Novo Solutions MD ($45.00 – $170.00) is amongst the first skin care lines to contain an umbilical cord serum complex, NovoSerum™, a proprietary cell-free complex derived from purified human umbilical cord serum. According to Ying Chu, the Beauty Director for Marie Claire, Novo Solutions MD works: “I love it…I need it…The payoff: firmer, thicker, plumper skin and more radiance.”
NovoSerum™: New Technology or Overpriced Peptides?
NovoSerum™ stimulates skin’s stem cells and significantly increases the production of collagen and skin matrix. In an independent, double blind clinical study, skin treated with NovoSerum™ demonstrated a marked increase in pro-collagen and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) compared to untreated skin (Press release, 2011). However, what is disappointing to me is the fact the amount by which collagen and glycosaminoglycan production was increased was not released. This is important information, since we know how much these parameters can be increased with existing peptides on the market that generally cost far less. For instance, Matrixyl 3000® has reported to decrease wrinkle depth by 68% and wrinkle density by 47% over six months (World Congress of Dermatology, 2002), and can be found in MyChelle Supreme Polypeptide Cream for less than $70.
NovoSerum™ also reportedly contains neuropeptides that freeze the skin, causing a temporary BotoxTM-like effect. Specifically, argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-3) prevents neurons from stimulating muscles to contract, thereby relaxing the muscles, giving the skin a smoother appearance (Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1997). When used over time, argireline may also prevent the formation of wrinkles that are caused by use of the muscles.
However, there are two notes about argireline in Novo Solutions MD products. One, argireline is available for less cost than in Novo Solutions MD products, such as in Kinerase C8 Peptide Serum ($97.00, Amazon.com) and The Skin Savers Argireline Serum ($55.00, Amazon.com). Two, argireline does not have the same effect for everyone. While injections of argireline produced similar results to BotoxTM, argireline in skin care creams cannot diffuse through the top layers of skin to reach the crucial muscle-nerve connections like injectable BotoxTM. So some users of Novo Solutions MD will experience up to a six-hour complete relaxation of their facial muscles, while others will only get a minor effect for an hour or so.
Does the Umbilical Cord Have Any Effect?
I’d love to see more data from Novo Solutions MD researchers on the effect of using umbilical cord serum. Based upon the press release, the results really do not seem different from other creams containing peptides, as mentioned above.
At this point in time, I could not find independent published research substantiating the use of umbilical cord serum for topical application. While there are isolated case studies demonstrating injected umbilical cord stem cells may improve the condition of the skin as a side effect of therapeutic stem-cell therapies (Umbilical Stem Cell Therapy, 2011), NovoSerum™ is cell-free.
Bottom Line
I believe you can get firming, freezing effects from Novo Solutions MD – but I can’t see why you would pay more for these peptides to be embedded in umbilical cord serum. I honestly cannot figure out why Novo Solutions MD is using umbilical cord serum, except for a neat promotional effect, unless there is some sort of beneficial effect to the antibodies within the serum. I would love to see data.
Until then, I can’t recommend it to my readers on the basis of cost effectiveness – there are simply more cost-effective ways to get the benefits or argireline and Matrixyl 3000®, sorry. However, if you are someone for whom cost is not a concern (but wrinkles are), then the peptides in Novo Solutions MD are likely to reduce your wrinkles and relax your facial muscles for a short amount of time, without worrying about having to mix products.