Quite a few of you have written asking about the rather prominent
ads for the product TNS Recovery Complex ($139 for 0.6 oz). Increasing number
of topical products hitting the market claiming they can diminish or reduce wrinkles without painful injections, I certainly understand the
curiosity.
I wrote about TNS Recovery Complex (SkinMedica) in a previous newsletter, when a reader asked about its ability to diminish the visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines and uneven skin texture. SkinMedica claims that NouriCel is derived from Advanced Tissue Sciences’ patented process for growing bioengineered human tissue for treating serious burns and wounds, and help diminish wrinkles. That was SkinMedica’s
original marketing claim to fame, though the fame was all self-promoted,
as there is not a single independent, peer-reviewed study to prove that
TNS Recovery Complex is an effective option for repairing and diminishing fine lines and wrinkles. The studies that do exist about TNS products with (Nouricel) for treatment and diminishing wrinkles were paid for by SkinMedica, the company that distributes TNS products.
According to the company’s latest ads, they were surprised to find that
not only was TNS Recovery Complex healing wounds and burns, but
also that somehow their facial lines and wrinkles were going away, too. For that
reason, we now have the astounding anti-wrinkle breakthrough of the
decade. Regrettably, no supportive research needs to be available to sell
this kind of hyperbole. All it takes is to promise women that a product
will get rid of their wrinkles and they will buy it in droves, no
matter how many other product lines, infomercials, advertisements, or
cosmetics salespeople pledge the exact same thing.
SkinMedica’s ad continues with rebel, rebuild, and reborn” via The active formula Nouricel. Nouricel recently been shown in clinical trials to significantly reduce fine lines and facial wrinkles without irritation, painful injections, or surgery. One more flourish is the statement that in fact, [TNS Recovery Complex and TNS Family Products] are the only topical formulation clinically proven to effectively confront every aspect of wrinkle reduction. It is easy to debunk all of this overblown nonsense by pointing out the product’s lack of sunscreen; perhaps SkinMedica overlooked the research about sun exposure’s deleterious, wrinkling, and
discoloring effects on skin.
SkinMedica has parlayed these claims into what appears to be little
more than an effort to spin off the popularity of wrinkle reduction skin care, wrinkle reduction concerns as well as recent use of Botox to its own
benefit. The compounds in NouriCel-MD have been shown to aid in the healing of burns and wounds, so it’s no surprise that they rejuvenate aging and sun-damaged skin, said Richard Fitzpatrick, MD, founder and chairman of SkinMedica. The addition of TNS Recovery Complex with NouriCel-MD to our product line will enable us to satisfy growing patient demand for a natural, non-invasive and proven anti-aging product. It is funny how the founder of SkinMedica can claim this and yet there is no other physician or scientist to claim this via actual research. TNS Recovery Complex is supposedly preferred because its long-term results
versus the short-term results (and repeated treatments) of Botox. Apparently, SkinMedica has conducted a research with over 200 people and the results were due in late 2002. For some reason, they do not have the result of the study yet. I wonder why?
Please note that in order for a growth factor or any hormone therapy, special ingredients like Nouricel-MD to work, it needs to reach the cellular level. There’s absolutely no scientific evidence that collagen, elastin, or hyaluronic acid - the three main components of your dermis - can penetrate the epidermis (top layer of the skin which is dead skin). Even nanotechnology has not been proven to be able to get these substances into the skin.
The molecules are simply too large. (Quick science lesson: The epidermis is your topmost layer of skin. The dermis, the next layer of skin, is where wrinkle-causing changes take place.) Be wary of creams and lotions that claim to topically replace, repair or produce collagen, elastin, or hyaluronic acid.
Growth factors applied to the epidermis (top layer of the skin which is dead tissue) will not rejuvenate, replenish or produce more cells. SkinMedica Claims that “NouriCel-MD contains multiple human growth factors including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEG-F) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), as well as natural antioxidants, soluble collagens and matrix proteins. Together, these compounds have demonstrated the ability to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, while also helping to increase skin elasticity and texture in as little as 45 days”.
If you were to ask how would any of the growth factors mentioned above penetrate the epidermis to actually stimulate collagen formation for wrinkle prevention and reduction, not one scientist will back SkinMedica in this theory. Not one ingredient mentioned above would even penetrate the skin to stimulate a cell for production of collagen.
So is TNS Recovery Complex better than any other over the counter skin care prodcut? The short answer is no–and that
means no way, and nohow. It isn’t even better than the daily use of an
effective sunscreen! TNS Recovery Complex is merely a moisturizer. Botox prevents the use of facial muscles, and that instantaneously smoothes out the skin.
TNS Recovery Complex won’t alter the wrinkling on any part of your face, not in
the long term, and not in the short term.
There is no published research substantiating the results, and SkinMedica declined to send us any documentation at this time.