Update. 7/7/21. Is the secret to looking younger right inside you? That’s what they say on the website for Stem Cell Therapy by BioLogic Solutions. Basically, this is a topical anti-aging cream that’s supposed to work on the cellular level to stimulate your own collagen stem cells to start to repair damaged skin and erase wrinkles.
Is Stem Cell Therapy cream a scam or the real deal? Well, Biologic Solutions – the maker of the product – calls this “a newly discovered secret to rejuvenating aging skin” and that you can look “up to 15 years younger starting the very first day”! WOW! Pretty powerful words – and more so, when you see the doctors talking about how great it is in the commercial. I was intrigued by the before and after pictures in the Stem Cell Therapy cream commercial so I reviewed their website (stemcellskinrepair.com) to see what I could discover in case you were as curious as I was.
On the website, they say that if you use Stem Cell Therapy cream that it can:
- Increase production of new skin cells by 57%
- Re-activate stem cells to stimulate fresh, new skin cell production
- Increase natural collagen production by 80%
- Decrease wrinkle appearance 56% in 30 days
- Increase elastin synthesis by 61%
- Decrease Wrinkle Appearance up to 56%
Below these amazing claims you see that these statistics are based on:
A single pilot study of 15 people who used only one of the active ingredients.
In other words, this study was not on Stem Cell Therapy cream itself, but rather on only one of its ingredients. Which ingredient was it? They don’t tell you.
A pilot study is a preliminary investigation. It usually leads to a more comprehensive study down the road if researchers find something interesting. While the claims made about Stem Cell Therapy cream sound pretty interesting, that more comprehensive study does not seem to exist because I can’t find it on the product's website.
According to the Better Business Bureau, Biologic Solutions has been around since 1994. What have they been doing since then to study this product?
In addition, Biologic Solutions does not share the name of the pilot study or authors either, which leads me to believe that the pilot study may not be published or peer-reviewed.
Does Stem Cell Therapy remove wrinkles?
If you watch the video on the Stem Cell Therapy website you see someone’s wrinkles disappear. But in the small print on the video, you see that the video has been “dramatized”. In other words, they enhanced the video to make it look more dramatic. What’s up with that?
Stem Cell Therapy Cream Ingredients
The Stem Cell Therapy website does not tell you what the ingredients of the product are. At several other websites, I discovered that the stem cell cream contains 3 ingredients:
- Phyko-AI-PF
- Mitostime
- Seractin
Let’s take a closer look at these compounds and see what we can figure out. I’m going to list these out of order below because I want to show you something.
Mitostime
The “mito” part of this name is a reference to the mitochondria which is an energy-generating part of our cells. The “stim” part in the name makes me think this compound somehow stimulates the mitochondria to work better.
One pdf file I found online called mitostime “the fountain of youth” and that it’s supposed to “rejuvenate aging skin cells by restoring protein synthesis activity by much as 37%”. Unfortunately, no proof is given to back up these claims.
The name Mitostime sounds trademarked to me. When I searched online, I found that another name for Mitostim is Laminaria digitata, which is a compound in brown seaweed. Another name for laminaria digitata is Algin.
I searched the National Library of Medicine for research conducted on:
- Laminaria digitata and wrinkles
- Laminaria digitata and mitochondria
- Laminaria digitata and stem cells
- Laminaria digitata and anti aging
- Laminaria digitata and Epithelium
I did the same thing for “Algin”. No studies were returned. So, there seems to be no good proof that this stuff helps wrinkles.
Phyko-AI-PF
According to the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) Phyko-AI-PF is another name for hydrolyzed Algin. But wait, isn’t that basically what Mitostime is – Algin?
So mitostime and Phyko-AI-PF are both basically the same thing – Algin. The only difference I can see is that Phyko-AI-PF has had some water added to it.
Seractin
This stuff is called a “youth compound” on some websites. The funny thing is when you Google Seractin, nobody wants to tell you what it is. Everybody just repeats what each other is saying. That says to me that even the websites that sell Stem Cell Therapy cream don’t know what Seractin is!
Seractin is obviously a name that holds no scientific meaning outside of Biologic Solutions. I say this with confidence because when I searched the National Library of Medicine for “Seractin”, no studies showed up. The same thing happens when I Google Seractin. That tells me nobody else is using the term “Seractin”. I honestly have no idea what this stuff is.
On the plus side, I was surprised that Stem Cell Therapy cream did not contain resveratrol, the most popular anti-aging product out there today. See the resveratrol review for more info about this supplement.
Who Is Dr. Lewis M. Feder?
Dr. Lewis Feder, a cosmetic surgeon, is featured on the Stem Cell Therapy TV commercial and the website of the product. Dr. Feder makes this very bold statement on the TV commercial:
“I would never recommend a product or therapy which does not work. Here, finally, is a topical cream that can help turn back your aging clock, helping you produce young skin cells like you did in your teens and twenties. This is anti-aging science at its best.”
