AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum

Let’s imagine for a moment that you are a piece of skin. (Bear with me here.)

You have one job: To protect the body from anything — sunlight, pollution, chemicals — from hitting the inside.

As you get older, everything seems to work against you. Your internal support system of collagen and elastin starts to break down. Your friends that kept you hydrated, like vitamin E, squalane, ceramides, fatty acids, and hyaluronic acid, start to come around less and less. (Technically, they are produced less and less, but let’s stick with the story).

And, eventually, you’re just worn thin.

You can get some help from certain treatments.

When people put exfoliants on you, for instance, you temporarily get a jolt, and feel renewed.

And when people put vitamin E, squalane, and other hydrators on you, you feel invigorated. But only for a short time. Then it’s back to the grind on your own.

What if there was a treatment that could stimulate the skin to do everything it naturally did?

That’s the idea behind retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids, and growth factors, the active ingredient in AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum.

What are Growth Factors?

Growth factors are naturally-occurring molecules that boost communication between cells.

Like retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids, and amino acids, topically-applied growth factors have been shown to stimulate the production of collagen within the skin (Journal of Drugs in Dermatology).

On the other hand, growth factors can be a lot more specialized than retinoids or alpha hydroxy acids. While there are different types of retinoids and alpha hydroxy acids, they all essentially do more or less the same things, exfoliating the skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and whatnot.

However, different growth factors can do drastically different things. For instance, three growth factors (basic fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor) stimulate new blood vessel formation. Another, keratinocyte growth factor, stimulates skin cell growth. And yet other kinds, like insulin-like growth factor 1, promotes new cell growth and multiplication.

What are the Effects of Growth Factors in Skin Care?

Most skin care products use skin cell stimulating growth factors. These have been shown in peer-reviewed, independent studies to enhance wound healing following dermatological treatments with lasers or dermatologic surgery, reduce wrinkling, and increase skin smoothness.

In a 2007 study in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, subjects used a human growth factor-containing cream on half of their face for sixty days. After the 60-day period, 83% of the subjects showed an improved average wrinkle score in the eye area, while 50% showed an improved average wrinkle score in the mouth area.

According to the parent company of AQ Solutions Active Serum:

• Skin looks significantly younger with regular use
• Diminishes wrinkles and fine lines
• Gives skin a youthful glow and gradually fades sun/age spots
• GF (growth factor)-technology restores youthful skin function to repair damage

Why Do I Recommend AQ Skin Solutions’ Active Serum?

First, AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum contains a concentrated blend (over 40%) of stem cell derived growth factors, the highest of any brand that I have seen. This solution contains even more stem cells than water, which is exceptionally rare to find in a skin care product.

Second, this product also contains vitamin C (as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate) and vitamin E. As longtime FutureDerm readers know, these are two of my favorite ingredients, because use of the two ingredients together has been shown to increase the power of sunscreen (not kidding!) (American Journal of Dermatology, 2005).

Vitamin C as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate has been shown to increase skin’s hydration levels (Skin Research and Technology, 2008). Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate has been shown to be more efficient in entering skin cells than L-ascorbic acid (Clinics in Dermatology, 2008) and to penetrate the skin more deeply than L-ascorbic acid (Dermatologic Surgery, 2002).

So I definitely love the addition of vitamins C and E into AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum.

Lastly, AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum utilizes a special process to get the human growth factors. As human skin cells (fibroblasts) are grown, their secretions are saved in a laboratory. The solution in which the cells grow contain all of the human growth factors necessary to grow new skin cells. AQ says that it uses a “cell sorting technology” to ensure that the formula only includes growth factors that are beneficial to the skin. An AQ representative I spoke to assured me the cell culture is pure, and no embryos are utilized in the creation of the serum.

So I love this serum because it is highly concentrated with growth factors, contains other beneficial ingredients, and utilizes growth factors from a pure source.

How Do I Use This as a Part of a Regimen?

I recommend AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum most for skin that has lost some of its firmness and elasticity already.

In the morning, cleanse, tone (optional), then apply AQ Solutions Active Serum, followed by a sunscreen.

In the evening, cleanse, tone (optional), apply a lightweight retinoid or AHA treatment, then AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum, followed by a moisturizer only if your skin is normal/dry or dry. (Current favorites of mine include AminoGenesis and LARA Beauty).

Note that the form of vitamin C in AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum is not acidic, so you can use it in conjunction with a retinoid.

Personal Use and Opinions

AQ is a slightly milky, very light solution.

It glides onto the skin well, and it does not have a lingering scent.

A little AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum goes a long way. It wears well for me under makeup, and can double as a light primer.

Within a few days of use, you will notice that your skin feels firmer. I imagine this is from the alpha hydroxy acid lactic acid at first, which is an ingredient that is FDA certified to treat dry skin. It really plumps up the hydration level! After a few weeks, however, I imagine the firmer skin is due at least in part to the growth factors.

Directions

Gently press the pump no more than halfway to dispense onto clean fingers. Lightly spread over clean skin on the entire face, neck, and chest areas.

Bottom Line

I’m a huge fan of AQ Skin Solutions Active Serum, and I’m ecstatic to recommend it to anyone looking for a boost in their anti-aging regimen.

Human Fibroblast Conditioned Media, Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Cellulose Gum, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lactic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol.