the only way to ensure that the ingredients are responsible for any benefits that the product provides as opposed to other ingredients in the formula.
However, it appears that the test was done without a control. In other words they only evaluated a lotion containing the test ingredients. So not only can we not distinguish the effects of the ingredients from the effects of the lotion base but we also can’t tell if there were other factors that caused improvement. For example, did the skin show improvement from sun damage because the panelists had less sun exposure for the duration of the test? The only way to know for sure would have been to test the product against an untreated face (either by adding panelists to the study or doing some kind of half-face test.)
What does all this mean?
You asked if this product works. We have little doubt that this product, like many others, will help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However there’s no information here to indicate that this product works better than other less expensive products. If their test results showed dramatic improvement versus a ”regular” skin lotion we would have been more impressed. But as they stand, the data does not justify the rather exorbitant cost of the product ($110 for 1 ounce.)
The Beauty Brains bottom line
The information provide by Nerium doesn’t convince us that this product is worth the cost.
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandondoran/4808896207/sizes/m/in/photostream/
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh look, another company that claims a product does something that it absolutely doesn’t do!
http://www.beautypedia.com/search.aspx?bid=430&st=1%2c2%2c3%2c4&rid=1%2c2%2c3%2c4%2c5%2c6%2c7%2c8#&&8Q5Nr2KsvGtDc7M2Jnar4zByLHVottge5pWuoI6D7xkZ+N0tAXHjXubmdjOGllKqwWVRTGFZ3vjpMuLnFVDiLcOiVGNxs5lxw7P9fd6+JGggqU6Tb1wJg2HcYaYr1I2T11CeoDUwex7Xb2R8BiwkbqUP3Dqx30pS+/Joo/as/0IM6UnsCmQPLGWdeEIXmSt11FmM/RbpCFyWOv0JGJ2D3qQACCRKCux2AuDooawyG3OlARhvPUNVFG3LpMY=
Did you see the price of the stuff? I wondered whether it was a forced continuation scam* so I googled it and was astonished at the price.
My favourite “good sounding” ingredient in the list is Chondrus crispus powder – also known as carrageenan, which is extracted from seaweed and is a thickener. It is in many foods including ice cream, some toothpastes, pet food and even firefighting foam.
*Forced continuation would be an excellent topic for a post.
I’ve used it and it works like nothing I’ve ever used before and I’ve tried them all.
Your overview is full of holes and unlike a scientist you are just making assumptions based on what you can find online. I also found that the Easter bunny was real online. Get your facts straight and then write a real review.clinically there is nothing that touches this product. St&t labs is one of the leading clinical facilities in the US who did our clinicals.
@ silver: we base our reviews on the facts that we have at hand. If the company would like to share more information on their clinical testing we would be happy to update our post.
Personally, I can’t wait to see the proof for your claim that “clinically nothing else touches product.” As a scientist I realize that must mean you have tested your product against every other one on the marketplace and shown superiority. That is really important information that I would love to share with our readers.
Also, arguing that our review is not well done because you can find evidence of the Easter bunny online is a logical fallacy and doesn’t really help make your point. If we skip the personal attacks and stick to the facts this will be a much better discussion. Thanks.
I have tried this and have seen more improvement in my skin then I ever have with any other product. So no matter what your perception of it is you should try it before you knock it. And its $80 and they offer a 30 day money back guarentee no questions asked! They stand behind the product. Most don’t offer that!
Was doing a search on this and found your site — so glad I discovered it. I’ve now book marked it. About the product — I had a guy approach me at a gas station recently touting the benefits of this product … at a gas station. I’d never had anyone do that before, so I guess you could say he was doing some innovative marketing. He sent this product home with me and I tried it for the first time last night. He told me many people see a difference the first night. I see none, but will continue to sample it for the next few days. I have no intention in paying $80 a month unless it does some incredibly impressive erasing of my fine lines and wrinkles.
I am an esthetician who was asked to use and review Nerium for 5 days. Quite frankly – I was not impressed. First off – I’m not a big fan of multi level marketing but that’s not even the point here.
