Hello serenity222-ga:
"What's the best skin care line?" It depends on whom you ask! What
works for
one woman, may not work for another. (I have been pleased with my
routine of
using an AHA at night, and a retinol with sunscreen during the day,
but
other women might be dissatisfied with the results.) Cosmetics tend to
be
very personal and extremely subjective. We women fall in love with
certain
cosmetics the way we fall in love with certain men: it's often a
mysterious and
inexplicable thing.
But I did try to find some objective information about skin care, to
help
you decide which types of products you'd like to try, outside of the
retinol
category.
You asked about Primacy by Skinceuticals, a product that falls into
the
"Antioxidant," vitamin category. (You probably already know that
retinol,
currently all the rage once again in skin care, is a derivative of
vitamin
A.)
Makeup Alley e-zine conducted a poll on Skinceuticals' Primacy C+E
Serum.
Out of 12 respondents, 9 said they were pleased enough to purchase the
item
again:
http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemID=8748/Treatments/Skinceuticals/Primacy_C+E_Serum/
Epinions has two customer reviews of Cellex-C Serum, Primacy's major
competitor:
http://www.epinions.com/beat-Skincare-Anti_Aging-Cellex_C_Serum_For_Sensitive_Skin/display_~reviewsep
"Save your hide.(preventing skin cancer)" by Valerie Latona in the
June,
2000, issue of Vegetarian Times, recommends "Skinceuticals C" serum
and
"Skinceuticals Daily Defense SPF 30 (and 45)" sunblock:
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0820/2000_June/62400406/p4/article.jhtml?term=Primacy+Skinceuticals+
When it comes to skincare and cosmetics, I always turn to veteran
makeup
artist/ consumer activist Paula Begoun, aka "The Beauty Cop" and "The
Cosmetics Cop." (Begoun has been featured on Dateline NBC and other
news and
information shows):
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/
Since Primacy's main ingredients are vitamins C and E, I checked out
Begoun's page on topical vitamins:
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/article.asp?PAGETYPE=ART&REFER=SKIN&ID=28
"While the information about vitamin C as a dietary supplement
abounds, the
same cannot be said for skin when it comes to wrinkles or aging."
"Vitamin E is without question one of the most well-researched
vitamins for
skin health. It is the most well-known antioxidant, both when taken
orally
and when used in skin-care products. Vitamin E is an antioxidant
superstar."
And:
" . . . the jury is still out on how much of any topically applied
antioxidant is needed to be effective. Full-scale clinical studies on
humans
to assess the benefits of topical tocotrienols have not yet been
performed,
so for now (as is true for all antioxidants) choosing it as the "best"
one
is a leap of faith."
I have a copy of the 2001, 5th edition of Begoun's classic book, Don't
Go To
The Cosmetics Counter Without Me (Berkeley, CA: Publishers Group West,
2001).
On page 859 of that book, Begoun has this to say about Primacy:
"Primacy is
a group of four exceedingly overpriced products that claim to be the
best at
preventing free-radical damage . . . there is no research establishing
whether or not these can change or prevent one wrinkle."
Begoun doesn't think much of Cellex-C either:
http://www.paulaschoice.com/learn/reviews.asp?bFlag=1&selCategory=39&selBrand=32&selRating=00&txtKeywords=&button1=Search+Product+Reviews
On pages 1099-1010 of her 2001 Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter
Without Me,
Begoun lists some of the best *non-retinol* "lightweight moisturizers
for
normal to slightly dry or combination skin." These include (this is
only a
partial list): "Aveda Firming Fluid and Hydraderm; The Body Shop's
Hydrating
Moisture Lotion; Elizabeth Arden's Ceramide Time Capsules; Jafra
Elasticity
Recovery Hydrogel; Nu Skin USA Celltrex Skin Hydrating Fluid; Origins
Line
Chaser; Pond's Skin Smoothing and Eye Revitalizing Capsules;
Prescriptives
Super Line Preventor; RoC Hydra + Light Mat cream; SkinCeuticals Eye
Gel and
Intense Line Defense; Yves St. Laurent Soin Beaute Instantee /Instant
Firming Gel; Zia Natural Seaweed Lift Serum." (Begoun didn't provide a
list
of best antioxidant lotions because she felt that the research on that
category, at least as of 2001, was inconclusive.)
