Earlier in 2009, the cries from the beauty industry couldn’t be missed: “Injectable-grade facial filler available for the first time at home!” “Super-concentrated serum…fills the skin without injections!” And, indeed, Avon ANEW Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum ($54.00, Avon.com) does provide a high concentration of hyaluronic acid, which is used in numerous injectable cosmetic fillers, including the ever-popular Juvéderm.
Unfortunately, the misleading statement here is that of “injectable-grade results”.  For instance, effects of the hyaluronic acid injectable anti-wrinkle treatment Juvéderm typically lasts for up to one year, whereas effects of a single topical treatment typically lasts for only 1-2 days, according to Dermatologic Clinics. With that said, I agree fully with fellow beauty blogger (and cosmetic chemist) The Beauty Brains when she says, “Avon should not be comparing their topical cream with hyaluronic acid to the injectable version as a ploy to get you to buy it.”
With that said, however, Avon ANEW Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum is still a pretty solid product. It has a fairly high concentration of hyaluronic acid, which is documented in the textbook Cosmetic Dermatology (as well as in numerous other sources) as a superior moisturizing ingredient that can bind up to 1000 times its volume in water. Hyaluronic acid has also been touted as an incredible moisturizer because it maintains its efficacy in both high and low humidity conditions. In addition, its high concentration of silicone-based ingredients enable it to fill wrinkles arguably as well as any other silicone-based topical treatment on the market.
My recommendation? If you are using this product for the hydrating and anti-aging prevention properties of hyaluronic acid, I would instead choose Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel ($46.95, Amazon.com), which includes sodium hyaluronate instead of hyaluronic acid. Sodium hyaluronate (the unprotonated form of hyaluronic acid) is often used instead of hyaluronic acid in skincare products due to its greater chemical stability, but it maintains similar hydrating properties (citation: Kewpie). Hence, if you are looking to use hyaluronic acid simply for hydration and anti-aging prevention, then I would choose the Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for an over-the-counter topical wrinkle filler, ANEW Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum‘s combination of silicone-based fillers and hyaluronic acid make it hard to beat. For an analysis of how well the product works, please visit today’s review of ANEW Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum in the Beauty411 blog for complete insight!