Really? Does Dr. Feder – a scientist – consider a pilot study involving only 15 people and only 1 of the ingredients in Stem Cell Therapy cream “anti-aging science at its best”? On the stem cell cream website they tell you that :
“Dr. Feder is remunerated for examining and commenting on Stem Cell clinical data.”
So, Dr. Feder was paid for his testimonial. Regardless, what clinical data has Dr. Feder examined that convinced him to endorse this product so wholeheartedly?
Dr. Janice DiPietro
Janice DiPietro MD, FACS, a plastic surgeon, is also featured in the TV commercial and website for Stem Cell Therapy. In the commercial, Dr. DiPietro says:
“This formula turns on the switch that tells your own stem cells to start producing again”.
Producing… producing what? Notice Dr. DiPietro doesn't specifically tell you what it’s causing you to produce. It's a vague statement.
How Much Does Stem Cell Therapy Cost?
Stem Cell Therapy cream costs $49.95 (plus 4.95 shipping and handling) and if you order it on the website, they also give you an extra product free. Be aware that if you order Stem Cell Therapy cream, you are also enrolling in their “Stem Cell Replenishment Program” which is an autoship program. This means that they will send you more of the product every 30 days and will bill your credit card $29.95 each month plus $4.95 shipping and handling ($34.95 total each month). To cancel the auto-ship program you must call them at 1-877-329-4653.
Does Stem Cell Therapy Cream Work?
Here is Stem Cell Therapy on Amazon if you want to see what others are saying about it. Based on the very little research available on Stem Cell Therapy that I can see, I don’t think it will do much. But, ultimately I have no idea if it works or not, so my question to you is…
What do you think?
Awesome review.. best i have ever seen..keep up the good work!
Thanks Paula I appreciate you saying that 🙂
Thanks for your review. I am currently using the strilvectin-tl product. I don’t see any real results after about 3 weeks; but hope is eternal. At least they give you a full refund if not satisfied; including postage.
Maybe I’m hoping for too much and just should accept getting old. I would love for someone to do a research on what really works and what is just wishful thinking.
Thanks for your work looking into this product.
Carolyn, I don’t think there is anything wrong with not wanting to “get old” but because aging is a process that happens on several different “fronts”, I think its best tackled by a mulch-pronged approach. I looked at the neck cream you mentioned and while I have not reviewed it I noticed that its main ingredient contains niacin. I could be wrong but niacin has anti-inflammation properties so maybe that is why they are adding it to the neck cream? In any event, is it working for you?
Just off the top of my head, a few other general ideas I have that you can do to battle aging is
1. Eat more fruits and veggies. they have water and lots of natural antioxidants
2. Exercise – that includes both aerobic exercise (like walking) and a little resistance training (strength training). One recent study found that as little as 15 minutes of walking per day increased average lifespan by 3 years!
3. Eat a few less calories. Researchers have known for a long time that cutting back on calories extends life and reduces diseases. We live so long that we dont know if it works in people but in every other thing studied, it works. calorie restriction might extend life by 30% to 40%.
4. Floss your teeth. Research shows that gum disease and heart disease seem to be linked. Flossing may reduce heart disease
5. It goes without saying – but I ll say it anyway – don’t smoke. If you do, quit today.
6. Try to deal better with the stress in your life. that’s hard I know but stress can be very harmful to us if we deal with it poorly.
7. That neck cream you showed me looked pretty expensive. Have you ever seen a dermatologist? They might be able to offer other treatments that work better.
I hope some of this helps Carolyn. I don’t think you need to accept aging. It does happen – unfortunately – but that doesn’t mean we cant do anything about how we look on the outside – and inside.
If it makes you feel better, you are not alone in this quest. My grandmother lived to 104 years of age. I’m aiming for 140 🙂
Yes, try it and make the company richer and you poorer. LOL
Has anyone actually tried the product ? Please actually try it for 3 month at least before trashing it. please someone buy this product and try it
One has to try the product for some time (6 months or more?) before giving a complete review on this product, imho. It is, however, refreshing that the reviewer has researched the ingredients.
I pride myself in being and informed consumer, and have saved myself money and regret by doing so. In all of my investigations, I have never encountered such a great review. It was right on target, professional, and of course, extremely helpful. You just saved me money and grief. Thanks.
PS. Don’t you find it odd that someone whose bread and butter is plastic surgery would endorse/invent a product that would exterminate so much of his business!!!
Terry, thanks much I’m happy I was able to help and yes that’s a good observation on the plastic surgeon!
Thank you for this review. I would have bought this product today had I not run across your review. You saved me $50.
Erika, thanks for letting me know I was able to help you!
Thank you for an insightful article. Your honest research holds much more credibility than the supposed claims and/or “research” in the advertisement. Lots of folks out there have claimed to have found the “fountain of youth”, and they are perfectly willing to try to capitalize on it.