It’s thick and sticky even when leaving the skin damp as the directions suggest and my skin felt tight like I had a thick mask on – not the best feeling in the world. It smelled odd – not quite unpleasant but definitely not something I want to smell all night long, and why in the world would anyone need 4-5 pumps of something in order to make it work?! In the morning when I rinsed it off it felt like it just laid on the top of my skin without permeating to the dermal layer.
Quite frankly, I am inclined to believe The Beauty Brains on this one. I have used a variety of different products and I just didn’t see that this did anything different than other product already on the market that is less expensive. Just sayin’
Nerium Night Cream ABSOLUTELY works!! I have had hyperpigmented spots for years and started using Nerium a month ago. My “spots” are not only fading but my skin is glowing!!
My 13 year old is addicted to this product as it has begun clearing her skin of acne! My 27 year old was experiencing adult onset acne…she sent me a picture of only 3 days of use and YES her skin is clearing!
The beauty of this product is before and after pictures taken on our phones…no trick photography because I’m NOT that good!!
Esthiticians are LOVING this product because it works Excellent as a complimetary/integrative product to microdermabrasion, peels etc…
Just like anything else…it all depends on where an individual is in life….Positive attracts positive…Negative- negative. I LOVE the product!!
Well…THIS esthetician positively did not love it nor would I refer any of my clients to use it. There are plenty of products on the market offering the same results that don’t cost over $100 for slightly more than an ounce. You make a pretty broad assumption regarding personal negative or positive outlook when you know nothing about me.
By the way – a product that causes more peeling on top of microderm or chemical peel can cause severe damage to the skin. If you’re going to sell the product you should be ready to receive everyone’s comments instead of getting defensive. Seems from other posts, not everyone likes it or feels as strongly that it works.
I’ve been an esthetician for a long time, so of course I was highly skeptical of Nerium. I didn’t even want to try it, but an industry friend was using and loving it. I tried it for a few days and was loving it, but then I developed some irritation and stopped using it. However, I discovered that I had been using it incorrectly. Sometimes I used it twice a day, and was using it with my med spa products.
I gave Nerium a second go. I cut out all other high powered products and treatment. I used a cream cleanser at night, applied Nerium to damp skin, and in the morning rinsed and applied a basic moisturizer. I tried this for 2 months so I could really get an idea for what Nerium was or was not doing. I took pix along the way. Because I was previously doing everything I could to improve and maintain my skin, I have not had huge improvement, but I cannot deny that my skin looks and feels better on Nerium than when I was doing lots of other (more expensive I might add) products and treatments. That is significant. I felt I could share with my best med spa clients, and most everyone is having the same experience.
I am also seeing some improvement in stretch marks that are 20+ years old. Just testing for the heck of it, because previously I’ve tried lots of retinA, peels, microdermabrasion, IPL, and Pixel, with no real improvement. So seeing any improvement at all with Nerium is significant. Much cheaper and less painful much of what I’ve tried! I’m also seeing firming on my neck, which I was considering doing Ulthera on. I feel like I”m seeing as much improvement on my neck with Nerium as I was seeing in the before and after Ulthera pix.
In 15 years in skincare, I’ve found that there is generally not one product that will please every person. Nerium is different than any product I’ve used, but I’ve found on myself and most everyone I’ve had try it, that if we are using it properly and giving it a fair shake, it is wonderful. I typically use and sell products like iS Clinical and SkinMedica, just for your reference.
What I’m seeing is that people who don’t normally receive facials/peels, etc., will begin to look like they do get regular treatment. People who receive regular treatment and also who do filler/botox, etc., will be able to go longer between treatment.
Hope that helps!
I don’t know anything about the labs and way this product was produced, but I can tell you that in 55 years I have tried EVERY product that a friend or client told me they saw results with. I have NEVER bought the same product twice because I have never been able to look in the mirror and see a change, until Nerium. I took my own pictures, so I would know they had not been altered, and in less than 30 days I could see changes in my lines as well as skin discoloration. I own a salon, and in 35 plus years in business I have not seen a company put their product on the line by asking you to take your own pictures, as well as asking you to tell your friends not to buy it until you give it 30 days and report back to your friends base. I told all my friends and clients, It Works!