But there is research that supports the use of Vitamin C topical
products
for wrinkles. See "New Studies Confirm Antioxidants Effective for
Aging
Skin," at the Life Extension Vitamin site:
http://lifeextensionvitamins.com/newstcotoane.html
"In a double-blind study, a topical vitamin C complex was applied to
one-half of the face and a placebo gel to the opposite side. Clinical
evaluation of wrinkling, pigmentation, inflammation and hydration was
performed prior to the study and at weeks 4, 8 and 12. The results
showed a
statistically significant improvement of the vitamin C-treated side,
with
decreased photoaging scores of the cheeks and the peri-oral area. The
overall facial improvement of the vitamin C side was statistically
significant. Biopsies showed increased collagen formation in the
vitamin C
group. "
MSNBC.com has a very helpful article,"Debunking anti-aging myths. The
truth
about aging and the products that stop it," by Linda Wells, from the
July
2003 issue of Allure magazine:
http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/934150.asp?cp1=1
"That's where antioxidants come in. They, along with sunscreens,
prevent
collagen from breaking down and wrinkles from forming. Antioxidants
include:
vitamin C, E, green tea, white tea among others. Free radicals - from
sun,
smoke, pollution, stress - damage skin cells which cause wrinkles and
brown
spots. Antioxidants help absorb the free radicals and prevent damage.
Apply
antioxidant cream in the morning, before exposure. Apply antioxidant
cream
in the morning, before exposure.
Some products:
Moisturizers with antioxidants include:
-Estee Lauder DayWear Plus with White Tea and anti-oxidant
Vitamins C
& E, $37.50.
-Nivea Daily Nourishing Crème with Vitamin E, $7."
Wells also looks at Vitamin C: ". . .some vitamins applied topically
can
help skin. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant, protecting skin against
damage
from sun. Apply Vitamin C in the morning. Some products:
Vitamin C creams include:
-Cellex C High Potency Serum, $115.
-Revlon Daily Radiance Cream with Vitamin C & SPF 15, $14.95. "
Alpha Hydroxy:
Alpha Hydroxy, or "AHA" is still the first weapon of choice for many
women
in the war on wrinkles.
See this article "Alpha Hydroxy Acids," by chemist Dr. Dennis T. Sepp,
which
appeared in Les Nouvelles Esthetiques, December 1998:
http://www.shikai.com/publications/alpha_hydroxy_acids.htm
"One interesting study showed that topical treatment twice a day for 3
months with a 5% glycolic acid cream, at pH 2.8, affected surface and
epidermal changes, while the same treatment, but with a 12% cream,
reached
deeper and influenced both the epidermis and the deeper dermis layer,
and
resulted in increased epidermal and dermal firmness and thickness.
Both
showed clinical improvement in skin smoothness and in the appearance
of
lines and wrinkles. . ."
The Hippocrates World site has a page on AHAs:
http://www.hippocrates.ca/AHA-1.htm
"Alpha hydroxy acids are botanical substances that induce mild
inflammation
and accelerate exfoliation with little or no burning or stinging, said
Paul
Lazar, MD, emeritus clinical professor of dermatology at Northwestern
University Medical School, Chicago, Ill. 'A little inflammation isn't
bad.
Alpha hydroxy acids improve skin coloring and even skin tone,' said
Lazar,
who served for many years as director of the American Medical
Association's
Committee on Cosmetics and Cutaneous Health. 'A little edema," he
noted,
"puffs out fine wrinkles.'"
