Know what's in your face cream.
Reviva is a rather mysterious cosmetic company. It claims to have been founded by one of America's first aestheticians and in 1973, it introduced the first nonchemical exfoliation peel to the States. Yet it doesn't publicize itself as much as other cosmetic brands, so details about its products may not be as well-known. One of its best-selling products is its Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C Ester, & DMAE cream, which proudly displays its active ingredients in its name.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (LA)
Alpha lipoic acid, or LA, is a powerful antioxidant. Its ability to protect the skin from UV damage was described in a 2009 Kanazawa University as "absolutely doubtless." Another study published by the DHC Corporation in 2010 reported that LA can stimulate the skin's natural collagen production. Collagen is one of the factors in maintaining the skin's strength and elasticity. However, the DHC study reached its conclusions through different forms of chemical testing, which didn't include using an LA-based cream. So unless you have a spectrophotometer in your bathroom, you may not necessarily see the same results. (DHC Corporation does not manufacture Reviva, although it does make other cosmetics.)
Vitamin C Ester
According to a 2007 report from Mount Sinai Medical Center, vitamin C can have several different effects on skin depending on its chemical form. The good news: topical application of highly concentrated vitamin C can prevent UV damage and it can also increase collagen production. The bad news: skin does not effectively absorb vitamin C when it is in the form of an ester. Face creams containing vitamin C, ester or not, may not have a high enough concentration to cause noticeable results anyway. Furthermore, although it can protect against sun damage when absorbed by skin, pure vitamin C loses some of its potency when exposed to air and light. In other words, just opening the jar of cream makes it able to work a little less effective.
Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE)
Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), on the other hand, has been proven to be effective as a topical cosmetic. A 2005 double-blind study by Johnson and Johnson involved participants who used a 3 percent DMAE gel for 16 weeks. Overall, those who used the gel saw an increase in skin firmness that retained when they stopped using the gel for two weeks. DMAE also has the potential anti-inflammatory qualities, but more testing needs to confirm this. (Johnson and Johnson does not manufacture Reviva, although it does make its own DMAE products.)
Soybean Oil
Of course, there are many more ingredients in Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C Ester, & DMAE cream. The third listed ingredient (therefore having the third largest concentration in the product) is soybean oil. A 2005 Chang Gung University study demonstrated that soybean oil, like alpha lipoic acid, is a powerful protector against UVB rays when absorbed into the skin.
Tags: Alpha Lipoic Acid, , , Acid Vitamin, Acid Vitamin Ester