How To Avoid Being Ripped Off When Purchasing Skin Care Products

    This is the first of several articles I plan to write about buying skin care products.  To have an in-depth knowledge of ingredients and formulations, one needs a thorough understanding of chemistry, natural and synthetic ingredients, and which blends with what. As an esthetician, I don’t profess to scientific expertise, but I know something about ingredients, labeling, and brand names.  In this first installment I’ll start with a broad-brush list of facts for savvy shoppers to keep in mind.
1. Skin care product labels are notoriously vague.  That’s because the FDA does not require the submission of verifiable data or adherence to mandatory guidelines. You see, since the FDA doesn’t have the time or available staff to examine everything used on or in the human body, they focus on drugs and not cosmetics, the category skin care products mistakenly fall under--perhaps because a substandard skin care product, applied topically, is far less likely to pose a serious health threat than a substance (drug) ingested into the body.
2. The FDA does, in fact, prohibit or restrict the use of some ingredients in skin care products.  For a list of those deemed harmful, I recommend investing in a dictionary of cosmetic ingredients, which will include skin care products.  The one I find most user-friendly and objective is A CONSUMER’S DICTIONARY OF COSMETIC INGREDIENTS, by Ruth Winter, M.S., published by Three Rivers Press, a division of Random House.
3. An effective skin care formula should contain at least one active ingredient, i.e. one that acts or causes a desired change, such as stimulating collagen production or moisturizing or exfoliating.  Since the FDA does not require active ingredients to be listed separately from inactive ones, few manufacturers do it (In subsequent “installments,” I’ll link the most common active ingredients to desired results).
4. More important, the active ingredient(s) must be in the proper concentration to be effective.  For instance, L-ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) must be at a concentration of at least 10% to give a desired result.
5. Since active and inactive ingredients are typically lumped together, it’s important to first identify the presence of at least one active ingredient.  The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act dictates that the ingredients list begins with the element present in the greatest concentration (typically water), followed by the next and the next, in descending order, with the ones at the end often being present only in trace amounts.  Don’t expect an active ingredient to be at the top of the list, but if you find it near the end, only a very small amount is present.  A few active ingredients, such as alpha lipoic acid and estrogens, are effective in trace amounts, but to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth, it’s a good idea to call the company and ask for an exact list of ingredient concentrations.
6. An exception to the descending concentration rule is any ingredient classified as a drug, if present, which must be first on the list regardless of its concentration.  An example is Tretinoin, a form of Vitamin A derived from animal fat.

That’s enough for now, so I’ll end this narrative and give you a week or so to let the information sink in.

Protocol of product review:  A short “Impression” is first set forth, followed by a more in-depth, scientific narrative, for those who are interested, as well as a list of all ingredients, including definitions.  

PRODUCT:  PRO+THERAPY ULTRA RICH NIGHT REPAIR
BRAND: KINERASE
MANUFACTURER:  VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS

IMPRESSION:  Highly favorable reviews by customers with dry, mature skin.  This group reported visible results within 2-3 weeks.  Approximately one-third of our older customers with oily or combination skin reported breakouts.  For those customers we recommended Kinerase Cream or Lotion with Kinetin and Zeatin (a step down in emoillent properties).  All but two (out of 18) reported good results.  We recommended Kinerase Cream or Kinerase Lotion (without zeatin) for those two and breakouts in both subsequently subsided.

MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCT AND MANUFACTURER

Sold exclusively by physicians and medi-spas, Kinerase Pro+Therapy products were introduced approximately three years ago.  This prestigious line now holds the #2 ranking in the professional market, or those products sold exclusively by physicians and physician-sponsored spas.  Pro+Therapy Ultra Rich Night Repair is recommended for men and women over 50, give or take 10 years, depending on the type and condition of an individual’s skin.  We do not recommend Ultra Rich Night Repair for persons with oily skin.  

Pro+Therapy Ultra Rich Night Repair is a rich moisturizer as well as an anti-aging treatment.  It’s important to understand this distinction; i.e. it not only moisturizes or binds moisture to the skin, but it also reduces the visible signs of aging by encouraging the production of collagen and elastin.  

The final formulation of Ultra Rich Night Repair followed years of research and clinical trials.

Ingredients:  Purified Water; Saccharide Issomerate; Sweet Almond Oil; Cetyl Alcohol; Caprylic/Capric Tryglyceride; Peg 20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate; Glycerin; Ergothioneine; Jojoba Seed Oil; Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate; Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate; Zeatin; Kinetin; Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3; Ceramide 3; Ceramide 6 ll; Phytosphingosine; Ceramide 1; Tocopheryl Acetate; Cholesterol Citric Acid; Xanthan Gum; Iodipropynyl Butylcarbomate; Propylparaben; Methylparaben; Tetrasodium EDTA; Diazolidinyl Urea; Tromethamine; Carbomer.

