Here is the definition of "cosmeceutical"…

The marriage of cosmetics and cosmeceuticals, products including these ingredients normally consist of anti aging creams and moisturizers.  These cosmetic products contain biologically active ingredients that often times make claims of medical products.  Research shows that skin products using a blend of cosmeceuticals have shown benefits above and beyond what goes into a traditional moisturizer or skin cream. 

It’s important for skin & cosmetic product consumers to know that these products are NOT considered drugs by the FDA.  Therefore, they must be careful when making claims and word their labels very carefully.  While most skin care companies and manufacturers are careful to abide by the rules, some push the envelope and make claims that can mislead customers.

While there are people in the industry who criticize cosmetic products that feature cosmeceuticals (maybe because their own brands do not feature them) there are many customers who swear by them.  For that reason, major skin product brands such as Perricone MD, Skinceuticals, EliteSkin, and others have a cultish following and generally speaking, solid product reviews. 

Our research has shown that products featuring cosmeceutical ingredients have been identified as products that are formulated to work.  While there are many products for sale without these scientific ingredients, (see products that use seaweed extract, for example) these continue to be the hot trend in the skin care industry. 

For our money, we’ll always side with the side of science. 

The INCI name for Argireline® is Acetyl Hexapeptide 8, and recently, Lipotec released a paraben-free version of this ingredient. 

Lipotec markets the ingredient as a topical “cosmetic alternative to Botulinum Toxin A,” which is usually marketed in surgical forms like Botox®.  Research shows that Argireline works to relax muscle contractions, therefore limiting the formation of wrinkles and expression lines.  Clinical studies show that under a 5- 10% solution of Argireline® over a 15-30 day period may show an anti wrinkle effect. 

Used in cosmetic treatments normally in emulsions such as serums, Argireline® is a key ingredient in the most popular eye creams.  EliteSkin, an eye cream advertiser and leading cosmeceutical manufacturer, uses Argireline in it’s flagship product, Elite Serum, at a 10% level, as well as in it’s anti wrinkle cream.  The anti wrinkle cream, called the Wrinkle Eraser, not only uses Argireline®, but also Leuphasyl®, another Lipotec ingredient that actually improves it’s efficacy when used in conjunction with Argireline.  Since these are among the best-selling products in the anti aging industry, it’s apparent that a lot of the success can be credited to Lipotec for making such amazing ingredients.

Final Word on Argireline:

Argireline® is available in many of the top-selling anti aging products. If you are looking to treat expression wrinkles or "eye wrinkles," this is an ingredient you should look for in the products you buy.  The best part of Argireline is that it’s non-invasive and effective.  One could conclude that it MAY not be as effective as Botox®, but if you are looking for the best anti aging ingredient around, Argireline has to come to mind. 

To download a full informational packet on Argireline, click here to visit Lipotec. 

While you probably associate seaweed as a tangy seasoning on many famous Asian dishes, many spa aficionados think of seaweed as a highly popular spa treatment ingredient.  Some of the most famous spa’s include many seaweed skin care treatments, including the Seaweed Mask available at the world-class Four Seasons Resort.  There are many seaweed body treatments available at other spa’s such as the Seaweed Body Wrap that is offered at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida. 

Seaweed is also a potent eye cream ingredient.  But what exactly does seaweed extract do for the skin underneath the eyes? 

Seaweed, like the high-powered cosmeceutical ingredient Haloxyl, works wonders on dark circles around the eyes.  It’s also very soothing upon application,and it works well on puffy eyes.  Seaweed extract is very refreshing, and many optometry insiders will agree that people who wear eyeglasses will feel a very refreshing feeling when they apply a seaweed extract eye cream after removing their eyeglasses.  The soothing, cool feeling comes from the skin being rejuvenated with the natural actives contained in the seaweed extract.  For this reason, many eye creams are using a high concentration of seaweed extract.

Asian history has brought us many of the world’s natural wonders.  Seaweed is another prime example of how the Asians have brought wellness to the modern world. 

In one of the latest new eye cream fads, La Prairie has successfully blended caviar into it’s eye cream.  La Prairie’s "Skin Caviar" Luxe Eye Lift Cream retails for $295.00 at Nordstrom. 

Only people with deep pockets can afford to spend around $300 for an eye cream.  However, since this is made by La Prairie, who has an entire line of skin care products that use caviar as an ingredient, we thought we would take a closer look at this hyped eye cream.

