Thread: Nuskin and pharmanex - too good to be true?

A new aquaintance who sells nuskin has recently given me her sales pitch. It sounds too good to be true so i'm skeptical. Have any of you tried these products? Do their skin care things really erase wrinkles or is taht just a marketing claim? Do their supplements really help lose weight, or does only my wallet lose weight? Im inclined to ignore it but im intersted in your opinions.

If it sounds to good to be true...

Do NOT invest in anything touted as "miraculous"by sales person with a financial interest!
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/the-craz...eople-say.aspx

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/true-or-...uty-myths.aspx

The "anti wrinkle"or "anto aging"products with documented effects should look into (IMHO)are:

1.Sunscreen minimum spf 15;every day,for the rest of your life.
2.Retin-A or other documented A vitamin prescription products.
3.AHA,in effective ph level.
4.Hydroquinone,if above suggestions doesn´t work on stubborn pigment problems.

Originally Posted by emma-bessa

The "anti wrinkle"or "anto aging"products with documented effects should look into (IMHO)are:

1.Sunscreen minimum spf 15;every day,for the rest of your life.
2.Retin-A or other documented A vitamin prescription products.
3.AHA,in effective ph level.
4.Hydroquinone,if above suggestions doesn´t work on stubborn pigment problems.

Add to that short list topical vitamin c serum (fresh, proper pH and concentration, can be made at home for pennies). There is a huge scientific literature documenting that topical vitamin c builds collagen and fades photo-aging.

Originally Posted by ssipes

Add to that short list topical vitamin c serum (fresh, proper pH and concentration, can be made at home for pennies). There is a huge scientific literature documenting that topical vitamin c builds collagen and fades photo-aging.

YES!thank you:)
Also:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8869680

Most of the good skincare stuff does not have to be expensive at all:)

Originally Posted by ssipes

Add to that short list topical vitamin c serum (fresh, proper pH and concentration, can be made at home for pennies). There is a huge scientific literature documenting that topical vitamin c builds collagen and fades photo-aging.

Do you have a recipe? I googled it but there seem to be a bunch.

http://www.google.com/search?client=...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Originally Posted by lylagus

Do you have a recipe? I googled it but there seem to be a bunch.

Yes, inquiring minds would like to make some! What are some good home recipes for stuff like this?

simple vitamin c serum with US kitchen friendly measurements:

1 tsp L-ascorbic acid powder (vitamin c)
2 tsps distilled water
2 tsps glycerine (=glycerol)
mix in a shot glass or small cup and keep in fridge for up to a week.

larger volume that I mix up in my lab with access to pipettes and balance, about a week's worth used head to toe:
5 g vitamin c powder
12.5 mls distilled water
12.5 mls glycerine
I mix this in a small glass spray bottle and apply everywhere after showering in the morning. Especially face, decollete, arms and hands because I have some sun damage in these places. (ok not *everywhere* it is an acid and will burn eyes and undercarriage).

notes:
the vitamin c powder needs to be pure ascorbic acid, not other forms of vitamin c and no other ingredients (e.g. not orange-flavored chewable tablets). The resulting solution should be 10-20% vitamin C and should have a pH of 3.5 or a bit lower (higher won't absorb into skin). If it starts to turn yellow or orange it has oxidized and should not be used.

Put it on clean skin and leave on 30 mins before applying other lotions or creams. After that the vitamin c is in your skin and does not wash off. One application stays in your skin for 24-48 hrs. So applying it once a day or every other day will produce results.

If you have very oily skin, reduce the proportion of glycerine.

google "vitamin c serum before after" and click on images to see some photos of what vitamin c can do for the skin.

Very impressive:O thanx again for sharing!
I´m searching for an airless opaque pump bottle to put serum in now:)


Just wanted to drop in again and say:
My fav beauty resource will from now be free,ALWAYS:
http://www.beautypedia.com/

I'm going to the health store today to look for the L-ascorbic acid and glycerine to make my own serum. I can't wait!!!

I had to go to a few healthfood stores and the only thing I could find locally was Ascorbic Acid with Antioxidant Bioflavonoids in a Crystalline Powder by NurtiBiotic. All the other Ascorbic Acid's were the other non-dissolving kind. Will this type work alright?



http://www.nutribiotic.com/ascorbic-...oids-8oz..html

I should probably take it back because it does have other ingredients.

