The Beauty Brains

Rebecca’s request: I’ve been introduced to Prevage by my beauty consultant as being a great product to prevent environmental damage to skin and even reversing some of the already existing. This product is a little pricey, so I’d like to know how true are the claims on their web page. Please advise.

The Right Brain proselytizes about Prevage:
Prevage is originally from a company called Allergan who markets the full-strength 1% active version (formally known as Prevage-MD). Elizabeth Arden’s version contains 0.5% (or half as much active ingredient). Arden has launched a line of idebenone-based products including an anti-aging face treatment for 1.7 fl. oz. for $150 as well as a similarly priced night cream and an eye treatment.

Prevage’s claim to fame is that its active ingredient is an antioxidant known as idebenone. Long time readers may remember that we blogged about this “miracle ingredient” before. But in case you missed our first post, here’s a quick recap.

What is Idebenone

Idebenone came out of research in the ’70 and ‘80s that showed a material known as Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) could improve heart failure, reduce free radical damage and slow down certain neurological conditions. CoQ10 is a vitamin-like material that not only helps control cellular energy production but is also a powerful antioxidant. The researchers modified the CoQ10 molecule to enhance its properties and one of modifications became idebenone. Today, several companies , including Elizabeth Arden and Priori Skin Care market idebenone-based products as next generation antioxidants.

Does Prevage work?

According to Arden’s website, they claim that idebenone is “ currently the most effective antioxidant for addressing the visible signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, roughness and discoloration.” Interestingly, they qualify that claim with an “*” the reveals the comparison is to alpha lipoic acid, kinetin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q10. There’s not mention of other powerful antioxidants like flavinoids and polyphenols found in natural materials like tea leaves and grape seeds. So it’s really hard to tell how idebenone stacks up against these competing technologies.

Furthermore, Arden boasts their clinical tests “show a significant decrease in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and an improvement in the look of firmness, tone, texture, and radiance.” But frankly, those are not particularly impressive claims – many products that are much cheaper are said to perform similarly.

According to one of our favorite sources, Smartskincare.com, there have not been “head to head” studies to determine if idebenone is better than CoQ10 for fighting wrinkles. They also say that if you are using proven anti-wrinkle agents (like retinoids) with good results, you may want to hold off on idebenone until more studies are conducted. They sum it up nicely by saying: “trying idebenone is a question of willingness to spend time and money on a treatment that could work in theory but is not yet backed by hard evidence.”

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Prevage appears to be another high-priced skin care line that promises youth-in-a-bottle without much proof.

Reference: Smart Skin Care

Despite their hype, most wrinkle creams do not have a significant effect on actually reducing wrinkles. The creams are typically just good skin moisturizers with an added “special” ingredient that makes for a good story but doesn’t actually do anything. (The exceptions are ones with effective levels of retinoids).

What really removes wrinkles

Of course plastic surgery really removes wrinkles. But it’s expensive and involves one or more surgical procedures. Personally, this Beauty Brain doesn’t like the idea of surgery for fixing the things time is doing to my skin. I’ve seen too many celebrity face lifts that have looked too weird (If you’re interested in seeing celebrities who’ve had cosmetic surgery, check out our favorite blog on the subject.) But if wrinkle creams are bogus and surgery’s not an option, at least there’s Botox. Right? Maybe not!

Is Botox Benign?

Now, scientists have found evidence that Botox may not be as safe as believed. According to this Italian study, the toxin used in Botox treatments was shown to migrate into the brains of treated rats. They say there were no observable negative effects, but it does seem a little scary. Could you exposing your brain to a known toxin while smoothing out your skin? Of course, scientists and the media who report on these types of things tend to exaggerate to make things sound more sensational. Botox treatments have been around since the early 1980’s and they were approved by the FDA in 2002. There has been no indication that treatments are turning people into brain damaged zombies.

However, science is always changing and when there is evidence of a problem, it is wise to be cautious. More research will be needed so I remain skeptical of the problem. But if you’re thinking about getting Botox this is just one more thing to add to your consideration. Do you really want to risk nerve and brain damage to get rid of wrinkles?

Some people might.

What do YOU think? Have you, or anyone else you know, had Botox injections?

–Mid Brain

Hoyun at  Popgadget.net asks: What do you think of home laser treatment devices? Do they work?

The Right Brain responds:
Thanks for the question, Hoyun. We’re big fans of your blog and we saw your recent post on the Vitalmed Softlaser Wand for do-it-yourself laser skin treatments. Here’s what we think:

What do lasers do for skin?

As we previously posted, lasers are effective tools for the treatment of wrinkles and for skin resurfacing and specific laser devices have been approved by the FDA for use by dermatologists. Derms use these “professional strength” lasers to abrade the upper layers of skin, revealing “fresh” skin below. This is a serious treatment: some patients report mild pain and slight reddening (which can last for months.) For more information, you can read these laser facts from the FDA’s website.

