The theme of this medically positioned line is DNA repair. Molecular biologist Dr. Daniel Yarosh, Ph.D., is the brains behind the brand, and he believes that his products are the answer to those looking to help their sun-damaged skin look better and resist further signs of aging by mending the DNA coding in your skin cells.
There is no question that unprotected sun exposure damages DNA in skin. Normal, intact DNA is designed to serve as a blueprint for healthy, “younger” cell production. Harming your DNA is not something you want to do. If protected, and barring any inherent genetic complications, healthy DNA has the best laid plans for your body. However, when mutation occurs and abnormal skin cells are produced, the process by which DNA works to generate strong vigorous cells is weakened.
Your body does have its own DNA repair team in place, and these include antioxidants (released when needed by stress-signaling pathways) that reduce damage and the DNA’s own cellular repair mechanisms. However, these systems aren’t strong enough to withstand the assault of years of cumulative unprotected sun exposure and growing older. As a result, our skin’s DNA repair system becomes weakened or breaks down altogether, which leads to a host of problems, from dry, dull skin to wrinkles, loss of firmness, skin discolorations, and skin cancers (Sources: International Journal of Radiation Biology, March 2009, pages 177–195; Photochemistry and Photobiology, January-February 2009, pages 379–386; International Journal of Molecular Sciences, April 2008, pages 578–605; and International Journal of Cosmetic Science, February 2005, pages 17–34).
The good news is that we can do things daily to protect our skin, at least partially, from this cascade of problems. Protecting skin with a well-formulated sunscreen rated SPF 15 or greater, applying antioxidants via skin-care products (including in your sunscreen) as well as consuming them as part of a healthy diet, and avoiding unhealthy habits such as smoking and tanning all can help.
There is a considerable amount of research demonstrating that topically applied antioxidants not only help prevent DNA damage but also help strengthen skin’s natural repair mechanisms so they can do their job better. Some of this research comes from Dr. Yarosh himself (Sources: Archives of Dermatological Research, February 2008, pages 69–80; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, September 2008, pages 418–425; and Cancer Research, May 2006, pages 5512–5520).
But what about Yarosh’s products? Do they excel in the area of DNA repair? Once you look at the ingredient lists, the claims for these products are by far the most interesting aspect of the line, and the products overall are disappointing. None of Remergent’s products have the corner on DNA repair, at least not any more so than other products containing antioxidants. In fact, there are hundreds of products that offer skin this benefit and have better sunscreen ratings and more robust antioxidant content than any of Yarosh’s.
Dr. Yarosh’s spin is he wants you to believe his products have an edge because of “meticulously engineered liposome delivery systems.” He claims that the antioxidants and other DNA repair agents in his product line are bioengineered to “get active components into skin cells,” making it all sound very scientific. However, Remergent isn’t the only game in town when it comes to liposome delivery systems. Besides, even with the best liposome delivery systems there is still a risk of the delivery system being degraded or broken down by enzymes in the skin before its contents reach their target.
The activity of liposomes also is highly dependent on the product’s formulation. I’m skeptical that the liposome delivery systems Remergent uses are all that effective because the products contain little in the way of penetration-enhancing ingredients (Sources: European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, August 2008, pages 203–222; Journal of Liposome Research, Volume 18, 2008, pages 83–90; and Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, July 2007, pages 522–530).
Although Yarosh’s chosen liposome delivery systems may net some additional benefit, Remergent presents some additional questions, such as why do several products contain needless irritants, which cause collagen to break down and hurt the skin’s ability to heal? And why is the antioxidant content of his products so small and relatively unimpressive? Considering the price tags of these products, you should be getting more antioxidants than what the average skin-care product provides, but, unfortunately, that isn’t the case here.
When all is said and done, the only real reason to consider Remergent products is that there are well-formulated retinol products. There also are equally good formulas from other brands (e.g., Skinceuticals, Jan Marini Skin Research, and La Roche Posay to name a few), but that’s the area to focus on if you want to experiment in the Remergent line and have the budget these products demand. If not, no worries. Your face is not going to miss out if you opt for other skin-care products, assuming those are well-formulated, which is something that cannot be said for every Remergent product.
For more information about Remergent, call (800) 590-4244 or visit
www.skincarerx.com.