Stem cell snake oil for sale at Nordstrom, Amazon, & Ebay?

stem cell microneedlingWhat is stem cell snake oil?

Stem cells are exotic things ensconced away in biomedical research labs, right?

Well, maybe not entirely so these days.

It turns out that you can try to sell products for a lot of money by slapping “stem cells” on the label including cosmetics.

Take Nordstrom’s.

It has 80 stem cell products available online. These cosmetic products range in price up to $850 for the priciest one, ‘Bee Venom & Placenta’ 24 Carat Gold Ultimate Crème from Rodial.

These kinds of things are for sale despite an FDA takedown of L’Oreal/Lancome for iffy “stem cell” cosmetic products a few years back.

This Rodial cream is described this way: “Rodial Bee Venom & Placenta 24 Carat Gold Ultimate Crème is an exquisite, rejuvenating moisturizer with melittin peptide, liquid gold, stem cells and biomimetic growth factors from placenta.”

What a combo, huh?

The most expensive stem cell item on E-bay also seems downright scary. The ProCell Therapies Microneedling Stem Cell Hair Regrowth Micro Needle Therapy Kit sounds like a torture device to me. A bargain at $1,575, right?

Amazon has thousands of stem cell products (including books!), but the most expensive non-book stem cell item is an odd stem cell cosmetic. For only $3,757.96 you can get a 6 pack of Dermaheal by Stem C’rum Cell Revitalizing Solution –6 Applications for WOMEN.

Let the buyer beware.

Is this stuff snake oil or could it actually help people? What do you think?

3 thoughts on “Stem cell snake oil for sale at Nordstrom, Amazon, & Ebay?”

  1. The Procell device is not a “torture device”. It’s a microchanneling device sold to dermatologists and skin care experts for use in their clinics. This just proves that almost anything can end up on Ebay!!!

    Procell Therapies products contain a beneficial array of cytokines that are derived from Stem Cells. The term “stem cell” is simply an easier marketing term to communicate an idea to the consumer than is “mesenchymal stem cell derived cytokine array”. There is clinical evidence that topical application of certain combinations of cytokines are anti-inflammatory and beneficial. Also, the rest of the ingredients in the Procell products are pretty impressive as well! Take a look. I use them, and yes, they are expensive. But the best always is!

    Ingredients:
    Water
    (Aqua),
    Mesenchymal
    Stem
    Cell
    Derived
    Cytokines
    and
    Growth
    Factors,
    Capric/Caprylic
    Triglycerides,
    Butylene
    Glycol,
    Chondrus
    Crispus
    Extract,
    Sodium
    Hyaluronate,
    Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice
    Bran
    Polyglyceryl-­‐3
    Esters,
    Glyceryl
    Stearate.
    Cetearyl
    Alcohol,
    Sodium
    Stearoyl
    Lactylate,
    C12-­‐15
    Alkyl
    Benzoate,
    Iris
    Florentina
    Root
    Extract
    (Iris
    Isoflavones),
    Tasmannia
    Lanceolata
    Fruit
    Extract,
    Syzgium
    Leuhmanii
    Fruit
    Extract,
    Kunzea
    Pomifera
    Fruit
    Extract,
    Glycerin,
    Dimethicone,
    Ceramide
    A2TM
    (PEG-­‐8,
    PEG-­‐8/SMDI
    Copolymer,
    Palmitoyl
    Myristyl
    Serenate),
    Sodium
    Polyacrylate,
    Vitis
    vinifera
    (Grape)
    Seed
    Oil,
    Dimethyl
    Isosorbide,
    Hydroxypinacolone
    Retinoate,
    Phenoxyethanol,
    Ethylhexylglycerin,
    Caprylyl
    Glycol,
    Hexylene
    Glycol,
    Tremella
    Fuciformis
    Sporocarp
    Extract,
    Betain,
    Simmondia
    Chinensis
    (Jojoba)
    Seed
    Oil,
    Panthenol
    (Pro-­‐Vitamin
    B5),
    Alpha
    Lipoic
    Acid,
    Ubiquinone
    (Co-­‐enzyme
    Q10),
    Limnanthes
    Alba
    (Meadowfoam)
    Seed
    Oil,
    Tetrahexyldecyl
    Ascorbate
    (Vitamin
    C
    Ester),
    Tetrasodium
    EDTA,
    Tocopheryl
    Acetate
    (Vitamin
    E
    Acetate),
    Magnesium
    Aluminum
    Silicate,
    Xanthan
    Gum,
    Shea
    Butter

  2. Some are even more ingenious than actually adding stem cells – these guys http://www.stemcell100.com/ only add the words to their products!

    Actually they are Chinese medicine herbs (the “cells”) from which they take the “stems” of the plants – and all in the name of telomere extention. Tumor cream anyone?

  3. My experience with “stem cell enhanced” skin products comes entirely from samples provided by friends. These are often high quality to start with so the addition of “stem cells” or their culture medium (in one case) is a just ruse to up the price even more. It’s no different from adding rhino horn or shark cartilage to a product – there will be no added benefit except to the marketing strategy and profits. It did amuse me that someone had thought up a use for the culture medium we take off of our cells every day and throw away…

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