What is the Vitalmed Softlaser Wand?

The Vitalmed Softlaser Wand (also known as the Beurer Softlaser) is a hand-held 5 milliwatt Aluminium - Gallium laser that produces a light beam with a wavelength 635 to 670 nanometers. According to a website that sells this thing, here’s the laundry list of things it does:

• Help reverse the effects of aging

• Reduce wrinkles & fine lines

• Stimulate collagen & tone skin

• Clears acne & erase blemishes, bruises

• Diminishes scars, stretch marks, cuts & burns

• Treats herpes / cold sores

• Helps treat tennis elbow, tendonitis, arthritis, sinusitis / rhinitis

• Heals eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, burns, spider veins & more…

• We make no medical claims in the U.S. - yet.

It’s interesting that they say they don’t make medical claims in the US, yet here it is for sale.

Does it really work?

We can’t find any evidence that laser devices sold for home use are effective. In the US, the FDA does not legally sanction these devices. In Europe, according to the websites, Softlaser is a certified Medical Device that complies with the EU Directive 93/42/EEC. We’re not experts in interpreting EU legal directives, but we scanned the 46 page document and couldn’t find any indication that product performance is a criteria for certification. It appears to be more of a safety registration document.

It seems to us that any device strong enough to produce the side effects mentioned above (when used by a dermatologist!) is probably not safe for home use. And if the home version is weaker and doesn’t have potential side effects it seems like it would be less likely to work.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Since it’s not approved by the FDA and since we couldn’t find any clear evidence that this device actually works, we’re really skeptical. If any of our community in Europe, where this device is supposedly approved, have any additional information please let us know and we’ll update this post. In the meantime, you see a picture and find out more about a similar product, the Nuphase Soft Touch Laser here.

Bobby is bothered: I was wondering about IS Clinical Active Serum. I’m skeptical about whether active ingredients are really worth the $120 price tag — or whether, at the very least, they work. In terms of what this particular product promises to do (anti-acneic, skin lightening, and mild wrinkle prevention), it is covering all my bases, but I know better than to be drawn to promises (okay, at least sometimes). Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

The Right Brain responds:
IS Clinical is an “Innovative Skincare” company with a range of high-end facial products. Their Active Serum treatment “reduces fine lines and wrinkles, helps treat acne, and evens skin pigmentation.” The key ingredients include glycolic acid, lactic acid, arbutin, and kojic acid. Is it worth $120? The information presented on their website gives me several reasons to be suspicious:

1. Lack of differentiating technology

This product doesn’t seem to contain anything new or breakthrough. Alphahydroxy acids are well known ingredients for treating fine lines and wrinkles. And Salycylic Acid is approved as an approved anti-acne drug ingredient, so nothing new there. Finally, skin lightening can be achieved through products like Meladerm (which is effective but also expensive) or less expensive products like Olay’s Definity. Given that you can buy other products with similar functionality for significantly less money, I just don’t understand what’s so different about IS that makes it worth its $120 price tag. Strike 1.

2. Lack of clinical test data on the formula

The IS website has a “Clinical Opinions” section under the Science tab. While one might expect to see results of studies of IS products in this section, all the information is just generic data. For example, there’s a section about kojic acid and cancer but there’s no mention of any clinical tests that show kojic acid is an effective skin lightener. This is a red flag that could indicate they haven’t tested their product. Strike 2.

3. Lack of relevant information on ingredients

One might also expect to find useful information under the “Clinical Ingredient Studies” section. Alas, all we see here is regurgitation of some standard industry literature references. My favorite is the discussion of Carbomer 941 (a thickener). They list several scientific papers, including “Release Profile of Lidocaine HCl from Topical Liposomal Gel Formulation.” What this has to do with their own formulas, I have NO idea! Strike 3 - IS is out.

The Beauty Brains bottom line:

Active Serum may be a perfectly fine product but it certainly doesn’t seem worth the price. Perhaps even more troubling is the fact that the company is trying to look more scientifically credible than it really is.

What do YOU think? Does it bother you when companies try to trick you this way? Or do you just ignore all the hype? Leave a comment so we can all learn from our fellow Beauty Brainiacs.

SJP wants to know: I love it when you tell us the real scoop on advertising so I’m curious what you think about Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift. Their advertising says “It’s skin care that actually lifts wrinkles from the inside out.” How can they say this?

The Left Brain replies:
They can’t say it, at least not anymore. According to the August 20, 2007 edition of the Rose Sheet (a cosmetic industry bulletin) L’Oreal has been asked to modify or discontinue certain claims for Nutritioniste Ultra lift and Skin Renew products by the NAD (National Advertising Division). Here’s a quick recap of the issues with 3 of L’Oreal’s claims:

1. “…it actually lifts wrinkles from the inside out.”