Begoun is also a fan of AHAs. In Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter
Without
Me, she recommends starting out with the drugstore brand called simply
"Alpha Hydroxy," which costs $8-$10 for 6 oz. (I use the 8% AHA lotion
from this product line and am very pleased with the price and the
results.)
Botox:
Botox injections have been gaining rapidly in popularity. See this
2002
press release, Report Confirms the Safety and Efficacy of Botox® for
Cosmetic Use," from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons:
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news_room/press_releases/Report-Confirms-the-Safety-and-Efficacy-of-Botox-for-Cosmetic-Use.cfm
Also see the October 3. 2003 edition of Cosmetic Surgery Times for
more
information on Botox and collagen injections:
http://www.cosmeticsurgerytimes.com/cosmeticsurgerytimes/article/articleList.jsp?categoryId=884
Also see this article on "Artecoll, a new item in the increasingly
broad
array of permanent and semipermanent nonsurgical wrinkle-reduction
options,
recently took a major step toward FDA approval."
http://www.cosmeticsurgerytimes.com/cosmeticsurgerytimes/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=54190
Learn about collagen and laser treatments at Laser Aesthetics:
http://www.laserlease.com/wrinklereduction.htm
And at this Columbia University site:
http://www.entcolumbia.org/laserskinresurf.htm
Face Peels:
See Skin Magic's "Non-Laser Based Services" for a good overview:
http://www.skinmagic.com/nonlaser.htm
Chemical peels:
http://www.skinmagic.com/nonlaser.htm#nonlaser_chemical_peels
Try these sites, too, for more information:
"The Scar and Wrinkle Product Review"
http://www.scar-wrinkle.com/efficacy_wrinkle_scar.htm
The highest ratings go to the retinols: Renova/ Retinova
(prescription),
manufactured by Janssen-Cliag Ltd. and the RoC Retinol Active
PurAnti-Wrinkle Treatment, product lines.
Skin Care Guide provides an over view of various categories of skin
creams,
at:
http://www.skin-care-guide.com/skin_care_guide_45.htm
(Scroll halfway down the page to below advertisement directory.)
LovelySkin.com, maintained by dermatologist Dr. Joel Schlessinger,
features
this interview with the doctor:
http://www.lovelyskin.com/interview.asp
"Q: What are some up and coming procedures?
Most definitely, wrinkle treatments for those on the go. Lasers are
becoming
so easy to do that you can't even tell after the procedure that
anything has
been done - that is, until the wrinkles start to go away or improve! I
can't
tell you how significant this is compared to the older techniques."
(Schlessinger's site also carries Primacy, which seems to be an
implicit
endorsement of the product.)
For product reviews from experts and "real" women, check these sites
and
search skin care lines by brand:
Heather Kleinman's Cosmetic Connection:
http://www.cosmeticconnection.com/reviews.html
Go to Drugstore.com's "anti-aging" shop:
http://www.drugstore.com/templates/browse/default.asp?catid=13109&trx=GFI-0-MCN&trxp1=13109&trxp2=ML&trxp4=40
and click on the various categories such as "serums" and "firming."
Many
products have customer reviews, which may help you decide which
product(s)
to try.
Be sure to review Begoun's list of skin care ingredients, such as
copper and
Coenzyme Q10-Ubiquinone, at:
http://www.paulaschoice.com/learn/article.asp?PAGETYPE=SKIN
(Just scroll down the page and click any of the numerous links that
interest
you.)