Here is the description of the eye cream taken from the Nordstrom website:

"This luxurious treatment targets the seven most prominent eye-area agers: fine lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness, loss of elasticity, puffiness, dark under-eye circles and dryness. Uniquely formulated with a new biopolymer protein, Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream uses a cross-linking technology and forms a continuous and smooth film, helping to firm, lift and restore skin’s youthful appearance. It also contains caviar extracts that help firm and nourish, along with exclusive Cellular Complex that helps stimulate skin’s natural repair process. Marine lifting complex helps to firm and replump skin. Algae extract helps reduce dark under-eye circles and brightens the entire eye area by stimulating collagen synthesis. Sea algae extract and vitamin E help moisturize and rejuvenate the skin, tightening and firming while providing antioxidant benefits. Skin regains youthful bounce, fine lines and wrinkles recede, puffiness is reduced, dark circles brighten, moisture renews and skin is firmer and more radiant."

While we don’t give a lot of merit to what marketing companies say about their product (remember, they are trying to sell you a product), we have done extensive research about the caviar ingredient, so we will break it down in layman’s terms. 

Basically, research shows that caviar is loaded with protein, vitamins, and minerals.  It also has a cell format that is very similar to that of human skin.  By speeding up collagen growth, it works to simulate the skin, creating a plumping affect that leaves the skin with a more firm, youthful appearance. 

Here are some other benefits of using caviar as an anti aging eye cream ingredient:

• Refreshes skin, leaving a pearly finish.
• Antioxidant value = protects against free radical damage
• Moisturizes and soothes the skin
• Improves elasticity

Now you are probably saying to yourself that many other eye cream ingredients make similar claims.  That is certainly true, and many eye cream ingredients share the same properties once they are applied to the human skin. 

Can we reccomend the La Prairie Eye Caviar?  The price is certainly steep, and there are many other eye creams out there formulated to do the same thing, that sell at a much lower price point, such as the Elite Serum.  However, if you are fascinated by this eye cream, and have $300 burning a hole in your pocket, go ahead and give it a shot. Please get back to us and leave us your comments, or better yet, send us a detailed eye cream review to info@eyecream.com.  We just may publish it!

In a recent edition of New Beauty, experts looked at the use of stem cells in an eye serum.  Here is what one expert, named Dr. Naidu, had to say:

"Theoretically, using apple stem cells on the skin may protect it from the aging effects of UV rays, and it may also help to stimulate antioxidants and skin healing.  But we really need more data to determine if they act in the same manner as human stem cells."

Apple stem cells are believed to regenerate damaged adult skin cells, protecting them from environmental aggressors to reduce the appearance of expression lines, facial wrinkles, and uneven skin tone.  While this is a relatively new, unproven concept, the fact remains that companies continue to manufacture stem cell eye creams and retailing them with hefty prices. 

Caffeine has been used as an effective ingredient in eye creams to reduce the swelling in the eye is that can lead to dark circles. As well as allowing you to reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles, caffeine can also be an effective way to reduce the fine lines that can appear throughout the eye area, even those area that are prone to crow’s feet.

Caffeine is a powerful antioxidant when placed on the skin and therefore is the reason for the popular ingredient being used in a variety of skin care products. There are many products that include caffeine that is derived from natural coffee beans, as well as other products that are able to naturally produce caffeine like derivatives.

What are the other benefits of using caffeine as a topical treatment to reduce the appearance of the multiple signs of aging? Caffeine that is placed on the surface of the skin provides the skin with a diuretic effect, and can create the appearance of smoother skin. Through this process, the skin is smoothed, as it is filled with moisture. Once the skin has been puffed and the moisture levels have been renewed, it can be simple to increase the appearance within the skin. Providing the skin with these high levels of antioxidants can be an effective way to increase moisture, while creating the youthful appearance within the skin that comes with a healthy glow.

As a powerful antioxidant when applied to the skin, there are many topical treatments that are concentrated in other ingredients that use caffeine to supplement the results that can be seen through the skin care line. To reduce the toxins within the skin can be simple with ingredients like caffeine – as reducing toxins in the skin can immediately reduce the signs of aging within the skin.

There are many eye creams that are available that contain effective ingredients in combination with caffeine. What are some of the popular eye cream ingredients that are combined with caffeine to create positive results through the skin around the eye area? Other ingredients that are combined with caffeine are those that can increase the amount of moisture that is absorbed within the skin, as well as other powerful antioxidants in the skin

There have been multiple studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of caffeine when used as a topical treatment and this is the reason that the ingredient has been used in such a wide variety of products.

Although Retinol A is a popular ingredient, many consumers are unsure about the origins of the popular compound which has a high ability to fight fine lines and wrinkles within the skin. It is derived from Vitamin A and can be an effective way to reduce the damage which is associated with aging skin, in the form of fine lines and wrinkles.

