I came across this Cellese AnteAGE Serum last year while looking up ingredients one day, and decided to give it a try. It seemed quite interesting as I hadn't ventured into the clinical skincare world yet. Per AnteAGE:
Our serum contains the highest concentration of stem cytokine nanospheres* combined with additional actives that act in concert at the cellular level.
Restore your skin’s ability to heal itself with AnteAGE® regenerating serum. This elegant serum quickly absorbs into your skin, utilizing nanotechnology to deliver a powerhouse of physiologically balanced Stem Cytokines™, Potent Peptides, and Protective Antioxidants.
KEY ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
- Stem Cytokines™
- Carnosine
- Niacinamide (vit B3) Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
- Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 Yerba Maté
- GreenTea Extract Catechins & Flavonoids
Cellese scientists capture these regenerative cells from healthy human adults and grow them in a unique laboratory environment, coaxing them to create an abundance of cytokines. Cytokines play many roles, but the ones we are interested in are those resulting in a transformation of skin’s appearance. Beautification chemicals, if you will. Human cytokines or stem cells is something I have not tried yet, I've tried fruit or rose stem cells so that's why this was so interesting for me to try. The idea may bother some so it's not for everyone. If you read the FAQ here they explain they get them from volunteers and how they go about producing the cytokines. Per Cellese's website:
AnteAGE is derived from stem cells, but not just any type. Mesenchymal stems cells are the human body’s natural reservoir of beautifying chemicals called cytokines. They are abundant in our youth, but disappear with age.
Stem cytokines represent a unique and powerful approach to enhancing your skin's appearance; one that is scientifically advanced and yet completely natural to your skin.
If you want to read more about cytokines you can go here and here. The creators of this serum run barefacedtruth.com which is kind of like Paula's Choice Beautypedia, they talk about science and skin care and ingredients, if you're into that kind of reading.
I have now finished a full bottle, I used this at night only as my main serum besides an AHA. This comes in a 30 ml pump and retails for a pricey $150. The pump is airless so there's no degradation of ingredients which is my preferred packaging. It's a little bulky for my medicine cabinet but that's my only complaint. I was not able to use this with their Accelerator as recommended (as it contains retinol) because of my recent pregnancy. I'm sure it works better with that, maybe one day I'll test them both together again.
The color is a pale yellow cream, it's not a thin liquid serum, it's a thicker liquid. It has no scent I can detect which is great. It's mildly hydrating and absorbs in a minute or two. It wasn't greasy, didn't break me out, I had no irritation so that was all great. This plays well with others so no layering worries there.
So did it work? I saw a difference in as little as three weeks with nightly use. With consistent use I did notice an improvement in the evenness of my skin tone. I also noticed my skin looked plumper and it just had this radiance to it. You need to use this consistently to get good noticeable results. Using here or there won't get you the full effect. If you try this serum I recommend you use it daily and consistently. It helped my forehead fine lines some, they didn't go away fully, but as soon as I stopped using AnteAGE I noticed the radiance and overall plump look went down hill. Bummer. My forehead lines also got a little worse.
I hate it when the expensive serums work because like everyone else I'm always hoping to find that great one for cheaper. I've been on a big serum journey the last year. I feel like a serum addict as they're my favorite area of skincare. Serums are the most concentrated and allow you to really target a specific skincare concern. You can also layer several to address multiple needs
You can pick up AnteAGE HERE.
INGREDIENTS
Deioinzed Water
Human Bone Marrow Stem Cell Cytokines
Water (and) Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Glycerin (and) Butylene Glycol (and) Aqua (water) (and)
Carbomer (and) Polysorbate-20 (and) Palmitoyl Oligopeptide (and)
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3
Niacinamide
Polyacrylate 13 (and) Polyisobutene (and) Polysorbate 20
Dimethyl Isosorbide
1% or below (in order of preference):
llex paraguariensis (Mate) Leaf Extract (and) Maltodextrin
Water [Aqua] (and) Pentylene Glycol (and) Carnosine
Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Chlorphenesin
Disodium EDTA
Edit 2024: This was the first human derived growth factor serum I had tried. I've tried many more since. I still love this serum, though I prefer the more concentrated MD version. This does give you that nice healthy glow, helps plump, reduce fine lines and keep my skin more resilient.