Also see this great information on anti-wrinkle creams, compiled by my
friend and colleague pinkfreud-ga:
http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=232076
Search terms:
"Primacy Skinceuticals opinions"
"truth about wrinkle creams"
"cosmetics reviews"
"laser wrinkles"
"botox wrinkles"
"efficacy wrinkles alpha hydroxy"
Regards,
nancylynn-ga |
Clarification of Answer by
nancylynn-ga
on
04 Oct 2003 14:58 PDT
I'm sorry the formatting went nuts! I'm re-posting my answer here, in
hopes the formatting will come out correctly, so it's easier for you
to read:
Hello serenity222-ga:
"What's the best skin care line?" It depends on whom you ask! What
works for
one woman, may not work for another. (I have been pleased with my
routine of
using an AHA at night, and a retinol with sunscreen during the day,
but
other women might be dissatisfied with the results.) Cosmetics tend to
be
very personal and extremely subjective. We women fall in love with
certain
cosmetics the way we fall in love with certain men: it's a mysterious
and
inexplicable thing.
But I did try to find some objective information about skin care, to
help
you decide which types of products you'd like to try, outside of the
retinol
category.
You asked about Primacy by Skinceuticals, a product that falls into
the
"Antioxidant," vitamin category. (You probably already know that
retinol,
currently all the rage once again in skin care, is a derivative of
vitamin
A.)
Makeup Alley e-zine conducted a poll on Skinceuticals' Primacy C+E
Serum.
Out of 12 respondents, 9 said they were pleased enough to purchase the
item
again:
http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemID=8748/Treatments/Skinceuticals/Primacy_C+E_Serum/
Epinions has two customer reviews of Cellex-C Serum, Primacy's major
competitor:
http://www.epinions.com/beat-Skincare-Anti_Aging-Cellex_C_Serum_For_Sensitive_Skin/display_~reviewsep
"Save your hide.(preventing skin cancer)" by Valerie Latona in the
June,
2000 issue of Vegetarian Times, recommends "Skinceuticals C" serum
and
"Skinceuticals Daily Defense SPF 30 (and 45)" sunblock:
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0820/2000_June/62400406/p4/article.jhtml?term=Primacy+Skinceuticals+
When it comes to skincare and cosmetics, I always turn to veteran
makeup
artist/ consumer activist Paula Begoun, aka "The Beauty Cop" and "The
Cosmetics Cop." (Begoun has been featured on Dateline NBC and other
news and
information shows):
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/
Since Primacy's main ingredients are vitamins C and E, I checked out
Begoun's page on topical vitamins:
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/article.asp?PAGETYPE=ART&REFER=SKIN&ID=28
"While the information about vitamin C as a dietary supplement
abounds, the
same cannot be said for skin when it comes to wrinkles or aging."
"Vitamin E is without question one of the most well-researched
vitamins for
skin health. It is the most well-known antioxidant, both when taken
orally
and when used in skin-care products. Vitamin E is an antioxidant
superstar."
And:
" . . . the jury is still out on how much of any topically applied
antioxidant is needed to be effective. Full-scale clinical studies on
humans
to assess the benefits of topical tocotrienols have not yet been
performed,
so for now (as is true for all antioxidants) choosing it as the "best"
one
is a leap of faith."
I have a copy of the 2001, 5th edition of Begoun's classic book, Don't
Go To
The Cosmetics Counter Without Me (Berkeley, CA: Publishers Group West,
2001).
On page 859 of that book, Begoun has this to say about Primacy:
"Primacy is
a group of four exceedingly overpriced products that claim to be the
best at
preventing free-radical damage . . . there is no research establishing
whether or not these can change or prevent one wrinkle."
Begoun doesn't think much of Cellex-C either:
http://www.paulaschoice.com/learn/reviews.asp?bFlag=1&selCategory=39&selBrand=32&selRating=00&txtKeywords=&button1=Search+Product+Reviews
On pages 1099-1010 of her 2001 Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter
Without Me,
Begoun lists some of the best *non-retinol* "lightweight moisturizers
for
normal to slightly dry or combination skin." These include (this is
only a
partial list): "Aveda Firming Fluid and Hydraderm; The Body Shop's
Hydrating
Moisture Lotion; Elizabeth Arden's Ceramide Time Capsules; Jafra
Elasticity
Recovery Hydrogel; Nu Skin USA Celltrex Skin Hydrating Fluid; Origins
Line
Chaser; Pond's Skin Smoothing and Eye Revitalizing Capsules;
Prescriptives
Super Line Preventor; RoC Hydra + Light Mat cream; SkinCeuticals Eye
Gel and
Intense Line Defense; Yves St. Laurent Soin Beaute Instantee /Instant
Firming Gel; Zia Natural Seaweed Lift Serum." (Begoun didn't provide a
list
of best antioxidant lotions because she felt that the research on that
category, at least as of 2001, was inconclusive.)
