TrueScience Skin Care is a revolutionary (and patent-protected*) beauty system that uses Nrf2 technology to create radiant and healthier looking skin. The powerful 'anti-aging' technology counters the visible signs of aging to give your skin a youthful glow.
Alpha Hydroxy Acid and Beta Hydroxy Acid are naturally derived, closely related chemical exfoliants. Both types of acids speed up skin exfoliation by loosening one to several layers of dead cells clinging to the skin's surface. Alpha Hydroxy Acid , AHA in short, are acids derived from fruits that have skin rejuvenating properties.
The most known AHAs are Glycolic, Lactic, Citric, Malic and Tartaric Acids and they are widely spread in skin care formulations for different types of problems as they promote the turnover of new skin cells. Beta Hydroxy Acid BHAabsorbs deeper into the skin and is best suited for oily, acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads and whiteheads. BHA can get through the oil that clogs pores and helps to normalize the lining of the pore that contributes to acne.
Common side effects of both acids include temporary stinging and mild redness causing skin sensitivity and raise the risk of sunburn.
Antioxidant ingredients are perhaps the most widely used components already promoted in a number of skin care products available both over-the-counter and by prescription. Vit C, Vit E, Vit B3, Beta Carotenoids, Green Tea, Coffee Berry, Resveratrol..... the list is as long as the list of naturally occurring plants.
Our skin is the largest organ, with the most exposure to free radical damage from external sources such as exposure to air, solar radiation, environmental pollutants, or other mechanical and chemical insults, severe physical and psychological stress, alcohol intake, smoking, poor nutrition etc.
Free radicals, however are also derived from normal metabolic processes in the human body. Every cell including skin cells produce free radicals. Free radicals are essential players as our bodies produce them as byproducts of cellular reactions, metabolism of foods, breathing and other vital functions.
The problem is when the cell is overwhelmed with free radical damage, when the ratio is not balanced, when we are exposed to more free radicals than anti-oxidants, then we experience age related damage.
Anti-oxidant skin care is designed primarily to aid the skin cells in the fight against age related free radical damage.
A humectant works by attracting moisture to itself. It can draw moisture from the deeper layers of the skin to the surface and in the case of high humidity areas, may draw some moisture from the environment creating a moisture seal on the surface of the skin. There are two types of humectants that are widely used in skin care formulations.
Synthetic humectants such as Propylene Glycol, Polyethylene glycols (PEGs), Silicones, Urea, Sorbitol (to name a few) are less expensive to produce, they do lock in moisture but do not provide any nutrients or benefits to the skin and eventually they dry the skin out.
Natural humectants such as hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, glycerin also work by attracting moisture and are easily absorbed by the skin therefore hydrating at the surface and at the lower levels. A natural humectant such as Collagen however, does not penetrate the skin and should only be used in high moisture (70% +) environments.
Amino acids are organic compounds responsible for giving proteins their structure, transporting nutrients, and sending signals to cells. When amino acids link together, they form chains called peptides which in turn become the building blocks of proteins. Proteins make up much of the body’s tissue, organs, and skin. Collagen makes up about 75% of your skin’s structure.
We are told that short-chain amino acid peptides are able to easily penetrate the top layers of skin. They can then send signals to your skin cells, directing them to perform certain functions, like collagen synthesis. Clinical trials of skin products with peptides indicate improvement in skin quality and smoothness and significant reduction of wrinkles.
There is some controversy around the penetration ability of peptides however. Peptides used in skin care exceed the 500 Dalton Rule, meaning they should not be able to penetrate the skin. So, if studies say they work, but the rules say they shouldn’t be able to, how exactly are peptides working effectively in skin care?
One theory is that the peptides might be signaling, actually sending chemical messages to cells without penetrating the skin at all, another thought is that the skin itself might be breaking down the peptides into more absorbable sizes.
So the conclusion is that more research is needed proving how they work in spite of their large size.
Stem cells do not end up in creams & serums. Living plant cells are not put in creams that go on your skin.
Instead, plant stem cells are cultured in labs away from pollution and pesticides with more control over quality and quantity. The technology also allows access to purer ingredients that are not exposed to toxins or chemicals from outside sources.
When applied topically on the surface, these topical applications help protect and stimulate human skin stem cells from damage and deterioration or stimulate the skin's own stem cells.
There’s no definitive conclusion however, on how well plant stem cells work. While there’s evidence that human stem cells, when harnessed with growth factors, stimulate epidermal stem cells to thicken the skin, there’s no scientific evidence that plant-stem-cell growth factors work in the same way. However, plant stem cells still have benefits. Products that contain antioxidant-rich fruits or plants as a source still offer free-radical-fighting benefits.
