Hey everyone, happy March!! One month closer to summer! Woo hoo!!
With so many skincare buzzwords on the market, and a flood of ingredients that don’t actually do anything, I often get asked for recommendations. Recently, a friend was asking about anti-aging ingredients. Of course, the first ingredients that came to mind first were SPF, Vitamin C and other antioxidants, retinoids, AHAs/BHAs, peptides, and hydrators.
An ingredient that isn’t seen as much as others is human growth factor. A while back, another friend of mine who’s a medical practitioner and I went to a consultation for cosmetic injections. When I went back for an event, the doctor’s office had switched the brand of skincare products they offered, due to a specific ingredient- one that mimics human growth factor.
Dr. Ball told us that one of the best anti-aging ingredients is actual human growth factor, but it’s not approved for OTC use in the United States. The most common way, up until now, was to get it in a dermatologist’s office, from your own blood plasma, during a “vampire” facial. The next best thing is to use an ingredient that functions in a similar manner. He noted that one of the best ways to tell if a skincare ingredient really works is that pharmaceutical companies will start using it, or buying up brands that contain the ingredient (Ball, 2016).
So, you can imagine how excited I was to try another product from Jan Marini- Transformation Face Cream! If you’ve read our previous posts about the brand, then you may already know this is one of the few brands that’s trusted by, and sold in, doctors’ offices. As such, I haven’t been disappointed in anything I’ve tried from them. It also makes sense that Jan Marini would have up-to-date and effective formulations, right?
According to the brand, this product is an advanced, patented formula that will help reduce the visible signs of aging while hydrating the skin. The cream will purportedly make skin appear immediately smoother, with a silky softness, from the first application (Jan Marini, 2014).
Well, the Jan Marini Transformation Face Cream not only contains my top anti-aging ingredients, which you’re likely already familiar with- peptides, antioxidants, and a fave hydrator, hyaluronic acid, but it also contains TGF Beta-1 and patented Thymosin Beta-4. So, what are these science-y sounding ingredients, you ask?
TGF Beta-1, or transforming growth factor beta 1, is a cytokine (protein) that was first discovered in human platelets. Now, remember those vampire facials? The reason they work is because they use your blood, stick it into a centrifuge, then put the “good stuff” on your face, usually following microneedling or some other procedure.
TGF Beta-1, also known as rh-polypeptide-22, was used in a study shown to significantly reduce many of the visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, pore size, texture, hydration, redness, and color (Weiss & Weiss, 2014). Sounds pretty great, right? Now, I know some of you may be wondering if Jan Marini added blood to the cream- NO.
The ingredient listed for Transformation Face Cream is sh-polypeptide-22, a synthetic human peptide, produced using biotechnology in living cells. The gene they start with is a synthesized copy of the human gene that codes for the proper protein. These synthetic human proteins play a large role in maintaining skin structure, as well as aiding epidermal and dermal cellular communication (Plantaderma, n.d.). In short, it addresses the visible signs of aging previously mentioned.
Thymosin Beta-4 is a naturally occurring peptide that’s found in most all human and animal cells. It not only has anti-inflammatory properties, but also plays a part in collagen production, and is a potent wound repair factor and aids in building healthy cells (Peptide Sciences, 2017).
Jan Marini Transformation Face Cream contains sh-Oligopeptide-4, a synthesized patented version of Thymosin Beta-4. This ingredient is used in skin care products due to its anti-wrinkle and skin lifting action (SpecialChem, 2018). But, Jan Marini didn’t stop there…
The ingredient list is chock full of good stuff, including… MORE PEPTIDES! Myristoyl Pentapeptide-8, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-11, and sh-polypeptide-9, all help boost collagen and address fine lines and wrinkles. I really like that they used more than type of peptide, kind of like you need to all sorts of proteins- chicken, beans, etc., not just one. Make sense?
