Clinically proven skincare VS Marketing

Approx 4 minute read |

Raise your hand if you have at least one beauty product labelled as “active” at home?

Yes, of course you do. In fact, most people do, as “active” skincare has gained a great reputation over the last few years - and rightly so, but do these off-the-shelf products actually deliver what they claim?

What exactly is active skincare?

To clarify, ‘active’ skincare also known as cosmeceuticals, are cosmetics that contain an active ingredient in them. Okay, but what does it mean exactly?

“An active ingredient has been proven in a lab by research to change the skin in some way; it's an ingredient that has data behind it"
- Emily Newsom, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center - Self Magazine

This means that in order for any cosmetic to be effective at treating a problem, it needs to change the skin on a cellular level and if an active ingredient in the product has been proven to target a specific skin issue, then yes, one could call it an active skincare product - but this is a rather loose term, as it’s not just the ingredient, it’s the amount of the ingredient that counts.

On the contrary, whilst many products may contain active ingredients, sadly it doesn’t actually mean they will make any difference whatsoever to your skin. That’s just marketing.

How do I know if a product is just marketing?

Here’s an example - if you added a single cube of dark chocolate to your cake mix, would you call that a chocolate cake? No. Why? Because whilst it may have a teeny bit of chocolate in it, it will not actually be a chocolate cake, will it? But, if you said it contained chocolate, would it be true? Yes. And if you said that dark chocolate is full of antioxidants that are great for your skin, would that be true? Yes. However, one would say that it’s being rather vague, and vague is exactly what marketing often can be.

Even though these products are marketed as ‘active’, most off-the-shelf products don’t usually meet any of the requirements to really deem them active.

They usually just have trace amounts of actives (these actives may not even be effective at all!) and as they are unable to actually penetrate deep enough into the skin, they’re not really going to give results. Even if they claim to be tested, there simply isn’t enough clinical evidence to support such a statement.

You’ve probably already guessed… this is indeed likely to apply to some of the active beauty products you already have at home.

Active skincare does exist and it really does work

That being said, active skincare does exist and it really does work, however, effective active skincare can only be prescribed by a medic or professional aesthetic practitioner due to the high concentration levels. Clinically-tested active ingredients are more potent and are prescribed for particular skin conditions, and therefore could actually be detrimental for others.

In order for actives to work their magic, they should ideally be injected, so they can reach deep into the skin to give you real results.

Claire Williams, founder and CEO of WOW facial®, knew this very well, which is exactly why she began researching for products that could truly help to heal and improve her own skin. As somebody who personally suffered with her skin, Claire had tried tons of different solutions, and knew how crucial clinically-tested active ingredients are in changing the skin on a cellular level.

That’s where the story of the WOW fusion® began, Claire knew that in order to really target skin conditions with visible results, there had to be a way to get the active ingredients into the skin, deep into the skin.

Claire was on a mission to develop an innovative micro-needling device using tapered needles that allow active ingredients to flow deep into the skin. And so, the WOW fusion® device was born; a small mesotherapy glass vial with needles as fine as hair, that offer skin professionals a way to combine a cocktail of ingredients designed to treat each person’s specific skin concerns with long-lasting results.

Booking a professional consultation for advanced treatments which use active ingredients is a far better investment than buying any so-called active products off the shelf, and a skincare specialist will also be able to advise you which products are worth using at home, and which are just marketing.

After a thorough examination of your skin, your local WOW fusion® practitioner mix the perfect bespoke cocktail using WOW fusion’s clinically proven actives. So, whether you have a specific skin concern that you’re trying to improve or you’re simply after a healthy, youthful complexion, WOW fusion® can help you get the results you’re looking for.

To find a provider close to you, click on ‘Find a provider’ from the main menu, enter your postcode and choose ‘WOW fusion® centre’ from the dropdown menu, then click search. Your closest practitioners will be listed, so you can contact your nearest clinic to book your skin assessment and begin your journey to #WOWSKIN.

Author: Danielle
Category: Skincare, WOW Journal

Comments

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