RevaléSkin contains the powerful antioxidant CoffeeBerry®, the most potent antioxidant known to date. RevaléSkin products contain between 0.1 and 1% CoffeeBerry® and, according to a company statement, “have been clinically proven to improve overall skin fitness by enhancing skin tone, diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as skin pigmentation from sun exposure and decreasing some signs of skin inflammation in as little as three weeks.” Manufactured by Stiefel Laboratories, RevaléSkin is available for purchase from aesthetic physicians nationwide in the U.S., as well as from SkincareRx.com.
Where does CoffeeBerry come from?
CoffeeBerry® is a natural ingredient, derived from the coffee cherry of the Coffea arabica plant when it is still green and “sub-ripe.” CoffeeBerry Extract contains an extremely high concentration of polyphenols, which serve as potent antioxidants (Baumann).
Why is CoffeeBerry® such a potent antioxidant?
According to Jim Hartman, senior vice president of U.S. sales and marketing for Stiefel Laboratories, “CoffeeBerry is abundant in four powerful polyphenol antioxidants, chlorogenic acid (the most notable of the antioxidants), condensed proanthocyanidins, quinic acid and ferulic acid, which makes the CoffeeBerry even more potent than such robust antioxidants as green tea, pomegranataes, blueberries, vitamin C and vitamin E.” In fact, CoffeeBerry® outperforms even the average green tea extract by 145% on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scale, the standard measurement for antioxidant strength. In specific, CoffeeBerry® has an ORAC score of 15000 minimum, green tea 10000-11000, fruits 104-5770, and vegetables 150-1770, according to a Stiefel Laboratories “RevaléSkin FAQ” statement.
One note of curiosity: although CoffeeBerry® has been shown to have the highest ORAC score of any single antioxidant, I would be curious to see research comparing the efficacy of CoffeeBerry® to combinations of antioxidants found in skin care treatments. In particular, I would be interested in a comparison of the antioxidant capacity of CoffeeBerry® over time to network antioxidants (vitamin C, E, glutathione, lipoic acid and coenzyme Q10), which work together to reinforce the power of one another.
How effective is RevaléSkin in fighting fine lines and wrinkles?
As reported in the journal Dermatologic Therapy, in clinical trials sponsored by Stiefel and conducted by David McDaniels, M.D., 30 patients with actinic damage used a skin care system consisting of 0.1% CoffeeBerry® cleanser, and 1% CoffeeBerry® day and night creams. Twenty patients had full face application of the test products, whereas ten patients used the product on only half the face and vehicle on the other half. In split-face patients the CoffeeBerry® system resulted in a statistically significant improvement in fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, and overall appearance when compared to vehicle. Although no studies have compared the efficacy of the CoffeeBerry® system to retinoids, peptides, and other anti-aging ingredients, studies are now looking at the use of the RevaléSkin antioxidant system in conjunction with retinoids and intense pulsed-light treatments to fight signs of aging.
How effective is the RevaleSkin cleanser?
Of the three products, the RevaleSkin cleanser is my least favorite. Containing 0.1% CoffeeBerry® extract, the product provides a similar concentration of antioxidant grapefruit extract, a gentle cleanse…and not much else. Considering that ten times as much CoffeeBerry® extract is available in the RevaleSkin Day Cream and Night Cream, it may be wise to save the money here on the cleanser and go with a cheaper gentle cleanser rich in another anti-aging ingredient, like the soy in Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser ($18.07 for three, Amazon.com), or a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($20.26 for two, Amazon.com). At any rate, still a great, gentle cleanser with antioxidants. Product rating: 7.5/10
Is RevaléSkin Day Cream a great product?
The RevaléSkin Day Cream takes no chances, containing a full 1.0% CoffeeBerry® extract as a potent antioxidant to improve fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, and overall appearance. The cream also contains a fairly high concentration of soy, which has antioxidant and inflammatory properties, stimulates the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid in human fibroblasts cultured in vitro, and reduces the number of hair follicles (dermal papillae) on the skin. As additional antioxidants to protect against future UV damage, vitamin E as tocopheryl acetate and grapefruit seed extract are also included.
To hydrate, RevaléSkin Day Cream features a plethora of light favorites, including glycerin, dimethicone, urea, sodium hyaluronate, phospholipids and cholesterol.
To protect against future damage, RevaléSkin Day Cream also features an SPF 15, broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) combination of 7.5% octinoxate and 4.0% oxybenzone. This is my least favorite part of the product, as oxybenzone and octinoxate do not block as full a range of UV rays as other sunscreens, including combinations of oxybenzone and avobenzone (as in Helioplex, found in Neutrogena sunscreens), or avobenzone and ecamsule (as in LaRoche-Posay Anthelios SX). At any rate, RevaléSkin Day Cream is certainly a superior anti-aging moisturizer and one of my favorites to date (particularly when used under a better form of sunscreen). Product rating: 9/10
How good is the RevaléSkin Night Cream?
RevaléSkin Night Cream is just as good as RevaléSkin Day Cream. While both contain a full 1.0% CoffeeBerry® extract, vitamin E as tocopheryl acetate and grapefruit extract, just as RevaléSkin Day Cream loses a point for not including a better form of sunscreen, RevaléSkin Night Cream gets a deduction for not including the soy extract found in RevaléSkin Day Cream. At any rate, RevaléSkin Night Cream is certainly a great anti-aging product, and one of the best antioxidant treatments to date.
Personal Comments
Although I largely try to keep personal opinions out of this blog, I currently am using a night regime of a thin layer of Green Cream Level 6 (a retinol cream) with RevaléSkin Night Cream over it, and I have noticed a marked improvement in my skin in just two weeks, even though full improvement with skin care products shouldn’t be noticed for about a month. (And, if you are wondering, in the morning, I am currently using Skinceuticals CE Ferulic under NIA24 Physical Sunscreen).
Overall Opinions
RevaléSkin with CoffeeBerry® extract is one of the greatest antioxidant, anti-aging treatments out there. Although I recommend the RevaléSkin Day Cream [with a different potent sunscreen] and RevaléSkin Night Cream more than the RevaleSkin cleanser, all three have been shown in clinical trials to work well in conjunction against fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, and overall appearance. Despite its relatively high cost (it’s not drugstore-priced!), I give the line a very solid, enthusiastic 9/10.