I always love it when a really interesting, cutting-edge skin care potion arrives on my desk (wouldn’t you?) – but over the years I’ve become a bit skeptical about claims, and very wary about certain ingredients. RG-Cell piqued my interest because of its stem cell technology, which is relatively new, but very on trend, in skin care. Their Concentrated Restorative Serum is a veritable brew of potent ingredients, including stem cells, which are “messenger” molecules, meaning that they travel into the deeper layers of the dermis, and give old “dormant” cells a bit of a wake-up call. Now these particular stem cells are not plant stem cells – they use an Epidermal Growth Factor, which is a small polypeptide of 53 amino acids that bind to their own cellular receptors with the result of activating cell proliferation. If all this is sounding way too scientific for you, just know that stem cell technology in skin care is both exciting and confusing.
My first thought was: Where do they get this stem cell from in the first place? This is what the website says:
Obtained by genetic engineering technology (microbial recombinant) totally identical to natural EGF, known as a “BEAUTY FACTOR”, boosts and regulates stem cell proliferation. Because of its recombinant technology it is totally safe unlike other products that use human derived stem cells.
Okay, I think I get that. So, it is genetically engineered but apparently safe. The rest of their ingredients are stellar: Mainly algae extract, and a plethora of great plant oils.Oh – and most importantly, it contains CAVIAR – yep caviar, which is purported to be an excellent ingredient for regenerating skin cells. Also their products have no parabens, mineral oils, artificial fragrances, or animal derivatives. However, I’m a little concerned about using an ingredient that hasn’t been tested LONG-TERM for safety. This stem cell technology is very new, and many of the big skin care companies have rolled out a “hero” product containing this new technology. The clinical results seem to be impressive, but again – we don’t know the long-term safety.
So back to RG-cell. It employs a patented technology, which ensures that it penetrates deep into the skin (to the basal layer,) – this is vital because there are now so many products that boast all kinds of stem cell ingredients, but if they just sit on top of your skin, they are useless. It comes in medical-looking vial – it’s basically a serum, and all you need is one drop a day, which you apply after washing/cleansing your face. I’ll keep an open mind for sure, and will try RG-cell as directed, and post an update to this blog if and when I see results – so if you’re interested, check back in a month or so. (BTW, when I test out a new product with claims such as these, I use it on one half of my face, so I can compare!)