What makes retinol A such an effective way to reduce the appearance of wrinkles in the skin? Retinol encourages the production of compounds which can create new skin cells as well as rejuvenate the skin cells that have become ineffective. In the instance that these skin cells are rejuvenated they can allow the individual to have healthier appearing skin that can produce natural moisturizers that are present within the compounds of the skin. When the skin is moisturized and collagen production is adequate the skin can appear youthful.

Through the natural process of aging, the skin begins to lose the ability to produce adequate levels of collagen and begins to lose the moisture which is associated with the skin. This natural process can cause the skin to appear weaker, thinner and can thereby leave the skin susceptible to lines from constantly movements, such as the furrowing of the brow or smiling. To reduce these lines a moisturizer should be used daily as well, compounds which contain Retinol A should be applied to the skin on a regular basis.

Retinol A is also effective at removing discolorations on the face and other parts of the skin which are associated with aging. These

The main reason why the skin around the eyes is prone to being affected by age is because it is attached to the eyes and not composed of any fat or oil glands that normally act as a shield for protection. Never the less, one’s lifestyle involving an increase in stress can cause the formation and heaviness of dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles underneath the eyes. Some are shocked to know that women nowadays, even in their twenties, start investing in therapeutic eye creams and will even start applying them on a daily basis to prevent aging and to insure healthy skin around the eye area.

The use of eye creams are essential components needed to assist in natural regrowth of lost collagen that causes the symptoms of age. However, this is only true if the ingredients included in the eye cream work to rejuvenate DNA, thus creating new, fresh skin around the eyes, which essentially reversed the signs of aging.

The ‘marquee’ ingredients to look for when choosing an eye cream are Hyaluronic Acid, Haloxyl, Acai Berry, Resveratrol, Aloe Vera, GABA and Argireline. When choosing an eye cream, these are the ingredients you want to look for.

Consequently, while Matrixyl is an effective anti-wrinkle solution, it is counter-productive in an eye cream as it does not absorb into the very sensitive skin around the eyes. This leads to an undesirable white residue being left following application.

Argireline is clinically proven to reduce wrinkles around the eyes. Manufactured by Center Chem, studies have shown a wrinkle reduction of up to 50% within 30 days on wrinkles around the eyes, particularly ‘crows feet’. Although very expensive, Argireline is the most important of all eye cream ingredients, as nothing on the market comes close to replicating its significant deep wrinkle reduction.

For reducing dark circles and puffiness under the eyes, the only ingredient clinically proven to eliminate this is Haloxyl. It works almost instantly upon application to reverse the pigmentation causing dark circles and at the same time effectively drains the bags under the eyes that cause the undesirable puffiness effect. Another ingredient called Eyeliss claims to have similar effects, however recent research has proven that it is largely ineffective compared to Haloxyl and does not absorb well into the sensitive skin around the eyes.

Hyaluronic Acid is an essential ultra-moisturizer that allows the skin to give off a younger, healthier look. It is also an excellent substance to prevent the loss and damage of collagen along with elastin that both play the role of holding the skin tightly together and keeping the skin firm preventing aging wrinkles.

Antioxidants like Acai Berry and Resveratrol are beneficial to the skin to help remove any dead skin cells or impurities which will exhilarate and revitalize the skin surrounding the eyes. These antioxidants also work extremely well together with Hyaluronic Acid to help in the creation of new skin cells and to ensure their proper function.

GABA works fast to keep the facial muscles tense free and relaxed. Having tensed facial muscles is habitually done all day long, leading to be one of the highest contributors to the formation of wrinkles. Furthermore, the addition of GABA is what gives an eye cream the ‘instant effect’ of eliminating wrinkles upon application.

Obviously consumers should search for an eye cream that contains as many of the forementioned ingredients as possible. Argireline and Haloxyl are very expensive and it is very rare to find both in an eye cream. This combination is extremely effective in reducing wrinkles around the eyes, crows feet, dark circles and puffiness.

Eyeliss is claimed to reduce bags and puffiness in result of built-up fluid, mend fragile capillaries and loss of elasticity. However, recent clinical research has found that it is highly ineffective, and Haloxyl is a much better alternative for reducing symptoms of puffy eyes. Avoid eye creams that contain Eyeliss.

Homeo Age is included in many cheaper eye creams. Intended to stimulate growth of cells and protect the delicate skin surrounding the eyes. It is an extract from Canadian algae. Clinical studies have shown that this ingredient does not reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and crows feet. However, it really has little therapeutic effect.

Argireline is an essential component to any premium eye cream. It is the only ingredient proven clinically to reduce wrinkles and fine lines around the eye. Studies have shown wrinkle reductions of up to 50% within 30 days of use of an eye cream that contains Argirilene.