Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme de Luxe Review

There’s skin care, and then there’s skin care for movie actresses, rock stars, fashion editors, and the very rich housewives of every city. Warning: This is for the latter kind.

I’m not one to tout the high-priced skin care (I’m not even a fan of LaMer!), but every once in a while, an expensive cream catches my eye that is pretty incredible. Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme de Luxe ($179.99 on Amazon.com, $199.99 retail) is one of them. At first glance, I was ready to toss this one into the “negative review” bin: Mamaku essence? Tourmaline crystals?! Really, Dr. Brandt?! And then, after a bit of research, I discover that mamaku essence increases cell regeneration in vitro in non-published studies, and tourmaline crystals have been found in a study published in The Journal of Cosmetic Science to increase skin circulation. I’m not one to gush, either, but this cream has enough antioxidants, peptides, and microencapsulated hydrating ingredients to make me pretty damn enthusiastic. Good job, Dr. Brandt…

What are Silpearls?

Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme de Luxe contains silpearls, which are small particles of silica gel. Commonly used in liquid chromatography, silpearls “pack” together tightly, leaving few spaces in-between. In skin care formulations, silicones are generally considered to be colorless, odorless, and transparent. Their greatest benefit is generally that silicones tend to be hydrating without being greasy, as they have a low viscosity and surface tension and a relatively high vapor pressure, which allows the majority of the silicone portion to evaporate from the skin’s surface. Plus, silicones tend to fill in small fine lines and wrinkles, temporarily providing a smoother surface for further cosmetic application.

Is It Worth It?

In addition to the aforementioned benefits, Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme de Luxe contains antioxidants (grape seed extract, green tea), firming peptides (heptapeptide), and brightening soy extract. Still, these ingredients are available in a wide array of creams, which are far less expensive. Instead, what you are paying for here are the unusual components like mamaku essence, tourmaline, and platinum, the clinical effects of which are far less clinically substantiated. For instance, of the cream’s addition of platinum, dermatologist Dr. Sheetal Sapra tells British Elle: “Platinum, gold, and silver are occasionally used as ingredients in anti-aging creams. These metals have been shown for thousands of years to slow the aging process, fight acne, calm skin, and brighten the complexion. But the jury’s still out on the effectiveness of these ingredients in skin care because the clinical proof doesn’t exist.” So, in short:  If you’re looking for anti-aging basics like antioxidants, peptides, and hydrators, you can find them for far less than in this cream.  But if you’re in the market for luxury and want a cream that goes above and beyond, I haven’t found many (if any!) in the high-end category better than Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme de Luxe.

Is Everything I Need in This Cream?

So, here’s my honest opinion (and yes, I am still only a student, so keep that in mind too): Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme de Luxe wields many potent anti-aging weapons, but you still need two more to complete your arsenal: a broad-spectrum sunscreen for day and a retinoid at night. (In general, dermatologists will recommend using the lighter cream first, and the heavier cream over top. Considering the silicone-based nature of Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme de Luxe, it will go under most sunscreens and over most retinoids).

Overall Opinions

As I’ve said before, the more exotic ingredients aren’t necessary, but based upon what is known about mamaku essence, tourmaline, and platinum in skin care creams, it seems like it could only benefit everything except your wallet. This is unlike some other rare ingredients used high-end skin care creams, like irregularly shaped particles of apricot or diamonds, which can actually tear your pores.  (!)

In other words, if you’re in the market for a high-end moisturizer, you’d be hard-pressed to find one better than Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme de Luxe.  It covers the basics, and if you love additional benefits from exotic ingredients, this one has it, particularly with increased skin circulation from tourmaline.  Love it.

Product Rating: 7.5/10 (Very good. Excellent for a highly-priced moisturizer.)

• High concentration of proven ingredients: 3/3
• Unique formulation or new technology: 3/3
• Value for the money: 1.5/3
• Sunscreen: 0/1

Ingredients in Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Creme de Luxe

WATER (AQUA), HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, METHYLSILANOL HYDROXYPROLINE ASPARTATE, C12-15 ALKYL LACTATE, METHYLSILANOL MANNURONATE, TRIISOSTEARIN, MYRISTYL MYRISTATE, BACOPA MONNIERA EXTRACT, TRICAPRYLIN, DIMETHICONE, CAPRYLYL TRIMETHICONE, CETEARETH-20, BIS-HYDROXYETHOXYPROPYL DIMETHICONE, CETYL ALCOHOL, PEG-40 STEARATE, DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE, CETYL LACTATE, TOURMALINE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, C12-16 ALCOHOLS, PALMITIC ACID, PHENOXYETHANOL, LAURETH-3, CYATHEA MEDULLARIS LEAF EXTRACT, SODIUM STEARYL FUMARATE, HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) FRUIT CELL EXTRACT, CARBOMER, CAMELLIA OLEIFERA LEAF EXTRACT, ACETYL TETRAPEPTIDE PLATINUM, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) GERM EXTRACT, ALLANTOIN, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) OIL, SODIUM STYRENE/ACRYLATE COPOLYMER, ACETYL DIPEPTIDE-1 CETYL ESTER, PEG-8, METHYLPARABEN, ISOMALT, DISODIUM EDTA, BHT, SILANEDIOL SALICYLATE, RETINYL PALMITATE, LECITHIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, SILANETRIOL, BUTYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, ISOBUTYLPARABEN, TRIETHANOLAMINE, HYDROLYZED PEARL, SODIUM BENZOATE, XANTHAN GUM, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) SEED EXTRACT