There are anti-aging skin care creams that contains non-embryonic human stem cells that boost collagen production for a more elastic skin. There is much skepticism by scientists and skin specialists around the idea of human stem cells in creams because stem cells would not be able to penetrate deep enough into to the skin’s dermis to take action.
If, per chance these cells were able to penetrate to the dermis layer of the skin, it’s unlikely the cells would survive from the lab and the packaging facility to your skin. Live stem cells simply cannot survive in a cream that sits on a shelf for weeks or years.
It is more likely that these creams also have hydrating and emollient ingredients that improve the appearance of the skin.
Retinol, also known as Vitamin A, is a vitamin found in food and used as a dietary supplement.
The term also describes vitamin A derivatives that unclog pores, boost collagen to reduce fine lines, and speed cell turnover to even out discoloration and smooth the skin.
There are nearly 300 retinol-containing cosmetics on the market. Prescription Retin-A first became popular more than 20 years ago as an acne treatment, soon users began reporting improvements in skin texture, diminished wrinkles and brown spots.
Retin-A will improve skin texture and fade dark spots and freckles because it causes skin cells to turn over more rapidly. It shrinks dilated pores and improves cell turnover within the pores so they are less likely to clog and become blackheads and whiteheads. But what has earned Retin-A its long-held reputation is its ability to affect the retention of collagen.
Don't confuse Retin-A with Retinol. Retinol is a natural form of vitamin A, while Retin-A is derived from retinoic acid, a synthetic derivative of vitamin A, and considered pharmaceutical.
Retinol is more commonly used in over-the-counter skincare products because of its much milder effect on the skin, so adverse reactions are rare.
The main concerns regarding retinol is the extreme exfoliation capability that prematurely removes skin cells, forcing the turnover of new skin cells. This creates new skin that looks good in the short term, but it will make the skin thinner over time. More importantly, there are forms of retinol that can be harmful: tretinoin is toxic and retinyl palmitate can become toxic when exposed to sunlight and can cause significant disruptions in epidermal cell organization.
Nevertheless, Retinol products (paired with a hydrating and nourishing product) has been the gold standard for the past 20 years with toxicity results not being made public knowledge.
BeautyEditor Michelle Villet puts in perspective in her article below. https://beautyeditor.ca/2016/07/21/retin-a-toxic
At the very center of our cellular protective pathway is a protein called “Nrf2” that serves as a “master regulator” of the body’s antioxidant response. Think of Nrf2 as a “thermostat” within our cells that senses the level of oxidative stress and other stressors and turns on internal protective mechanisms.
In 2005 an investigative report aired on ABC Primetime
Shortly after this aired, research scientists from Louisiana State University began studies to investigate whether the featured compound could suppress tumor formation by a dietary approach and a two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis study was performed. Their scientific conclusions were examined through a Peer Review process and published in the Public Medical Library of the National Institutes for Health. Excerpt on study can be found on https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19384424
This was the birth of the first Nrf2 skin care product. In 2015 the True Science Skin was presented and accepted as an Nrf2 activating topical application by the IFSCC (International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists). What did this formulation do? How was it different than all the types of skin formulations currently available?
Soon after Nrf2 was identified, a flurry of scientific discoveries began to show how Nrf2 also regulated genes involved in the production of a wide range of antioxidant enzymes (including SOD, glutathione, and catalase), and detoxification or ‘‘stress-response’’ genes. These protective pathways are involved in seemingly unrelated areas of health from immune function to tissue optimization to cognitive function – but they all share in common the Nrf2 “switch” that enables cells to protect themselves from both internal and external environmental challenges. In effect, Nrf2 activation enables our cells to make their own “medicines” to help us survive – and thrive – in stressful situations.
Enter ‘the skin’, the largest organ we have with the most exposure to free radical damage, what would happen if we were able to reduce oxidative stress at the cellular level so each time a skin cell reproduced it would be a little healthier, a little stronger..... a little younger.
With an FDA approved statement to reduce free radical damage an average of 40% in 30 in every mammal and a Health Canada statement that says this formulation helps activate your body’s antioxidant defense mechanisms that help fight free radicals.... we may be on the right tract.
SKIN CROSS SECTIONS MORPHOLOGY - presented at IFSCC 2015
Explants treated with TrueScience Facial Cream showed a significant thicker epidermis with a uniform stacked appearance of well differentiated cells compared to the untreated explants. No sign of inflammation or nuclear material in the stratum corneum was seen. By contrast skin samples treated with 0.2% retinol cream show significant disruptions in the epidermal cell organization at Day 7 with sign of inflammation, cellular edema and chromatin aggregation.
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