Prevage MD
When I worked at the Medical Spa, we sold Prevage MD, the 1% Idebenone cream that is made by Allergan, the makers of Botox. This normally retails for about $150 (although we were selling it for $100 for some reason), so I was excited that we had a tester to use since I was extremely curious to see if the cream lived up to the hype. Idebenone is touted as one of the most powerful topical antioxidants for use in skin care. Prevage MD states that its use will reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, roughness and dryness, and it will even out skin tone, giving your skin a more youthful appearance. Fabulous!
Following the directions, I applied a small amount of the product at night. The next day I woke up with some clogged pores - whiteheads mostly. Sorry if I’m grossing you out! I tried Prevage a few more times after that and broke out every time, so I stopped using it. Three other people I worked with at the Medical Spa also tried Prevage MD, and while their skin didn’t break out, they all developed red rashes within two weeks! I did an internet search and saw that this is extremely common with the product. I’ve had clients come in and say they have had good results with Prevage MD, so it obviously works for some people, but I’ve never heard of so many people having problems with a product!
The Prevage MD directions do state to do a patch test before you use it, and it’s best not to mix it with retinoids or other aggressive skin treatments. When I read the ingredients of the product, Algae Extract is listed. If you look at my Cosmetic Acne list of ingredients to avoid, you will see Algae Extract is extremely pore-clogging. So I wouldn’t recommend Prevage MD for acne-prone skin. Nor would I recommend it for sensitive skin. If you do purchase it, I would get it from a place that accepts returns, since you don’t want to waste your money if you get a rash!
Generic Idebenone
A friend of mine has been working with Idebenone for several years. Even though Prevage MD retails for $150, Idebenone is an inexpensive ingredient. I wanted to see if it was the Prevage MD or the Idebenone in the Prevage MD that made my skin break out, so my friend mixed me up a 1% Idebenone cream. He actually mixed the Idebenone in a moisturizer I use all the time and have no problems with - Olay Regenerist Deep Hydration Regenerating Cream. I applied the cream for several nights and didn’t have any reaction to it. So it must be something in the Prevage MD that is problematic to my skin. I’ve also been using the cream off and on for several weeks now and haven’t developed a rash. Whether or not I will see a change in my fine lines and wrinkles is still up in the air, but I will keep you posted!
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August 30th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I can’t wait to hear about your results. I have been using HydroPeptide. I love the results I’ve seen with it. Its not touted as an antioxidant creme like Prevage but as an all-in-one anti-aging creme. It has a very high percentage of antioxidants though. It has over 10. Not only that, it has peptides. Six of them. I love peptides. I love this product. My skin has never looked this good. Do you know if there are any studies done comparing peptides to idebenone in regards to collagen production and wrinkle reduction?
August 31st, 2007 at 1:07 am
Hmm that creme you use sounds good! I haven’t found any studies that compare peptides to idebenone, but I will be on the lookout for them. I know you can’t go wrong with either antioxidants, or peptides, but I have yet to figure out if one is better than the other. If you find out anything either, let me know! Thanks!
August 31st, 2007 at 6:18 am
Last weekend I was in San Francisco and they had their baby formula locked up! People will steal anything these days. Sad.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:25 am
Thanks for dropping by.
A good example for one of my clients
http://www.clutchandclasp.co.uk/blog
Keep up the blog
Jamie at Terinea
September 4th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Thanks for the heads up about patch testing and generic comparison!
January 10th, 2008 at 10:34 am
I started using Prevage MD two weeks ago, after the 2 or 3 aplication once a day I notice mild acne on my forehead .I had read about the high incidence of skin reactions reported by others using this product , so I stoped using it for a couple of days, the pimples clear out with no problem . I am only using very small amouts every other day now, and so far so good. I wonder if its better to use at night or in the morning . Any suggestions?I am eager to see some good results soon.
January 12th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Maria,
If you are getting mild acne from the Prevage, I’m not sure if it will go away with continued use or not. I’m pretty sure it’s one of the ingredients (algae extract) in the product that causes cosmetic acne in a lot of people. If you continue to use it, though, after a month or two, you should start seeing some results with the Prevage MD. Just make sure to use sunscreen when you go out. It doesn’t matter if you use the product at night, or in the morning.
As far as the results Prevage is supposed to provide, I think using a Retinol product might give you better results in the long run, along with using a good sunscreen. http://www.savvyskin.com/how-to-pick-a-retinol-product