I have yet to see someone deliver with integrity. It seems that the simple tried and time-tested ways of regular exercise, a healthy diet, and a positive attitude, always prevail over the masses of transient money-making fads. It is important that we continue to maintain informative, honest communication with which we promote and inspire our collective education and well being. Thanks again!
JJ thanks for your nice words. I agree the “fountain of youth” phrase is tossed around way too much. I like your website. much success with it! As a physical therapist you may be interested in something I wrote about rhabdomyolysis at my personal website here is the link http://www.joe-cannon.com/rhabdomyolysis-personal-trainers-exercise-review-symptoms-fitness-bootcamp/
Happy 2012!
Joe- Nice job! I saw the commercial tonight, and thought it was kind of shady. Looked at their website and saw the “dramatization” bit, saw no links to scientific (peer reviewed) studies, etc. The little bit I know about skin creams, I heard in passing from a doctor years ago. The skin we see is dead. What’s alive is underneath. About the only thing skin creams do is to form a barrier to prevent/slow moisture loss (he said you might as well just put bacon grease on your face… not a good idea in my mind, but I’d bet my dog would love it!). You also need to remember that skin is a tough protective barrier. Not a whole lot gets thru, and for good reason. You’d need some kind of carrier substance to penetrate that barrier, something like DMSO. And isn’t current stem cell therapy given intravenously? Anyway, you did some great investigative work. Kudos.
Mary, thanks for your kind words and for adding what you did also. very well said!
Joe,
You inspired us to put together a (noncommercial) web site devoted to debunking myths and untruths about stem cell creams and similar skin care nonsense. Come check us out at http://www.barefacedtruth.com. We would really like to have you join us as a regular columnist. Could really use some expertise on the supplement side. Dr. John & Dr. George.
That’s great and I’m glad I could inspire you! Your website looks great. I will post it on my facebook page for you and try to send you some info on supplements.
Joe,
Thank you for the research. It helped to save me some money and probably a skin rash! Your research did all the foot work for me. Keep up the good work! Thanks and happy holidays.
Carol thanks and you have a great holiday as well 🙂
I love this review. I just saw the infomercial and thought, “how can respectable doctors do these TV things?” A little bit of Googling led me here.
I give you props for staying so diplomatic in your writing too. I get angry when I see shady businesses like this. Especially when they prey on our seniors.
One thing is for sure, the ethics-less Dr Lewis Fader, will never be my doctor. Nor will the ethics-less Dr. Janis DiPietro.
Great post. Thanks again.
Stig, thanks much. I usually try to keep my cool when writing but as someone whose grandmother lived to 104 years of age, I hear what you say when you talk about the seniors. I feel the same way.
Joe,
I just came across your most excellent review. Let me start by saying I am a doc, run a company devoted to regenerative medicine, and am involved with stem cell research & skin at a major university.
You have it right on all counts. The hypothesis that any one of those ingredients somehow “turns on” stem cells in skin is bogus. Besides which, just stimulating stem cells to do their thing (let’s say, to create more stem cells, one thing they do) is nonsense since there are all sorts of regulatory mechanisms in place to turn that right off again. Otherwise you might begin to see stem cell cancers (which are real).
It is true that certain stem cells are involved with healing and can mitigate against damage associated with aging skin. They don’t actually reside there. They migrate when needed. They are quite clever, but but I guarantee you they (like the rest of us) don’t know what Seractin is either.
The truth is those ingredients are cheap and common in the skin care trade. Nothing exotic, nothing truly “active” in the usual sense of the word. Certainly no anti-aging ingredients. I’d be surprised if the cost of production is more than $1 for this creme. At most, it will moisturize the skin (which is always a good thing). But those other claims? Non-science.
The so-called clinical trial was pretty much a joke. Fifteen subjects. Any person trained in science will tell you that is inadequate in number, let alone the shoddy design. Ignore it. It was done for marketing purposes.
As to the medical professionals who allowed their words and images to be used to promote this product, all I can say is shame on you. And how fortunate for you that there are no laws against scientific prostitution.
Keep up the good work. You should start a career as an investigative reporter.
Dr. Sanderson, thanks very much for your kind words and thoughtful insights. I know everybody who reads this will be helped greatly by what you had to say. I do seem to have the investigative reporter gene; thanks for noticing 😉
Edmond thanks Im glad I was able to help you and your wife 🙂
My wife asked I check to see if the claims of the infomercial were legit.
You did all the legwork.
I appreciate the time & effort you put into investigating this product.
Thanks
Steve thanks for the feedback and yes that infomercial was the thing that got me wondering about it too 😉
Hey great job. I’m not really interested in the product at all but saw it on an infomercial ad and thought that can’t be right. If this was that incredible it wouldn’t be on a crappy infomercial. But you did a great job researching everything – I was really curious to see the scientific backing, if any, this product had. Thanks!
Sue, thanks that’s the best compliment I’ve had all day! Glad I could help 🙂
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!
Seriously though this is the best review. Very informative and your investigations precise. No need for me to research this product any further as you have done all the work for me. Keep up the good work!