So, if the peptides (proteins) are the “meats” of this skin nourishing cream, the other ingredients are like fruits and veggies, rounding out a well-balanced “diet.” Retinyl palmitate, a retinoid, is less irritating than stronger retinol, but is effective, especially when combined with other anti-aging ingredients.
Vitamins E and C help boost collagen and provide antioxidant protection; hyaluronic acid, squalane, dimethicone, aloe, and sodium PCA all provide hydration. So, the Jan Marini Transformation Face Cream is an absolutely stellar formula!
If you’ve kept up with us, you know I’m a sucker for fancy-schmancy packaging! Having had acne as a teen, all the prescription meds and skincare I had were in utilitarian, plain white plastic bottles. So, I really love the sleek clear and silver packaging Jan Marini uses- and this jar is no exception, it looks so fab and mod on my counter!
The only negative with jar packaging is that not only can the cream become contaminated by repeatedly dipping fingers into it, but the ingredients can degrade and become unstable with repeated exposure to air and light (Kaur, Kapila & Agrawal, 2007). But, with such a great formula, the packaging is not a deterrent. I simply transferred a bit into a travel sized squeeze bottle; you could also use a cosmetic spatula to dip out the cream to prevent contamination.
When I opened the jar, the first thing I noticed was the scent- it’s similar to the C-ESTA Serum (see more here), but lighter. If you’re sensitive to fragrance, I don’t think this will be a problem because it’s not very strong, and it dissipates quickly. The cream is rich, but not heavy, if that makes sense. It’s very hydrating, yet sinks right into my oily/combo skin with no problems.
I really like how fast the cream seems to absorb, without any stickiness or greasy feeling. Since it has dimethicone, a silicone, it made my skin feel really soft and smooth right away. Contrary to what many people seem to believe, this is a fantastic ingredient- it’s used by dermatologists and plastic surgeons, it provides hydration, and can help with scars and texture. However, it’s a very light feeling, not overly “silicone-y” like a primer. It wears well under makeup and with other skincare products, and I haven’t noticed any balling up of product.
I’ve been using this in the morning and at night, and my skin stays hydrated. This is fantastic, because having oily skin, if I let my face dry out, it will over-produce the icky oil. While I can’t attest to long-term results yet, the lasting hydration leaves my fine lines plumped up, so my skin appears much smoother, and really seems to glow. They weren’t lying when they said you could see results with the first application!
The only negative I can think of would be that this stuff is a bit pricey at $105. However, I’ve tried other products in the $300-$700 range that aren’t nearly as well-formulated or effective. With the solid science behind the ingredients, and the fact that it’s so concentrated (the instructions even say to apply sparingly!), it’s well worth it. Since I have a separate product for my neck and only use this on my face, this jar will easily last several months.
With such an outstanding formula, it’s no wonder Transformation Face Cream was a winner of the 2017 ASCP Skin Deep Readers’ Choice Awards, and Jan Marini was voted “Best Skin Care System” by New Beauty magazine seven years in a row. I’m over the moon with this formula, and urge you to check it out ASAP at JanMarini.com!
Sources:
Ball, W. (2016). Personal consultation. William Ball, M.D., Cane River Surgery Center.
Jan Marini (2014), Transformation Face Cream. Jan Marini Skin Research. Retrieved February 28, 2018, from www.janmarini.com.
Kaur, I., Kapila, M. & Agrawal, R. (2007). Role of novel delivery systems in developing topical antioxidants as therapeutics to combat photoageing. Ageing Research Reviews, 6(4). Retrieved February 28, 2018, from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Peptide Sciences (2017). Thymosin Beta-4. Peptide Sciences. Retrieved March 1, 2018, from www.peptidesciences.com.
SpecialChem (2018). Technical data sheet. CG-Thymosin-B4. Retrieved March 1, 2018, from www.specialchem.com.
Weiss, R. & Weiss, M. (2014). Containing cycloastragenol, growth factors, peptides, and antioxidants. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 13(9). Retrieved March 1, 2018, from www.jddonline.com.
