Growth factor serums is something that I have been intrigued by for some years. I've written about them before (even this week) so I won't get really into them in detail. Think cultured stem cells that produce proteins that are collected for skincare (there are no cells in these serums and the same donor cells can produce these proteins once cultured for decades). The end result from growth factors is glowing pregnancy like skin that's healthy and revitalized. Growth factors give my skin that bounce back, elasticity and healthy feel. It's my favorite type of rejuvenation. I'm on a quest to try more this year and I've tried quite a few so far. As basic tips growth factors serums should be applied first after cleansing closest to the skin for most effectiveness (they're expensive you want them to work right?) and don't use on same nights as acids as they have the potential to break down the protein bonds of your expensive serum. Yes they are more effective when used twice a day but a lot of times I only use at night in order to use an acid toner in the daytime. You adjust to your needs.
I finally tried the SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum early last year. Very late review. It's one of the most expensive growth factor serums o n the market which is why it took me a few years to cave and try it. This product has a dual chamber approach with one side being the growth factor complex and one being the peptide/antioxidant/treatment side. You pump both sides and mix before applying. Details per SkinMedica:
This all-in-one skin rejuvenating serum improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, skin tone and texture. TNS Essential Serum® offers a combination of the renowned growth factor formula, TNS Recovery Complex® in one chamber and APS Corrective Complex in the other.
Benefits
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Enhances skin texture
- Enhances skin tone
Chamber 1: TNS Recovery Complex®
- Human Fibroblast Conditioned Media (TNS®) A physiologically balanced, naturally secreted and stabilized growth factor blend that helps improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, skin tone and texture.
Chamber 2: APS Corrective Complex
- Peptides help support skin: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Hydrolyzed Silk (Sericin), Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
- Ergothioneine (EGT) An antioxidant with free radical scavenging properties.
- Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) An antioxidant that helps to counteract free radical damage and works synergistically with vitamin E.
- Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract A natural antioxidant rich in polyphenols.
- Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate A stable form of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), a proven antioxidant.
- Tocopheryl Acetate A form of vitamin E, an antioxidant and free-radical scavenger.
- Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Leaf Extract A natural antioxidant rich in polyphenols
- Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate A bio-optimized yeast extract that helps prevent free radical damage.
- Alpha-Arbutin Brightens skin.
- Hyaluronic Filling Spheres Dehydrated filling spheres, containing hyaluronic acid, help trap water on the surface of the skin like a sponge.
You can see the two colors here pumped out. Then I mixed them shown below before applying.
The texture overall is a light creamy gel serum. It sinks in quickly. This product has a lot of nice things about it, SkinMedica is most definitely at the forefront as far as growth factor technology as one of the pioneers and leaders for a long time. They really helped put growth factors on the map so to speak. I was extremely excited to try this serum as I've heard tons of rave reviews about it. My thoughts are fairly easy. I like the texture, the scent is terrible (hugely fragranced like white floral that made me choke a bit), I hated the pump as one side would at time squirt nothing while the other would squirt too much. It was such an effort to pump each side paying attention to get equal amounts, they never seemed to be equal and and it felt like one day I got tons of growth factor and one day tons of the other peptide side.
I do feel like the product was effective as far as giving me that pregnancy glow and nice healthy skin feel, however the negatives of the scent and pump put me off so much that I did not repurchase. There are other growth factor brands that give me a similar feel on my skin such as AnteAGE, Neocutis (original) and hMSC Skincare without the scent or pump issue. I loved that SkinMedica has the peptides and antioxidants as well as growth factors (unlike the other mentioned brands though Neocutis has a new peptide/growth factor serum) for a truly one and done serum minus a retinoid. That makes the price more in line with the others. They also recently reformulated to make it not only more potent, but fragrance free, they fixed the pump issue and I've heard it's absolutely amazing. So stay tuned.
*One last thing I would like to add about growth factors is that they seem to give better results to more mature skin. I notice the effects more now than I did even five years ago. So they're not a product I think everyone needs to go out and use, but if you're close to 40 or so you might look into a beginning level one. I started to really notice better results from them around 40+ than before as far as lifting, tightening and firming plus yes the pregnancy glow as I call it. They're expensive in general because they're expensive to make so it's not one you're going to find a budget version of. With these I've noticed they are not all equal and some are most definitely better than others. In all honesty in my 20s and even most of my 30s I would've never spent the kind of money on these that they cost. But if you're 40ish and above they're well worth looking into. Not saying you can't use them when you're younger if you want to invest, they're just a pricey investment I didn't have back then plus the rewards weren't as great as they are now for me.
Ingredients
Human Fibroblast Conditioned Media, Water/Aqua/Eau, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Unsaponifiables, Alpha-Arbutin, Isoceteth-20, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Dimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ergothioneine, Hydrolyzed Sericin, Phospholipids, Ubiquinone, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Aminobutyric Acid, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Tocotrienols, Squalene, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax (Oryza Sativa Cera), Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-10, Steareth-20, Butylene Glycol, Maltodextrin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum/Fragrance, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Coumarin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Isoeugenol
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