But there is research that supports the use of Vitamin C topical
products
for wrinkles. See "New Studies Confirm Antioxidants Effective for
Aging
Skin," at the Life Extension Vitamin site:
http://lifeextensionvitamins.com/newstcotoane.html
"In a double-blind study, a topical vitamin C complex was applied to
one-half of the face and a placebo gel to the opposite side. Clinical
evaluation of wrinkling, pigmentation, inflammation and hydration was
performed prior to the study and at weeks 4, 8 and 12. The results
showed a
statistically significant improvement of the vitamin C-treated side,
with
decreased photoaging scores of the cheeks and the peri-oral area. The
overall facial improvement of the vitamin C side was statistically
significant. Biopsies showed increased collagen formation in the
vitamin C
group. "
MSNBC.com has a very helpful article,"Debunking anti-aging myths. The
truth
about aging and the products that stop it," by Linda Wells, from the
July
2003 issue of Allure magazine:
http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/934150.asp?cp1=1
"That's where antioxidants come in. They, along with sunscreens,
prevent
collagen from breaking down and wrinkles from forming. Antioxidants
include:
vitamin C, E, green tea, white tea among others. Free radicals - from
sun,
smoke, pollution, stress - damage skin cells which cause wrinkles and
brown
spots. Antioxidants help absorb the free radicals and prevent damage.
Apply
antioxidant cream in the morning, before exposure. Apply antioxidant
cream
in the morning, before exposure.
Some products:
Moisturizers with antioxidants include:
-Estee Lauder DayWear Plus with White Tea and anti-oxidant
Vitamins C
& E, $37.50.
-Nivea Daily Nourishing Crème with Vitamin E, $7."
Wells also looks at Vitamin C: ". . .some vitamins applied topically
can
help skin. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant, protecting skin against
damage
from sun. Apply Vitamin C in the morning. Some products:
Vitamin C creams include:
-Cellex C High Potency Serum, $115.
-Revlon Daily Radiance Cream with Vitamin C & SPF 15, $14.95. "
Alpha Hydroxy:
Alpha Hydroxy, or "AHA" is still the first weapon of choice for many
women
in the war on wrinkles.
See this article "Alpha Hydroxy Acids," by chemist Dr. Dennis T. Sepp,
which
appeared in Les Nouvelles Esthetiques, December 1998:
http://www.shikai.com/publications/alpha_hydroxy_acids.htm
"One interesting study showed that topical treatment twice a day for 3
months with a 5% glycolic acid cream, at pH 2.8, affected surface and
epidermal changes, while the same treatment, but with a 12% cream,
reached
deeper and influenced both the epidermis and the deeper dermis layer,
and
resulted in increased epidermal and dermal firmness and thickness.
Both
showed clinical improvement in skin smoothness and in the appearance
of
lines and wrinkles. . ."
The Hippocrates World site has a page on AHAs:
http://www.hippocrates.ca/AHA-1.htm
"Alpha hydroxy acids are botanical substances that induce mild
inflammation
and accelerate exfoliation with little or no burning or stinging, said
Paul
Lazar, MD, emeritus clinical professor of dermatology at Northwestern
University Medical School, Chicago, Ill. 'A little inflammation isn't
bad.
Alpha hydroxy acids improve skin coloring and even skin tone,' said
Lazar,
who served for many years as director of the American Medical
Association's
Committee on Cosmetics and Cutaneous Health. 'A little edema," he
noted,
"puffs out fine wrinkles.'"
