Can Products Build Collagen?

This time I will provide my city: I currently live in Washington DC and do go in the sun, but try to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunblock (for my face) - sorry, I do tan my body! I am in my mid/late 30s and was researching products that actually build collagen...I read this article (link below). This all sounds great about Azure and peptides originally being provided for burn victims -- the manufacturer of this product really make a good case when they claim these ingredients were used to generate cell growth in burn victims. THAT SAID, I wonder...are these claims true? Seems too good to be true that a product would actually INCREASE collagen growth? Thank you!

This is a tough one isn’t because there’s a least a small hint of some science implied.  But I’m wondering where exactly is their science????  There’s no cite to any research in the article that I saw (let me know if I missed it).  Many of these companies take something that has been shown to work on cells in a laboratory or even sometimes on lab animal skin, like a mouse or rat, and then throw it into a skin product and claim a HUGE breakthrough.  We know there can’t be huge breakthroughs every week and yet the article states these companies are being launched often!! 

 What these companies DON’T do is test these products on real people in a placebo controlled trial comparing the new product to a product we know already works – for example Renova (tretinoin).   Just because something has an effect in cells in a lab doesn’t mean it will work for us.

Marketing arms of these companies also know that hope springs eternal so even if a million people only buy the product once, they’ve still made a decent profit and can move on the next marketing driven product.  Bottom line is that I’m very skeptical about this product!!!!

 

 

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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