What the NAD says:
“It is well established that topical creams do not absorb deep inside the skin in the same manner as cosmetic fillers such as collagen injections.” In other words, this lotion works from the outside in, not the other way around!

2. “…in three weeks wrinkles are visibly lifted and skin is noticeably firmer.”

What the NAD says:
In L’Oreal’s clinical study the questions “related to skin firmness refer to skin feeling firmer, not being noticeably firmer as is explicitly stated in one of the challenged claims.”

3. Ultra lift “refuels cells within skin’s deepest surface layers.”

What the NAD says:
L’Oreal’s 9 week study showed Ultra Lift’s effect on fine line, shallow wrinkles, and tactile roughness, and skin laxity. This is inadequate “particularly with regard to hydration - despite the presence of moisture locking ingredients Omega 3 and 6.”

To be fair, I should point out that the NAD is not saying this product doesn’t work at all. For example, they did recognize that “scientific articles presented by the advertiser provide a reasonable basis for it’s ingredient claims in terms of accelerated cell proliferation and upped collagen production.”

It’s just that L’Oreal didn’t have adequate support for all the claims that they were making and so they have been asked to change their advertising.

Learn more about the entire Nutritioniste line.

Rachel slyly says…Supposedly, Gwyneth Paltrow is using the Ultra Lux 9 lotion by Sonya Dakar with snake venom. This review of snake oil’s benefits and lack there of, reminded me of it. Here’s a story about Gwyneth P. using snake venom as well. I’m very curious about your reaction.

Left Brain’s biting reply..My reaction is that Gwyneth is nuts! It sounds absolutely crazy that someone would put poison on their skin in hopes of getting rid of wrinkles.

Of course, that is just my initial emotional reaction which isn’t exactly useful for making an objective judgment. Unfortunately, the Beauty Brains don’t have a bottle of the Ultra Lux 9 lotion to look at the ingredients, so this opinion isn’t definitive.

However, after scouring through the latest scientific literature what I found was alarming. According to these Brazilian researchers, exposure to snake venom from either rattlesnakes or vipers has the following effects…

“Besides hemorrhage, snake venom metalloproteinase induce local myonecrosis, skin damage, and inflammatory reaction in experimental models.”

I certainly wouldn’t suggest putting that on my face!

How much snake venom?

Granted, we don’t know what kind of snake venom they use in the product. Heck, we don’t even know if they use any! If they do, it would be used at such low levels that it wouldn’t cause a toxic reaction (or have any other effect for that matter). How much is a low level? It would be like putting a single eye drop in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Not even snake venom could hurt you at those low levels.

Why use snake venom in a skin product

You might wonder why they would put any snake venom in there at all. This is all about marketing. Pretty good marketing too as they got the New York Post, Style Dash, handbag.com, China Daily, Makeherup, a host of other beauty blogs, and now the Beauty Brains to talk about it. All this PR without a single dollar spent. Brilliant!

Of course, the reason people talk about it is because it’s something icky (snake venom), it’s “endorsed” by a celebrity, and it sounds plausible (people us botox right?) Well, rest assured Beauty Brainiacs this idea is just as crazy as it sounds.

Keep venom off your face and in the snake.

Katherine’s question: I read that you can get smoother skin by rubbing egg white on your face and letting it dry. I tried it and I could feel my skin noticeably tighten – like I imagine Botox feels. Why does this work? The Right Brain tightens up this response:

What is an egg white?

Egg white, technically known as albumen, is the clear, liquidy part of the egg that provides nourishment for the growing embryo. It consists of proteins (about 15%) dissolved in water.

What happens when you cook an egg?

When you cook an egg, a chemical reaction causes these proteins to denature, which is a fancy way of saying they react with each other and become less soluble in water. So they turn from a clear, liquidy solution to a white, congealed solid (or goo, depending on how you cook your eggs.)

What happens when you put egg on your face?

A similar process occurs as a thin film of egg white dries out. In this case, the protein forms a film as water evaporates. The film is what makes your skin feel tight. It’s kind of like putting a coat of paint on your face and letting it dry.

Does egg white give you smoother skin?

Although it gives you a temporary feeling of tightness, once you you wash the egg white away, the film is gone. So although this tightening effect makes you think it’s doing something special, there’s really no significant benefit to this kind of facial. It doesn’t get rid of wrinkles like Retin-A does!

And by the way, just in case your boyfriend brings it up, Sarah Bellum wants you to know that other kinds of protein facials don’t really do anything for your skin either. (Ok Sarah, are you happy now??)

Ellen inquires: Cosmetics companies don’t usually do a good job of explaining the problems they claim to solve. Take anti-wrinkle creams for example. Can someone just please tell me what causes wrinkles in the first place?

