The Truth about Stem Cell Creams

You may have seen advertisements for facial creams that include stem cells — sounds very impressive, right? Wrong! While no one loves skincare innovation more than me, I only like it when it’s real. Don’t let companies’ marketing materials draw you in and stop you from seeing the plain truth that’s based on scientific facts. Here are 5 debunked myths about stem cell face creams:

Myth # 1: Stem cells grow in cream
Cells need to grow in an environment specifically suited to them. If they are grown in such an environment and then transferred to the cream, they will die. Therefore, it’s impossible for these creams to include live stem cells.

Myth #2: Stem cells can penetrate the skin

Stem cells cannot penetrate the skin — they are too big. Even molecules thousands of times smaller can’t penetrate the skin. Writing that cells “penetrate the skin” is like saying you can enter a house from its keyhole.

Myth #3: We know everything there is to know about stem cells
At this point, we don’t really know how stem cells work in the body or how to stimulate them to activity. Therefore, there is no scientific proof that creams containing stem cells are better than others.

Myth #4: Rejection isn’t an issue
If you insert the cells of another living being into your body, your body will reject them, just as transplanted organs are rejected. The only way your body would accept foreign cells is with drugs that suppress the immune system.

Myth #5: Growth factors produced from stem cells can penetrate the skin
Some manufacturers make it a point to state that their creams include growth factors produced from stem cells. Growth factors are proteins, and proteins cannot penetrate the skin because they are too big. If we were to suspend our disbelief and say that they actually could penetrate the skin, the issue of growth factors is as of yet unknown to us. Their functions are complicated and complex, varying according to person, weather, internal body functions, and other factors.

The bottom line?
Skin care professionals and consumers should consider carefully before they waste time and money on products that promise miracles. Do a little digging before paying a lot of money for “wonder products” that won’t work or deliver results.