Biotherm is one of the many companies owned by L’Oreal USA, and has a vast array of products, with many redundancies. It was founded in 1950 by a French biologist who discovered, as the story goes, a mineral-rich element in mountain spring water. Flash-forward to a slick lab where white-coated scientists supposedly figured out a way to capture this element (called vitreoscilla ferment) in its active form, and that’s essentially the story behind Biotherm, now sold in over 65 countries. Interestingly, the company announced in 2007 that Biotherm would not be sold in any U.S. or Canadian department stores anymore. Instead, it is available to North Americans online. As of 2009, it seems the company changed plans, at least in terms of its Canadian distribution. The brand is sold in most Canadian department stores as well as Shoppers Drug Mart.
Biotherm’s claims are wrapped around the effect their special ingredient (vitreoscilla ferment) has on skin, and how it helps skin reactivate its own natural biological processes. I wasn’t even partway through reviewing these products before I noticed the products are far from unique or specially formulated. A major reason for that is the inclusion of problematic ingredients in many products, notably alcohol and menthol derivatives. But is there anything to Biotherm’s fervent belief in and pervasive use of vitreoscilla ferment? This gram-negative bacteria can help cells utilize oxygen better in vitro (Source: Journal of Biotechnology, January 2001, pages 57–66). But whether that effect can be translated to benefit skin cells via a cosmetic formulation is unknown, and there are no studies supporting the use of this ingredient for skin care. Therefore, you’re left to take Biotherm’s word for it, even though they don’t bother to explain why they avoided so many well-researched antioxidants, or use minuscule amounts of intriguing ingredients that in greater amounts can positively affect skin’s structure and healthy functioning. Plus you have to wonder, if this is such a great ingredient for skin, why don’t the other L’Oreal companies such as Lancome, Kiehl’s, La Roche Posay, or even L’Oreal use it?
Biotherm is also big on minerals, specifically the gluconate forms of magnesium, copper, and zinc. All of these have some research indicating their merit for skin, but mostly in terms of wound healing or being mildly antibacterial. That’s not the way they’re showcased in Biotherm’s products, of course, because anti-wrinkle and anti-aging claims are what sell products. Although they link minerals with anti-aging prowess, a wrinkle is not a wound. Moreover, the tiny amounts of these minerals found throughout the Biotherm lineup only nullifies their already limited effectiveness as part of a comprehensive skin-care routine. Again, if minerals are supposed to be so remarkable, why don’t these amazing ingredients show up in all of L’Oreal’s product lines? This kind of marketing two-step is one of the characteristic runarounds of the cosmetics industry. Still, it’s Biotherm’s hook and they have an enormous collection of products ready to entice you with all manner of skin-rejuvenating claims. There are some gems to be found in this line, but proceed with caution because most of it is downright boring or just plain bad for your skin.
For more information about Biotherm, call (888) BIOTHERM or visit
www.biotherm-usa.com.
If you opt to shop Biotherm online, be aware that their Web site is a chore to navigate (good luck finding a specific product)!
Biotherm Makeup
Holding fast to their thermal-bacteria-are-good-for-skin theme, Biotherm has added them to most of their makeup products; however, this substance doesn’t add to the value of these products in any way. The color line is positioned as a unique blend of the best skin-care ingredients with modern colors and textures. Based on their descriptions, you’d think that no other cosmetics company had thought about combining skin-care benefits with makeup, yet that has been happening for the past several years, most notably in the Estee Lauder companies (such as Lauder, Clinique, Prescriptives, and Bobbi Brown) and, lately, with drugstore lines such as Neutrogena, Revlon, and Cover Girl. All of these companies are adding—often in minute amounts—some state-of-the-art ingredients, although more often than not the packaging won’t keep those ingredients (such as antioxidants) stable for very long.
What’s particularly ironic here is that for all of Biotherm’s assertions that their makeup provides healthier, more youthful skin, they neglected to include any UVA-protecting ingredients in even one of their sunscreen-containing makeup items. Without this essential element, you can forget about keeping skin youthful, much less and the alleged benefits of Thermal Spring Water. As a L’Oreal company, Biotherm knows all about UVA protection, and several of their regular sunscreens contain avobenzone. Why shortchange the makeup by offering sun protection that’s incomplete?
Biotherm’s makeup does have some strong points, most notably the excellent concealer, a couple of superior mascaras, supremely smooth eyeshadows (all with some amount of shine), and some enticing lip gloss options. There are some elegant foundations, too, though as I mentioned above, it’s a shame they lack sufficient UVA protection. Although L’Oreal-owned Lancome, Maybelline New York, and the L’Oreal makeup line itself have much broader selections, there are some gems to unearth within this streamlined color collection.