Arcona

   The appeal of this spa-themed skin-care line is—what else—celebrities! (Thankfully there are enough celebrities to go around that most cosmetics companies can garner one’s attention or at least pay for it.) Supposedly, the status of this line is based on Arcona Devan, who started this line in the late 1980s based on her background in chemistry and holistic skin care. However, there are no credentials to be found for her anywhere on the company’s Web site, and the company’s customer service personnel weren’t forthcoming either. Her elusive background reminds me of Ernest Lazlo, who also claimed to have a medical pedigree but that couldn’t be cited. 
   Devan’s stated goal was to create products that were an alternative to cosmetic surgery (and Ponce de León wanted to find the fountain of youth, both were deluded and foolish). Ironically, more than 20 years later, many celebrities look the way they do (for better or worse) thanks to cosmetic surgery and cosmetic corrective procedures. Just check the forehead of many celebrities and you’ll see it isn’t moving—that isn’t skin care, that’s Botox. 
   Historical claims notwithstanding, Devan has since passed away and aesthetician Chanel Jenae now heads the company, continuing Arcona Devan’s mission of forestalling the effects of aging without surgery. 
   Here’s the thing: There is a lot that can be done to forestall signs of aging before one considers cosmetic surgery, but Devan doesn’t even come close to offering enough help or solutions. Preventing sun damage should be the primary focus, and that’s about sunscreen and being sun smart, but none of the Arcona daytime routines include this basic step. 
   The other causes of aging are almost impossible for skin-care products to address or correct. No skin-care product can correct gravity, hormonal changes, bone loss, or just the genetic inevitability of growing older. However, the research about antioxidants, cell-communicating and skin-identical ingredients, and exfoliants is abundant and should be the cornerstone of any well-formulated moisturizer, antiwrinkle, or treatment product you. 
   As far as Arcona Devan’s products go, despite an almost endless line of options, there are almost too many problems to list. Of the vast choices consumers have for assembling a brilliant, state-of-the-art skin-care routine, Arcona is at the bottom of the barrel. An avid belief in natural ingredients and holistic skin care is one thing, but if those beliefs aren’t parlayed into a skin-care line that makes sense based on solid research rather than on made up stories and myths, what’s the point? 
   Arcona loves to let their customers know that their natural ingredients are processed without heat to preserve their integrity, but lots of ingredients and formularies from other lines fit that criterion, too; it isn’t unique to Arcona. Plus, although processing is part of the picture, the choice of ingredients is more important. Given that Arcona includes witch hazel in almost all of their products, plus lavender oil, the fact that they are cold-processed is irrelevant. Some of the products even include denatured alcohol. Those ingredients are irritating, cell-damaging ingredients in any formula, regardless of how they get into the product. 
   Another egregious error is that the ingredient lists for many of Arcona’s products don’t meet regulatory standards for any country anywhere in the world. That may not mean much to some consumers, but from my perspective if you don’t know cosmetic regulations, then what are you doing in the cosmetics industry? 
   Shopping this line is not something you want to do without being informed, especially considering the absurd price you’re being asked to pay. That’s true for most purchasing decisions, but doubly so here because there are so many products to avoid. The frustrating part about reviewing this line (aside from the claims, which are sheer fantasy) is that although several products contain an outstanding complement of helpful ingredients, they are based around one or two irritants. Overlooking this is like buying a designer outfit and ignoring the fact that the zipper won’t stay closed or the hemline is frayed. 
   One concern I have about these products is the lack of a robust, proven preservative system. Most of the water-based products are preserved with little more than grapefruit seed extract, a weak preservative at best, and, here’s the kicker, they almost always contain synthetic preservatives as well (to preserve the extract itself), usually parabens (Source: Preservatives for Cosmetics, Steinberg, D., Allured, 2006, pages 98–99). 
   The good news is that many of the products are packaged in airless pump containers so that bacterial contamination is a low risk, and in addition the light- and air-sensitive ingredients are protected. Still, the conspicuous lack of a reliable preservative system for so many water-based products is cause for concern. It may also explain why so many Arcona products come in itty-bitty sizes with hefty price tags.
   For more information about Arcona, call (877) 272-6620 or visit www.arcona.com.