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Neutrogena (a brand of powerhouse Johnson and Johnson) has come up with some fabulous formulations with revolutionary ingredients through the years (their Healthy Skin, for one, is one of my all-time favorite products). So when I saw ads for the new Neutrogena Age Restorative Hydrating Cream ($14.99, Amazon.com), I was intrigued.
Unfortunately, the only new ingredient in Neutrogena Age Restorative Hydrating Cream is L-carnitine. According to this independent 2003 study, carnitine may help to prevent tissue necrosis (death) and to slow the progressive pathway after skin is burned. However, the study was conducted on the skin of rats in vitro, so it is a bit of a stretch to just assume that carnitine has similar restorative effects on human skin in vivo. In addition, although several studies have demonstrated that carnitine deficiencies result in low levels of carnitine in skin fibroblasts, there is no evidence (at least not that I could find) to support that low carnitine levels in fibroblasts make skin age faster or appear more damaged. Nor could I find evidence that applying carnitine to the skin improves skin appearance or cellular renewal rates.
The other ingredients in Neutrogena Age Restorative Hydrating Cream are primarily your standard hydrators with a silicone base. I am pretty disappointed in this product, and I hope that Neutrogena returns to introducing truly effective new ingredients soon. Product rating: 3/10. (New technology: 1/3. High concentration of effective ingredients: 1/3. Value for the money: 1/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
Product Ingredients:Â Water, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Trisiloxane, Carnitine, PEG-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate, Glycerin, BHT, Polyacrylamide, Laureth-7, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Carbomer, Zinc Gluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Copper Gluconate, Sodium PCA, Urea, Magnesium Aspartate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polyquaternium-5, Laureth-23, Laureth-4, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, Triacetin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.