Begoun is also a fan of AHAs. In Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter
Without
Me, she recommends starting out with the drugstore brand called simply
"Alpha Hydroxy," which costs $8-$10 for 6 oz. (I use the 8% AHA lotion
from this product line and am very pleased with the price and the
results.)
Botox:
Botox injections have been gaining rapidly in popularity. See this
2002
press release, Report Confirms the Safety and Efficacy of Botox® for
Cosmetic Use," from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons:
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news_room/press_releases/Report-Confirms-the-Safety-and-Efficacy-of-Botox-for-Cosmetic-Use.cfm
Also see the October 3. 2003 edition of Cosmetic Surgery Times for
more
information on Botox and collagen injections:
http://www.cosmeticsurgerytimes.com/cosmeticsurgerytimes/article/articleList.jsp?categoryId=884
Also see this article on "Artecoll, a new item in the increasingly
broad
array of permanent and semipermanent nonsurgical wrinkle-reduction
options,
recently took a major step toward FDA approval."
http://www.cosmeticsurgerytimes.com/cosmeticsurgerytimes/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=54190
Learn about collagen and laser treatments at Laser Aesthetics:
http://www.laserlease.com/wrinklereduction.htm
And at this Columbia University site:
http://www.entcolumbia.org/laserskinresurf.htm
Face Peels:
See Skin Magic's "Non-Laser Based Services" for a good overview:
http://www.skinmagic.com/nonlaser.htm
Chemical peels:
http://www.skinmagic.com/nonlaser.htm#nonlaser_chemical_peels
Try these sites, too, for more information:
"The Scar and Wrinkle Product Review"
http://www.scar-wrinkle.com/efficacy_wrinkle_scar.htm
The highest ratings go to the retinols: Renova/ Retinova
(prescription),
manufactured by Janssen-Cliag Ltd. and the RoC Retinol Active
PurAnti-Wrinkle Treatment, product lines.
Skin Care Guide provides an over view of various categories of skin
creams,
at:
http://www.skin-care-guide.com/skin_care_guide_45.htm
(Scroll halfway down the page to below advertisement directory.)
LovelySkin.com, maintained by dermatologist Dr. Joel Schlessinger,
features
this interview with the doctor:
http://www.lovelyskin.com/interview.asp
"Q: What are some up and coming procedures?
Most definitely, wrinkle treatments for those on the go. Lasers are
becoming
so easy to do that you can't even tell after the procedure that
anything has
been done - that is, until the wrinkles start to go away or improve! I
can't
tell you how significant this is compared to the older techniques."
(Schlessinger's site also carries Primacy, which seems to be an
implicit
endorsement of the product.)
For product reviews from experts and "real" women, check these sites
and
search skin care lines by brand:
Heather Kleinman's Cosmetic Connection:
http://www.cosmeticconnection.com/reviews.html
Go to Drugstore.com's "anti-aging" shop:
http://www.drugstore.com/templates/browse/default.asp?catid=13109&trx=GFI-0-MCN&trxp1=13109&trxp2=ML&trxp4=40
and click on the various categories such as "serums" and "firming."
Many
products have customer reviews, which may help you decide which
product(s)
to try.
Be sure to review Begoun's list of skin care ingredients, such as
copper and
Coenzyme Q10-Ubiquinone, at:
http://www.paulaschoice.com/learn/article.asp?PAGETYPE=SKIN
(Just scroll down the page and click any of the numerous links that
interest
you.)
Also see this great information on anti-wrinkle creams, compiled by my
friend and colleague pinkfreud-ga:
http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=232076
Search terms:
"Primacy Skinceuticals opinions"
"truth about wrinkle creams"
"cosmetics reviews"
"laser wrinkles"
"botox wrinkles"
"efficacy wrinkles alpha hydroxy"
|