Saccharide Issomerate – Sugars derived from using an alkali and water on a mixture of glucose and lactose.  Used as a skin conditioner.
Sweet Almond Oil – Obtained from a small tree grown in southern Europe; commonly used to create soothing kin preparations.
Cetyl Alcohol – Emollient and emulsion stabilizer used in many cosmetics and skin care preparations.
Caprylic/Capric Tryglyceride – Emollient -   A mixture of triester of glycerin with caprylic, capric, and lauric acids; an oily mixture derived from coconut oil, used in cosmetics as a vehicle for pigment dispersion; also used as an emollient in skin care products to prevent water loss from the skin.
Peg 20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate – Used as a binder in skin care products and pharmaceutical ointments; improves resistance to moisture and oxidation.
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate – Lauric Acid, a common constituent of vegetable fats, especially coconut oil and laurel oil.  Often used for its foaming properties and as a preservative in skin care preparations.
Zeatin – Second generation plant-derived antioxidant and moisturizer, proprietary technology of Valeant Pharmaceuticals.  Used in combination with Kinetin, unique plant-derived molecule similar in chemical structure to Zeatin,  the two work synergistically to improve skin texture and blotchiness and provide significant improvement in visible signs of aging.  Combination of zeatin and kinetin is exclusive to Kinerase.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3 – Derived from protein and used as a skin conditioner.  Palmitic  Acid  - occurs naturally in allspice, anise, calamus oil, cascarilla bark, celery seed, butter acids, coffee, tea and many animal fats and plant oils; obtained from palm oil, Japan wax, and Chinese vegetable tallow.
Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6 ll, Ceramide 1 – Ceramides are naturally occurring skin fats rarely found at greater than trace levels in tissues, although they can exert important biological effects.  Depending on the particular layer of the skin (epidermis, dermis, etc.) the composition can vary.  These lipids obviously play a role in the barrier properties of the skin, limiting loss of water and solutes and at the same time preventing ingress of harmful substances.  Synthetic fatty alcohols are used as skin conditioners in skin care products.
Phytosphingosine -   Fatty alcohol used as a skin and hair conditioner.
Tocopheryl Acetate – Antioxidant and skin conditioner widely used in facial moisturizers and cleansers.
Cholesterol Citric Acid -  Fat-soluble, crystalline steroid alcohol occurring in all animal fats and oils, nervous tissue, egg yolk, and blood.  Used as an emulsifier in face and eye creams.
Xanthan Gum – Corn sugar gum, widely used as thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer in skin-care products.
Iodipropynyl Butylcarbomate   - Preservative widely used in cosmetics and skin care products.
Propylparaben  - Preservative in skin-care products; kills bacteria and fungus.
Methylparaben  - One of the most widely used preservatives in skin-care preparations; relatively non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Tetrasodium EDTA  - Sequestering preservative that prevents chemical and/or physical changes in skin-care products; chelating ingredient; effective in removing trace elements of metal.
Diazolidinyl Urea  - Soluble crystals from alcohol used as antiseptic in skin-care products.
Tromethamine -  Made by reduction of nitrogen compounds, it is a crystalline mass used as emulsifier in cosmetics and skin-care products.
Carbomer – Carboxypolymethylene  -  A white powder, slightly acidic, that reacts with fat particles to form thick, stable emulsions of oils in water.  Used as thickening, suspending, dispersing, and emulsifying ingredient in cosmetics and skin care products.

About the Talk Skin Care….

 

Ms. Pitts, a licensed Esthetician, is passionate about skin care.  She attends advanced skin care seminars, pharmaceutical skin care trade shows, and manufacturer-sponsored training classes on an ongoing basis.  In her position as both hands-on esthetician and skin-care telephone consultant for www.newskinoasis.com, she repeatedly hears the same concern voiced:  “There are so many products.  How can I know the best choice for me?  When I go into a cosmetic/skin-care specialty store, the clerks don’t seem to know any more than I do.”

 

Her goal is to help you understand the importance of the best skin-care regimen for your age and skin type.  She believes that as far as skin care goes, less is best, i.e. one should use the fewest possible products to do the job.  Generally speaking, the list is short if you’re 20, a little longer if you’re 30, a little stronger if you’re 40, and longer and stronger if you’re over 50.  If you’re a non-smoker, a moderate or non-drinker, if you exercise, drink plenty of water, and follow a healthy diet, and if you use a daily sun protection product, the odds are your skin will keep its healthy, youthful glow well beyond its years.

 

Ms. Pitts is also knowledgeable about skin problems such as eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, acne, sun damage and resultant premature aging, contact dermatitis, too oily or too dry skin, undernourished nails, callused hands and feet, unsightly “spider veins,” and skin problems secondary to disease and medications. 

 

She welcomes your comments and questions.

 

(Questions:  1. I’m 21 and I’ve always worn sun block with SPF30 when I’m in the sun.  People compliment my skin.  Do I need to use anything other than a sunblock?  2.  I’m a 46-year-old landscaper and never thought about wearing sunscreen until I had skin cancer on my shoulder.  Is there anything out there that will cure the sun damage?  3.  I have very sensitive skin and I’m allergic to the preservative paraben.  Can you recommend a product that doesn’t have paraben in it?

  

Product Review – Kinerase Pro + Therapy Ultra Rich Night Repair

 

The Kinerase line (manufactured by Valeant Pharmaceuticals) has an excellent reputation in the professional-strength skin-care market.  In recent years the company has branched out from the original core products to include specialty lines for acneic and post-menopausal skin.  (Talk specifically about Ultra Rich Night Repair.  Warn that if older skin still has the oily T-zone, the better choice might be ……  Talk intelligently about ingredients, why it’s not suitable for day wear, and what it gives mature skin that other preparations do not).