Stem cells in skin care products? Are they worth the money?

Dr. Irwin
November 23, 2013
What do you think of the new Lifeline stem cell skin care? Have you heard about them at conventions or organizations you are involved in? Human Growth Factors in skincare advancements? What do you think? I appreciate your willingness to help consumers. Thank you.

My vote would be to not waste your money until they can come up with something more compelling than a good marketing pitch. The “stem cells” are human eggs they say are donated through an in vitro fertilization lab (where? and who?).

 

Then through some process they don’t divulge, they mush these up and either preserve or extract the important??? DNA or? Cell growth factors or? Proteins? What are they extracting and is there any proof that they withstand the extraction and purification process. Since this is human tissue foreign to your own, what proof is there that you won’t be allergic to it? Sooooo many questions that they don’t address well.

 

Also, are there any studies at all, even small ones that prove this works on human or even pig skin? I don’t see any. Are the proteins small enough that they can even be absorbed, if there are proteins in the products, etc.? I’d wait awhile before jumping into these.

 

With TNS (SkinMedica) or companies producing growth factors, there are at least some small studies, 5-7 years of experience with the products and a fairly uniform way to manufacture these.

 

Dr. I

 

Check out Dr. Irwin’s cosmetic dermatology recommendations.

 

Read skincare recommended by dermatologist at Six Myths About Skincare Products.

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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