The Left Brain Educates:

Since the goal of the Beauty Brains is to educate our community, we thought we’d share the results of a study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science (2006, 28 389-395). Researchers at the University Hospital of Liege, Belgium determined that there actually four distinctly different types of wrinkles that you’ll (eventually) have to face.

1. Atrophic Crinkling Rhytids

What they are: Fine lines on the face that are almost parallel to each other.

Where they occur: They show up in different areas of the face and body but they tend to disappear when skin is stretched transversally. (that means they shift when your body posture changes.) These wrinkles are associated with loss of elasticity.

What you can do: Since these wrinkles are due to underlying loss of collagen, you need to protect your skin using sun protectants. You can also use moisturizers to temporarily plump the skin and diminish the appearance of these fine lines.

2. Permanent Elastic Creases

What they are: These are crease lines in the skin that become increasingly permanent over time, especially with sun exposure.

Where they occur: They show up most frequently on on the cheek, the upper lip, and the base of the neck.

What you can do: Sun exposure makes this type of wrinkle worse. So unless you’re blessed with naturally dark skin, you should avoid sun exposure or use a sunscreen on these areas to prevent this kind of wrinkling.

3. Dynamic Expression Lines

What they are: Wrinkles that are caused by facial muscle movement.

Where they occur: Frown lines and crows feet.

What you can do: These wrinkles respond to Botox or similar treatments.

4. Gravitational Folds

What they are: As the name implies, these lines are from the effects of gravity and they become increasingly obvious as skin begins to fold and sag. As we noted in a recent post, skin research on the International Space Station might shed some light on the mechanisms of gravity-induced wrinkles.

Where they occur: The location of these wrinkles is related to the thickness of skin. While we would have thought this means that thicker skin shows more folds, surprisingly the researchers said that a fat face may show fewer gravity folds than a lean face.

What you can do: Skin-lifting procedures are effective at removing these kinds of wrinkles.

Sharyn`s serious about wrinkle reduction: I am considering having Radiesse. My cosmetic dermatologist says that after a few treatments I will produce my own collagen, and I won’t have to have further injections. It seems amazing to me that any product can stimulate your skin to make new collagen. Is it safe and as effective for getting rid of wrinkles as she says it is? The Right Brain radiates this response:

Sharyn, as we`ve said before we`re not dermatogists and we can`t give you medical advice .However, we did look into the Radiesse wrinkle filler and it does look promising.

Medcompare.com has this to say:

Radiesse is made from 25-45um calcium hydroxyapatite spheres reconstituted in an aqueous gel. The product is packaged in an over-filled 1mL syringe and has a consistency similar to the other available dermal fillers. It is also available in a 0.3 mL syringe which is good for touch up treatments. It injects very easily and creates immediate results. After injection, as the water is absorbed by the body, new collagen synthesis is stimulated around the hydroxyapatite spheres to create a long lasting effect, reportedly one to two years.

In case you`re interested, Medcompare also notes that Radiesse is more painful than other fillers because it splits the tissue planes. I’m not sure I like the sound of that! I`m also not sure if you NEVER have to have further injections, but it is longer lasting than other treatments. If you want more details, you can read the FDA report.

The Brains Bottom Line:
Radiesse is an approved medical treatment for wrinkles that is long lasting and helps stimulate natural collagen production. If you`re still concerned you might get the opinion of a second dermatologist.

We here at the Beauty Brains almost always end up telling you about things that don’t work. We try to be positive but there is just so much Beauty Care BS we may start to sound like cynics.However, in our hearts and souls we hold out hope and dream of better beauty products. So, when we see something that is proven to really work, we love to report it.

A recent study about the effect of Vitamin A on wrinkles and skin aging is one such development. According to researchers, work done at the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, showed that a vitamin A (Retinol) lotion was effective in reducing wrinkles, roughness and overall skin aging.

In the study, the scientists took suitably wrinkly volunteers (average age of 87) and applied lotions to either their right or left upper, inner arms. One lotion was a placebo and the other contained 0.4% retinol. They did this for 3 times a week for 24 weeks.

Happily, they found that the skin was significantly improved. The authors theorize that the extra vitamin A likely increases collagen production and helps the skin retain water. The best part is this is a study published in a PEER REVIEWED journal (Arch Dermatol. 2007;143:606-612) and not just some clinical study conducted by a biased company. It’s this extra level of proof that is new.

Beauty Brains Bottom Line

So, what does this mean for you? Well, if you are concerned about wrinkles be sure to find a skin lotion that contains vitamin A or retinol. Of course, this won’t guarantee your skin will improve since companies can put tiny amounts in the formulas and still say it’s in there, but at least there is a chance it will help.