Salma Hayek has enjoyed rare success as one of those beautiful women other women not only like, but actually want to emulate. The proof is in the early success of her brand-new line of skin, hair, and beauty products at CVS. Estimated to earn a staggering $35 million in 2011 (DailyMail UK), the line is priced at just $7.99-19.99 per item. But is it going to make you look like a star? The truth is in the ingredients and a synopsis of the best products:
New Ingredient I Like: Tepezcohuite (Mimosa)
Also known as the ‘skin tree’, tepezcohuite (Mimosa tenuiflora) is a thorny tree with a wide distribution, but it is only in very localized areas of Chiapas, Mexico, that the species has healing properties (Grain, 2000).
Toasted tepezcohuite bark has been used in Mexico since the 10th century to treat skin lesions, but it wasn’t until the explosion of the San Juan Ixhuatepec gas factory (on my very date of birth!) that the true nature of tepezcohuite was revealed, accelerating the healing of the wounds. Toasted tepezcohuite was used to treat some 500 injured patients.
Although tepezcohuite’s properties have yet to be classified in scientific literature, its believed anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anesthesic and epidermal regeneration properties earned it the nickname of “miracle plant”, and it was classified as part of Mexico’s national heritage (Grain, 2000). In certain exotic specialty spas, tepezochuite wraps are used to treat severe cases of sunburn and sun blisters (Spa, 2004).
For skin care, tepezochuite has excellent implications to treat sun-damaged skin, including redness, mild to moderate burning, inflammation, and swelling. For anti-aging purposes, tepezochuite is going to act similarly to green tea: A natural antioxidant that prevents long-term signs of aging as it fights free-radical production and takes down inflammation in the skin.
New Ingredient I Don’t Like: Blue Agave
Blue agave, or Agave Tequiliana, is an interesting choice for the Nuance beauty line. For one, I’m not sure why it’s there. Although the advertisements say a mixture of blue agave, mimosa, camapu and prickly pear “soothe, hydrate and firm skin,” I can’t find any studies demonstrating blue agave alone has this effect.
It should be noted that the American agave, Agave Americana, is the plant from which aloe vera is derived. But the blue agave is used for an entirely different matter altogether: the making of tequila!
Blue agave is from a part of Mexico called Jalisco. The hearts of the blue agave are harvested from the plants with machetes, steamed and ground. They are twice-fermented, resulting in the high alcohol content of tequila (American Indian Contributions to the World, 2003).
Although there are numerous reports of skin irritation from blue agave, these case studies are related to the calcium oxalate crystals, called raphides, contained within the heart of the blue agave (Contact Dermatitis, 2007). These irritating raphides are surely not present in the Nuance skin care products, so it is not really a concern here. Still, I don’t know why blue agave is included in this line, other than the fact that it is from Mexico. A much better addition would have been purified Agave Americana, straight aloe vera, or exclusion of agave altogether.
Best Product:
Nuance Salma Hayek AM/PM Anti-Aging Cream
Contains a fairly high concentration of tepezcohuite, which has been proven excellent for healing, sunburns, and sun blisters (see above). Although the product contains vitamins A and E, the vitamin A is weak retinyl palmitate, and both are in low concentration. So what I like here is the level of hydration, provided with shea butter, olive oil, borage oil, and a slew of silicones, as well as the tepezcohuite. Best for dry, normal/dry, or normal skin. Salma should be proud of this one.
Bottom Line
Most of us have careers outside of the film industry, but will go to an occasional movie now and again. I think of the Salma Hayek Nuance line in a similar way: I would not make it the majority of my skin care regimen, but it is a fun, somewhat beneficial way to shake up your skin care routine once in a while. As a woman, I love the fact that she included so many ingredients from Mexico – while it doesn’t necessarily make for the most potent or effective skin care, it is a sweet and fun idea. As a scientist, I truly appreciate the incorporation of tepezcohuite – it’s one of those ingredients that is patented to death, so it’s hard to find and a joy to see on the shelves. Unfortunately, without any other truly groundbreaking ingredients, I won’t be purchasing using line regularly anytime soon. (Though I may keep a jar of of tepezcohuite-containing cream on the shelf in case a family member gets a sunburn and aloe alone won’t do!)
Shame – if someone would have told me I was passing up a chance to look like Salma Hayek, I never would have believed them!
Ingredients in Nuance Salma Hayek AM/PM Anti-Aging Cream
Water (Aqua), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isohexadecane. Glycerin, Propanediol,Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Olivate, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Myristyl Myristate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Alcohol, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Potato Starch Modified, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Fragrance (Parfum), Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol.