Update 7/9/22. Have you heard of the anti-wrinkle cream Hydroxatone? The Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex is said to cause a 68% decrease in fine lines and wrinkles! Impressive, but does it work? I've wanted to review Hydroxatone ever since I heard their commercial saying Hydroxatone was given away at the Emmy Awards. The name Hydroxatone is interesting and probably suggests that this anti-aging cream is supposed to hydrate and tone the skin. Also see the reviews of Halo Beauty and Principal Secret Reclaim.
Hydroxatone Ingredients
The product website (Hydroxatone.com), reveals there are actually MANY different skincare products. I will focus this Hydroxatone review on two of the main anti-aging products:
I will do this because both of these Hydroxatone creams contain the exact same active ingredients. Those ingredients are:
- Matrixyl3000
- Argireline
- Hyaluronic Acid
Let's look at the ingredients individually and see what we can discover.
Matrixyl3000
Matrixyl3000 is an invented, trademarked word used to describe a compound that is supposed to stimulate the skin to increase its production of collagen, one of the main proteins in the skin. The scientific name for this ingredient is “matrikines.”
Basically, matrikines are small chains of amino acid peptides (proteins). These small peptides act like growth factors seem to play a role in cell division. In anti-aging creams like Hydroxatone, the hope is that Matrixyl3000 tells the skin to make more collagen and elastin, in essence helping to rejuvenate the skin.
There is some preliminary research on matrikines and skin repair. This is promising however there are not many studies and that is what we'd need to see to know how effective they really were.
Argireline
Argireline is basically “botox cream.” Researchers actually call Argireline “botox” in research studies. Argireline is
It's rare to see companies call attention to the Botox-like effects of Argireline. I wonder if this is because botox is an FDA-regulated drug?
Argireline Clincal Resaerch
Watch on my Youtube channel if you prefer
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is added to many skin creams because it improves the hydration of the skin. So, if you could plump up the skin by increasing hydration, this might reduce wrinkles. One has noted a hyaluronic acid gel improved the appearance of aging hands.
Test tube studies also seem to show that hyaluronic acid reduces inflammation of skin cells. In theory, studies like these might indicate that adding hyaluronic acid to skin creams could be a smart idea.
The 3 key ingredients in Hydroxatone can also be found in other products. For example, here is a product that has the same ingredients.
The Hydroxatone website also claims that the AM/PM anti-wrinkle cream can provide defense against the sun. The sunscreen ingredients they
- Octinoxate (7.5%)
- Octocrylene (4.5%)
- Oxybenzone (3.5%)
It's worth noting that Cetaphil facial moisturizer has an SPF of 50 —and only costs about $15. That's a LOT less than Hydroxatone.
Hydraxatone Research
While the AM/PM cream itself doesn't seem to have clinical research, the ingredients seem logical for anti-wrinkle cream. The AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex does have a “clinical results” page but does not list any research there. Rather this page contains two sets of before and after pictures along with some very vague statistics that say:
- 100% agree Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex improves the overall appearance of my skin.
- 100% agree Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex improves skin moisturization.
- 97% agree Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex improves my skin texture and smoothness.
- 97% would recommend Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex to their friends.
But, this does not tell us anything. For example:
- Who are these people who say Hydroxatone is so great?
- How many people were in this survey —10 people or 1,000 people?
- What were the ages of these people?
- Were they women, or both men and women?
- Where was this “clinical research” published?
Since I can't find any answers to these questions, I think this is more fluff than science.
At one time, there was a reference to a study showing “90% of women surveyed noticed a visible reduction in fine lines and wrinkles” but this is followed by the statement “based on a consumer perception study.” That's fancy talk for they asked some people if they thought it worked and tallied up the results. But again, they didn't publish this research in a dermatology medical journal. Why?
Still, if the pictures they show on the Hydroxatone.com website are untouched (and I have no reason to think they aren't), then the reduction in wrinkles is definitely noticeable.
Contact Hydroxatone
From the Better Business Bureau, we find Hydroxatone LLC has an A+ rating and is located at: 100 Town Square Place, Fl. 6 Jersey City, NJ 07310. The company was started in 2005.
Phone: 201-942-3490
Hydroxatone And The Emmy Awards
At one time, TV commercials used to say Hydroxatone was “given away in celebrity gift bags at this year's Emmy awards.” Why did Hydroxytone do this? It's smart marketing. Basically, they gave it away to celebrities so they could associate themselves with those Hollywood celebrities.
This subconsciously says to all of us “if celebrities use Hydroxatone, it must be good.” But, just because they gave it away to celebrities, does not mean that those celebrities actually used Hydroxitone. Bottom line: This is just a method to market products.
Hydroxatone Side Effects
Does Hydroxatone have any side effects? Well, I didn't see anybody saying it did anything terrible. That said, if you search for “Argireline” some people warn that it might cause skin sagging, due to its botox effects. I think this is rare but its something to keep in mind. Fortunately, if it does happen I believe the effect is only temporary. To test, use on a small part of the skin at first to see what happens.
In one small study, the researchers noted Argireline extended the time between Botox treatments with no side effects. So, basically, you would not need as many botox injections if you used it.
Be sure to check the comments here, comments on Amazon, and in the review of Principal, Secret Reclaim to see if anybody mentioned skin sagging from Argireline or any other side effects.
Does Hydroxatone Work?
If the ingredients in the Hydroxatone AM/PM cream and Intensive Wrinkle cream do what they are alleged to do, then I can understand how these ingredients might work together to help temporarily rejuvenate skin to a more youthful appearance. Argireline is likely the key anti-wrinkle ingredient. Remember the effect is only temporary.