Home

Login
View Cart/Checkout
Contact/Customer Service

Perennial / Wisdoms

UV Exposure
Aging Skin and Mature Skin
Theories of Aging

Skin Care

Afirm Retinol
Allergan
Alyria
Anthelios
Avene
B. Kamins
Biomedic
Blue Lizard
Cellex-C
Cetaphil
Citrix
Clarisonic
Colorescience
Combray
Cotz
Clinique Medical
DCL
Dermatix
Elastiderm
Elta MD
Estion
Ethocyn
Exuviance
Fake Bake
Glycolix
Glyderm
Glytone
Great Lips Rx
Heliocare
IS Clinical
Kinerase
Kinerase Clear
Kinerase Pro+
La Prairie
La Roche Posay
L-M-X
MD Lash Factor
MD Rx
Neoceuticals
Neocutis
Neostrata
Neova
Nia24
Nordic Naturals
Obagi
Obagi Rosaclear
Obagi Rx
OC Eight
Olos
PCA Skin
Pentaxyl
Prevage MD
Priori
Phytomer
Remergent
Replenix
RevaleSkin
Revision
Revitalash MD
Scarguard
SesDerma
Skinceuticals
SkinMedica
SunSpot
Teamine
Theraplex
Ti-Silc / Z-Silc
TNS
Topix
Tricomin
VitaMedica
Zeno MD
Browse more brands.

Product Types

Facial Cleansers
Antioxidants
Moisturizers
Sunscreens
Retinoids
Shampoos

Facial Skin Condition Treatments

Adult Acne
Broken Capillaries
Dark Circles
Deep Wrinkles
Dry Skin
Eyelid Toning
Fine Lines
Hyperpigmentation
Lips
Open Pores
Puffy Eyes
Rosacea

Body Skin Condition Treatments

Aging Hands
Breast Firming
Cellulite
Ingrown Hairs
Keratosis Pilaris
Scalp Acne
Stretch Marks

Skin Care Ingredients

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
Betaglucans
Bimatoprost
Centella Asiatica
Coffee Berry
Ferulic Acid
Glutathione
Mexoryl
Nymphae Alba
Peroxidase
Phloretin
Silymarin
Sodium Laureth Sulfate/Sulphate
Superoxide Dismutase
Telomerase
Vitamin E
Browse more ingredients.

Clinical Procedures and Topics

Four Fundamentals
Absurd Skin Care
Aging Skin
Antioxidants
Botox
Enzyme Exfoliation
Free Radical Damage
French Skin Care
Glycolic Acid
Idebenone
Irrational Fears
Klein Becker
Oxidative Stress
Paula Begoun
Perricone
Restylane
Skin Structure
Stem Cells
Healthy Skin Barrier Function
Smoking
Sun Protection
Topical Vitamin C/Firming
Choices and Needs
Strivectin
Additional clinical skincare topics.

accurately active addition advertisements advertising against agreement alleged almost alpha although appearance attempted australia australian based becker become before being biggest blatant blitzes cannot children claims commission companies complaints compounds concern condition confirm consumer consumers contain convalescence cosmetic cosmetics current damage decades defined definiteness degree department dermis despite development diet dieting different effective effects form good government hyperpigmentation including ingredient ingredients inherently klein laser likelihood loss made mark marks misleading must older product products reducing regulatory representations requires respond single skin speech standards statements stretch strivectin structure subjective substantial susceptible theoretically trade treatment treatments true upon vague variety vitamin weight

Australian and American products have typically been sold on the merits of a single ingredient or "active." Examples over the last twenty years have included blitzes of brands or cosmetic lines based on collagen, elastin, alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin C.

But as with diet, there is no single ingredient which can address all the needs of any organ, including the skin. There is also no escaping the skin's structure, nor the way it functions, when searching for potential treatments.

Skin altered from its prior appearance due to stretch marks requires revision of all its layers before it can appear like it did before their formation.

In order to permanently eliminate the condition, the scarred dermis or "true skin," which produces the appearance and feel of stretch marks at the skin's surface, must be remodeled.

While the dermis may be penetrated and influenced by some ingredients, the entire skin structure must be vaporised by laser before it can reached and renewed.

The process requires anesthetic, is painful and requires weeks of convalescence. It results in an even scar, which heals to form a new skin from the ground up, with fewer undulations and colour irregularities.

Retinoids (a group of compounds having effects in the body like those of vitamin A), vitamin C and sunscreens must be used both before and after to maximize the efficiency and safety of the surgery while reducing the likelihood of side effects such as hyperpigmentation (also see post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation).

Despite the radical nature of this form of laser, it is only recommended for new stretch marks — stretch marks older than even two months respond markedly less well.

Although a variety of products marketed as stretch mark treatments are effective in reducing the likelihood of striae development during periods of weight gain or loss (for example puberty, pregnancy, dieting and exercise), there is no viable solution to older stretch marks.

As a top patient and client concern for decades, a treatment which addresses stretch marks will have all the hallmarks of real research, and implications for treatment of many other forms of skin damage.

Despite the current impossibility of a generally effective stretch mark treatment, Strivectin SD has become the biggest selling cosmetic product in US department stores, claiming effectiveness on old stretch marks. Although the claims aren't legal and there are substantial penalties associated with making them, taking action against misleading cosmetics (no matter how blatant) is a low priority for government bodies.

In Australia breaches for misleading advertising theoretically carry fines of up to $200,000 and injunctions can be made against the sale of offending products. Government and private parties (consumers or other companies) can theoretically instigate such proceedings.

The Australian Trade Practices Act (1974) and Cosmetics Claims Guidelines (1997) make a number of routinely breached proscriptions.

When the equivalent US Federal Trade Commission attempted to hold Strivectin's makers to task over a variety of their products in mid-2004, their lawyers made some absurd rebuttals, including that:

• the word "caused" appearing in their advertising is "inherently vague, subjective, and susceptible to multiple meanings" ;
• objective tests for misleading advertising are also "inherently vague" and therefore cannot be subject to discernible quantitative or qualitative requirements ;
• claims the FTC quoted as inappropriate did not "accurately or fully reflect the express and/or implied messages of ... advertisements" ;
• with regard to the weight loss product for children (PediaLean) that the phrase "causes substantial weight loss in overweight or obese children" is "is inherently vague, subjective, and susceptible to numerous different interpretations.

In addition they held that the:

• regulatory standards they were being asked to respond to were "unconstitutionally vague" ;
• regulatory standards do not provide "fair notice" as to whether claims are acceptable or not because the FTC enforces them ad hoc ;
• FTC abuses the First Amendment of Freedom of Speech by seeking to "restrict, restrain and/or prohibit protected commercial speech through the use of ad hoc and non-defined terms and advertising substantiation lacking any measurable degree of definiteness" and because their "actions are premised at least in part upon alleged representations made "by implication" that the Commission has labeled false or misleading without relying on extrinsic evidence" ;
• Klein-Becker advertisements in question contain "claims and/or representations that are vague, generalized, subjective, highly suggestive, and/or exaggerated statements, and/or statements that ordinary consumers do not take literally, rely upon, and/or statements that cannot be substantiated objectively [and which were] not likely to mislead a reasonable consumer."

In late February 2006 FTC, Klein Becker, linked companies and individuals put forward a joint motion with FTC complainants to withdraw all matters from adjudication. It was ordered that the particulars of the agreement not be released to the public at this stage (PDF — 0.3 mb).

Good problems do not have readily known solutions.

Philosophies of science are more important than products. The quick-fix, the product that claims to be the be-all-and-end-all of aesthetic complaints, almost irrespective of the way its implemented and researched, is indeed too good to be true.