SilkSkin Anti-Aging

SilkSkin is a collection of skincare, anti-aging and cosmetics products that claim to have been “born on the soundstages of Hollywood.” This company markets an extensive range of anti-aging products, some of which promise to “undo years of skin damage in as little as four weeks.” These products were apparently developed by television makeup artist Bob Sidell.

We generally caution consumers not to be swept away by the allure of “Hollywood” glamour associated with skincare products. The unfortunate reality is that many celebrities look as youthful and beautiful as they look due to cosmetic surgery, lighting tricks, or airbrush enhancements to magazines. Many of them are also wealthy enough to have a team of professionals working on their complexion and beauty around-the-clock. Yet companies like this one tend to not mention these significant advantages that celebrities have over the “average person” – instead, they chalk it up to their products. This often misleads consumers into purchasing products that are not necessarily exceptional at all. We will evaluate this line of products not for their Hollywood affiliation, but for their genuine quality and substance.

SilkSkin markets several different skincare products, including facial scrubs, anti-aging products, foundation, concealers, eye products, hair care, bath and body products, and more.

We will focus this review on one product, the Regenacel™ anti-aging preparation. This product is said to be “powerful yet safe cell renewal complex for smoothing wrinkles, for getting rid of age spots and to aid in the healing of sun damaged skin.” A product description claims that this product’s “secret” is “natural lactic acid, a particularly effective alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), combined with a special buffer.” Despite the popularity of alpha hydroxyl acids, we do have some reservations regarding the overall desirability of these acids.

Reports have been made to major U.S. regulatory agencies about AHA’s adverse reactions on skin, with consumers complaining of “severe redness, swelling (especially in the area of the eyes), burning, blistering, bleeding, rash, itching, and skin discoloration.” We cannot help but feel some concern for the effect this ingredient may have on some skin types. We would have preferred that this preparation utilize Hyaluronic Acid, which is an important source of moisture in youthful skin, but which diminishes with age. In addition, we would have liked to see the ingredient Argireline, which is known for its ability to decrease existing wrinkles and prevent new ones, included in this product.

The Website for this line of products seems relatively informative, but seems to be rather “crowded” and overwhelming in appearance. We were pleased to see consumer testimonials included on this site, since we consider testimonials to be a valuable source of objective feedback. The information provided seems straightforward and professionally rendered. We could not help but notice that some of the product descriptions do not provide full ingredient lists, which concerns us. For the most part, however, we considered the Website to be one of the more consumer-friendly and informative ones we have seen.

• Website contains a good deal of relevant information
• Website includes some consumer testimonials

In the end, we feel these products may be helpful to some consumers, but significantly less so for others. Consumers who may be sensitive to AHAs may find that they react quite adversely to these preparations.

In addition, it is our opinion that these products seem to lack the most advanced, scientifically-proven skincare ingredients. We believe that components such as Argireline and Hyaluronic Acid are highly effective when it comes to reversing signs of aging.