Are Stem Cell Extracts the New AHA/BHA’s?
Game changing products, ingredients and inventions don’t always catch on right away. Starbucks was founded in 1971, but didn’t take off until after 1983. Twitter started out as a site called Odeo. Ever heard of it? We didn’t think so. And so it is with skincare ingredients too. Up until stem cell technology came into the skin care industry a few years back, the most game-changing ingredient was the inclusion of alpha and beta hydroxy acids (AHA/BHA) in skincare.
However, like most game changers, AHA/BHAs were not readily acknowledged as a positive innovation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved AHA’s for over the counter sale in 1992. But, initially AHA/BHAs were not widely accepted by consumers and were even criticized by the FDA, even after their approval.
Let’s admit it – putting acid on your skin seems totally counterintuitive, right?
Even EWG’s Skin Deep quoted the FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Color as recent as 1999 saying, “Very little about the process restricts the sale [of AHA/BHAs]. It’s a somewhat alarming idea to put acids on the skin. It raises obvious safety questions.”
Fast-forward to almost two decades later, and AHA/BHAs are in nearly every anti-aging product on the market. No longer considered “risky” or “a fad”, these acids are used to reduce wrinkles, lighten dark spots, smooth skin and renew a beautiful complexion. And no one finds it an “alarming idea to put acids on” their face. AHA/BHAs can be found in skincare from high-end products, to department store brands, to drug store items. In short, they revolutionized the anti-aging skincare industry, despite the initial back lash from consumers, watch dogs and government agencies alike.
The same could be said for stem cell technology in skincare. Hitting the cosmetic market first in Europe in 2007, stem cell technology was already buzzing in the medical fields as a miracle innovation and a game changer. Advancements were already being seen in healing post-surgical conditions and hope was widespread that stem cells would be the answer to curing many diseases and conditions that had alluded doctors – until now.
However, much like AHA/BHA’s, consumers were not as quick to accept stem cell technology in skin care products. Controversy and misunderstanding surrounded, stem cell technology in skincare. However, most of it is old mythology based on half-truths and fear from businesses who resist change and whose bottom line relies on the stayed technologies from days gone by. But like everything, if we are to advance, we must grow and change and offer better solutions for keeping skin healthy and youthful, without injections or surgery, especially now as more and more people are choosing to stave off more aggressive procedures for as long as possible.
Some people fear that using stem cells in skincare can be dangerous. However, there are no stem cells or DNA in skincare products…ever! Stem cells are much too large and fragile to survive the skincare formulation process. What the products do contain are the healing peptides the stem cells secrete. Others site ethical issues, thinking that the stem cells harvested for cosmetic use come from fertilized human eggs (embryonic stem cells). While some companies do use this source, most do not. So it is important to check company information closely. The best stem cells used for skin care formulation are Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells, which come from adult human donors who are vetted and certified much in the same way organ donors are.
And much like the AHA/BHAs of the past, the fear of the advancement of stem cell technology in skincare is unfounded, and totally incorrect, with peer review journals in the medical filed touting their efficacy on the skin.
Clinical studies being conducted on skin care products utilizing stem cell technology continue to astound and impress the industry. And while stem cell technology will be an integral part of the future of skin care because it mimics the natural renewal process of our body (and our skin), its main benefit is the assistance in epidermal and collagen production. A good skin care product line also needs to address hydration, environmental protection, evening of skin coloration, skin nutrients and cellular health, as well as other specific issues. At Stemology, we have found that many other ingredients are necessary in our formulations to properly address these multiple needs. We understand there’s no one trick pony when it comes to skin health, but that it’s the formulation in total that delivers the targeted benefits customers desire.
Stem cell technology in skincare is already showing great advancements. Stemology continues to be on the cutting edge as the leader in Stem Cell use in skincare, as well as the ethical implications and safety of formulations utilizing extracts from Stem Cells.
Contributed By: Lori Jacobus, Chief Marketing Officer for Stemology Skincare
For more information about Stemology skincare, visit http://medresultsnetwork.com/stemology-skincare/
