Fort Worth, Texas –
After
three years of intensive research and development, Texas-based Medi-Cell
Laboratories has developed the first and only non-irritating
technology for topical vitamin C, which is gaining popularity in skin
care products as an effective anti-aging ingredient.
This new technology is the first breakthrough in topical
vitamin C in six years, following the “irritating” technology that resulted
from Dr. Sheldon Pinnell’s study in 1992.
“The two primary challenges with topical vitamin C are
stabilization and effective delivery (absorption into the skin),” said David
Pollock, Medi-Cell’s vice president of product development, who has been
instrumental in formulating products for some of the most well known cosmetics
companies in the industry, as well as dermatologists and doctors.
“This new technology not only stabilizes the combination of
three types of vitamin C, it combines
it with a non-irritating form of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and achieves
permeation to the stratum basale level of the skin where new live cells are
produced,” Pollock added.
This patent-pending complex, which has a neutral pH, does
not cause skin irritation. It combines
vitamin C of a specific molecular structure with a particular AHA to provide
the dual benefit of gentle exfoliation at the dermis, or top layer, of the
skin, while delivering all the restorative, collagen-boosting benefits where
new cells are produced.
The types of vitamin C
Medi-Cell uses in its complex, which
is marketed under the brand name Hydrox-C, which
is marketed under the brand name Hydrox-C,Ô has demonstrated in studies to increase collagen by up to 300 percent. Collagen provides suppleness
and elasticity
in the skin, which gives it a firm, youthful appearance. And delivering vitamin C to the new cell level
is the only way to improve the availability of collagen. “Adding collagen to products
“Adding collagen to products “Adding collagen to products increase
the production of collagen,” Pollock
said.
In addition to increasing collagen
levels, vitamin C has been proven to smooth away wrinkles by acting as an
antioxidant and neutralizing oxygen free radicals, improving skin clarity by
balancing and minimizing the darkening of skin pigment and protecting against
the signs of aging by shielding the skin from UV light.
While the “irritating” technology was once the only
effective technology for delivering topical vitamin C, it is based upon a low
pH of 2.5-3.5, which causes skin irritation.
Products using this technology should be used only under the supervision
of a dermatologist or licensed skin care esthetician. It is not appropriate in products marketed directly to the
consumer.
Medi-Cell’s new non-irritating technology, however, is safe
for consumer-direct formulations and achieves the same, or even higher,
efficacy levels than the original irritating technology by combining free
flowing L-ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate and ascorbyl glucoseamine in
patent-pending formulations.
Pollock warns that not all vitamin C products are created
equal. For any vitamin C product to be
a truly active, therapeutic skin care treatment, the active ingredient must be
converted to L-ascorbic acid in high enough concentrations to derive all its
benefits.
For the first time,
Medi-Cell’s new technology makes the
anti-aging benefits of vitamin C safe, affordable and available to the average
consumer. Its Hydrox-C brand is
distributed nationally at major drug store and supermarket chains. Products
range from $9.95 to $16.95. In
comparison, products based upon the “irritating” technology cost up to $75 or
more an ounce.