I feel like such a dork but if it says Vitamin C crystals and comes in a powdered form is it likely the L-ascorbic acid? This one has in the description from Amazon "dissolved in liquid for easy digestion"
http://www.amazon.com/Foods-Vitamin-...3&sr=1-2-fkmr0

Originally Posted by lylagus

I had to go to a few healthfood stores and the only thing I could find locally was Ascorbic Acid with Antioxidant Bioflavonoids in a Crystalline Powder by NurtiBiotic. All the other Ascorbic Acid's were the other non-dissolving kind. Will this type work alright?



http://www.nutribiotic.com/ascorbic-...oids-8oz..html

I should probably take it back because it does have other ingredients.

I feel like such a dork but if it says Vitamin C crystals and comes in a powdered form is it likely the L-ascorbic acid? This one has in the description from Amazon "dissolved in liquid for easy digestion"
http://www.amazon.com/Foods-Vitamin-...3&sr=1-2-fkmr0

Lylagus, I don't know if it will work or not. There are other forms of vitamin c that work fine as oral supplements but will not produce the form that can be absorbed into the skin, or will not produce the low acidic pH needed for the skin. For example ascorbyl palmitate and many different salt forms like calcium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate, etc. To be sure, I'd recommend getting something clearly labeled as ascorbic acid. You can get this at or www.vitacost.com

Back to my original questionn. Does anybody have any firsthand experience with Nuskin or Pharmanex products? Are there any youd reccommend? Are there any I should stay away from?

I lived in Provo for 7 years, where NuSkin is headquartered. My college roommate was totally hoodwinked into this multi-level marketing crap. She had NO money (her entertainment budget was $5/month) but she'd pay a fortune for expensive soaps & shampoos through her mother's sales book. And that's all they were - soaps, lotions, & shampoos just like every other normal soap & shampoo... I don't think the products are poor quality but they're definitely not worth the premium multi-level-marketing prices. NuSkin makes a fortune on selling "new salespeople kits" to new recruits (hundreds of dollars for a 3-ring binder). Most people buy their initial kits & then discover it's a pyramid scheme scam. Don't fall for this crap - best to lest your friend discover that she's not going to get rich peddling soap sooner rather than later. Don't feed her hopes that these products are really somehow miraculous...

>1.Sunscreen minimum spf 15;every day,for the rest of your life.
>2.Retin-A or other documented A vitamin prescription products.

There's a new study out recently showing that the concentrated vitamin As in these products are carcinogenic.

Here's a sample of what she's gotten herself into:

http://www.nuskin.com/en_US/products.../01103799.html

$1485 gets you a binder with sales brochures and a handful of products to be used as trial/samples during the sales pitch. NuSkin doesn't expect its salespeople to make meaningful sales - they get all their money from the hopeful salespeople. It's a seriously slimy business.

I usually google "companyname" and "complaints" when I'm curious:


http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cosmetics/nu_skin.html

http://www.complaints.com/november20...ember15.11.htm

http://www.mlm-thetruth.com/blog/legal-issues/nnn-2/



But I didn't find any complaints about the products themselves. My suspicion would be that they are overpriced, but you could argue that of most of the beautycare products out there.

Which one of these ascorbic acid powders would work?

http://www.vitacost.com/productResul...acid&Ne=3&ss=1

My obvious choice would be the cheaper one.

Originally Posted by Annessa

There's a new study out recently showing that the concentrated vitamin As in these products are carcinogenic.

Is the study avaliable online,who made it?

Originally Posted by Annessa

I lived in Provo for 7 years, where NuSkin is headquartered. My college roommate was totally hoodwinked into this multi-level marketing crap.

I´m very negative towards MLM businesses>:-(
Two kind collegues who also had salons started selling multilevel marketed beauty products;it seemed almost cult-like in some aspects
It was terrible to see how much stress they went through,and *all the money* these poor women lost...both went out of business.

Also wanted to add:
Just like Aziyade wrote-I have had *no* complaints in products from Amway,May Kay,Avon,Tupperware etc,but seeing 2 friends&colleagues geting sucked into MLM was very sad(they were into MK)

Originally Posted by emma-bessa

Also wanted to add:
Just like Aziyade wrote-I have had *no* complaints in products from Amway,May Kay,Avon,Tupperware etc,but seeing 2 friends&colleagues geting sucked into MLM was very sad(they were into MK)

Just wanted to mention (in case anyone is still interested) that I tried Sedonia's recipe for a DIY vitamin C serum, and found it too greasy for my skin, so I substituted aloe vera gel for the glycerin and it's perfect!

Oh, and I also just realized that I only put 1/2 tsp L-ascorbic acid powder in it instead of 1 tsp, which was according to a recipe I found elsewhere. I guess you're not getting as high a concentration, but I also found it easier to dissolve all the powder, so not sure which is better there.

So, just to sum up, here's what I tried:
1/2 tsp 100% L-ascorbic acid powder
2 tsp distilled water
2 tsp 100% aloe vera gel