When I first set out to write this series on the use of stem cell and growth factor technology in cosmetics, I already had some knowledge on the subject. However, the biggest thing I learned while doing the research for these articles is how fast this technology changes. The technology I first learned about less than a year ago at the International Congress of Esthetics and Spa has already been improved upon; and I’m sure when I go back to the same show in October it will have changed again. It?s absolutely amazing and mind boggling, and I hope you have found it as interesting as I have.
My thoughts on plant stem cells in cosmetics?
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I have to be honest and say that I have not yet personally used a skin care product containing plant stem cells. While the studies are quite impressive and it would make sense that a totipotent stem cell would be more effective than a multipotent adult stem cell or even an induced pluripotent stem cell (IPS), I still have to think: ?but it?s a plant?and human beings are not plants.?
Does the human body have receptors for stem cells from plants? Could a stem cell from a plant differentiate into a human cell? The studies from the IRB as well as PhytoCellTec? have shown that while the cultured plant stem cells do not actually regenerate new human cells, they do have a strong ability to protect the skin?s existing stem cells and prevent future damage.
Again, I do not have firsthand experience using plant stem cell skin care products so I cannot tell you whether or not they have improved my own skin or my clients? skin; but based on the research and the results from many published studies I can certainly see how plant stem cells can protect and nourish existing cells.
My thoughts on human derived stem cells and growth factors in cosmetics?
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I do have personal experience using Osmosis P?r Medical Skin Care?s Stem Factor serum, which is made of growth factors cultured from stem cells harvested from the subcutaneous fat layer of healthy adult donors. After several months of using Stem Factor my skin has never looked better. My acne is under control, my old acne scars have noticeably flattened and faded, and some of the fine lines I was starting to get have also faded. In all fairness, however, I also use several other products in the Osmosis line and have made lifestyle and dietary changes to enhance my anti-aging efforts. I do have one particular client who does not use all Osmosis products but has incorporated Stem Factor into her existing regimen who has told me she has noticed positive changes in her skin as well.
I have not yet used any other stem cell or growth factor product lines, but shortly after I published the first article in this series, I was approached by a very high end luxury product line that uses growth factors derived from mesenchymal stem cells. I was sent several of their products to try out and review, so I am looking forward to seeing how this product line stacks up to Osmosis.
As for the drama surrounding the use of human derived stem cells and growth factors in skin care I really don’t think there is any controversy here. This is not the same as using embryonic stem cells in stem cell research. These stem cells are derived from living, consenting, health-screened adults. While some of these adult stem cells are used in cosmetic injectables and cosmetic surgeries like face lifts with limited success, the products and technology I am referring to use the growth factors derived from these cells in a very controlled environment.
I have seen headlines and ads for actual adult stem cells in very expensive skin care products, but I would not support the use of these because actual living cells cannot survive inside a bottle without the use of massive chemical preservatives, if even then. I do not support the use of potentially harmful chemicals in products. Furthermore, actual stem cells present the risk of infection or tissue rejection, and there is no way to determine if they will penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin or survive long enough to divide and differentiate into new cells. Even if they do make it in and survive, there is no way to determine what cells they will actually differentiate into.
Additionally, products that claim to contain actual human stem cells most likely have become mostly protein by the time they get from the lab to the consumer. While proteins can provide a mild benefit to the skin, they will not cause the transformation that their manufacturers are claiming they will.
For these reasons I do prefer the liposomally-delivered growth factors, because once they penetrate, they are already ?programmed? to assign the skin?s stem cells into specific beneficial functions.
As mentioned in The Human Side of Cosmetic Stem Cell Technology, more research is needed in stem cell and growth factor technology. While there is a theoretic potential for growth factors to exacerbate existing cancer cell growth, there is also the theoretic potential for them to inhibit it. If you have skin cancer, have had skin cancer, are at a high risk for developing skin cancer, or have any concerns whatsoever, you need to have a conversation with your licensed healthcare provider to help you decide whether or not these products are best for you. It is my opinion that the growth factors are safer than the actual human-derived stem cells.
The bottom line
There are lots of products on the market now claiming they contain stem cells and growth factors. They range in price anywhere from $20 to over $1000. If you want to try a product containing these ingredients you need to be smart about it and not be swayed by glossy (and most likely retouched) advertisements. Read the labels and see how high up on the list the marketed ingredients are. The higher up, the better.
For example, Stem Factor contains Adult Stem Cell Derived Conditioned Media, Phosphatidylcholine (natural liposome), Harmonized Water, Hydroxyethylcellulose (gelling agent derived from wood or cotton*), and Essential Oil Blend. It retails for about $90.
Andalou?s Fruit Stem Cell Revitalise Serum, on the other hand is mainly comprised of Aloe Barbadensis Juice*, Aqua, Polysorbate 60, Cetearyl Alcohol, and Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Juice (the first five ingredients make up the majority of the product). The actual plant stem cell cultures are nearly halfway down the list, which contains many other botanical ingredients as well as some chemical ingredients. It retails for about $20.00. While this product most likely won’t cause any adverse effects to the skin (unless there is an allergy to one of the ingredients), and would be a perfectly fine everyday skin care product; there is not enough of the marketed ingredient to actually provide any therapeutic or aesthetic benefit. I would not recommend purchasing a product like this just because it says it contains stem cells.
If you are looking for a plant stem cell product or a growth factor product, I would recommend a product that lists the advertised ingredients in the first five on the label, and there should not be a huge list of ingredients following.
*Michalun M and Michalun MV, Milady’s Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary, 3rd ed. Clifton Park, NY: Milady, 2010.
**Images 2 and 3 from Osmosis P?r Medical Skin Care.
Article first published as What’s the Verdict on Stem Cell Technology in Cosmetics? on Blogcritics.
