Med-Eye Complex Cream

Professional Review

So, as FutureDerm readers know, I’m into ingredients. In high concentrations. In delivery systems that deliver ingredients to where they work best. At pH levels that allow for the ingredients to work at all.

And on those criteria, MDSUN Med-Eye Complex Cream is one of the most exciting products to come across my desk in a very, very long time. Think of this stuff like Skinceuticals on steroids: Infused with more vitamin C than water and packed with over a dozen peptides, ceramides, human stem cells media, and vitamin E, MDSUN Med-Eye Complex Cream is truly powerful eye cream designed to visibly promote firmness, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, increase blood circulation, and deeply hydrate the eye area to reduce the signs of aging. It is designed for both daytime and nighttime use.

Here’s my very excited review:

More Brightening & Tightening Vitamin C as Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate than Even Water!

For decades, dermatologists have been singing the praises of vitamin C. And why not:  According to the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, vitamin C as L-ascorbic acid has many favorable aspects for the skin, including:

• scavenging of free radicals (reacts with the superoxide anion or the hydroxyl radical);
• suppressing pigmentation of the skin (by inhibiting the enzyme tyrosinase);
• decomposing melanin;
• triggering collagen production and thereby increasing skin firmness;
• enhancing sunscreen protection.

The problem with L-ascorbic acid is that it’s unstable. In fact, it’s extremely unstable. Anyone who has ever purchased a bottle of L-ascorbic acid vitamin C serum only to have it turn yellow and sticky after a few uses knows that oxidation is a huge problem.

Enter the cosmeceutical company race to invent the “new” form of vitamin C. Forms like tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, and ascorbyl glucoside have been popular for about a decade. [Read more: Are Other Vitamin C Forms as Effective as L-Ascorbic Acid?]

While the makers of L-ascorbic acid-only vitamin C serums stand by their claims that “only” L-ascorbic acid is acidic enough to penetrate the skin, a slew of studies are popping up to prove otherwise.

In favor of tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate are the facts that tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate has been shown to be more efficient in entering skin cells than L-ascorbic acid (Clinics in Dermatology, 2008) and that tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate also penetrates the skin more deeply than L-ascorbic acid (Dermatologic Surgery, 2002).

And in another study, this from Skin Research and Technology in 2008, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate was found to improve water retention in the stratum corneum (the uppermost layer of skin) after a 4-week period of daily applications.

Perhaps the only complaint about L-ascorbic acid alternatives is that they aren’t usually in very high concentrations. I’ve seen some skin care companies sneak through with less tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate than preservatives, which are usually 0.25% or less. So I’m ecstatic that MDSUN Med-Eye Complex Cream has more tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate than even water — meaning that the product has HUGE potential for your skin!

Human Stem Cell Media May Rival Retinoids in Their Efficacy

MDSUN Med-Eye Complex Cream does not contain actual human stem cells. Actually, no skincare or cosmetic brand is currently using whole human stem cells. Instead, they are using human stem cell extracts. That one additional word is key, indicating that the formulations are based on the media in which the human stem cells are grown and sustained. This media includes nutrients like growth factors.

Growth factors are proteins that activate cellular proliferation and/or differentiation. Many growth factors are quite versatile, stimulating cellular division in numerous different cell types; while others are specific to a particular cell-type (Indiana State University).

Typically, stem cell skincare contains epidermal growth factors (which can only be found in human skin stem cells), which can have powerful rejuvenation and repair benefits to the skin.

Despite initial skepticism from the dermatological community, stem cells appear to have some promise in cell signaling when applied to human skin. After two weeks of using a product containing similar stem cell extracts, consumers have seen a significant reduction in the depth of crow’s feet wrinkles by 8 percent; the reduction in the depth of crow’s feet after four weeks reached 15 percent (Inside Cosmeceuticals, 2009). That’s about nearly the results retinoids typically exhibit in studies, indicating that these stem cell skin care therapies may really show some significant promise!

As for growth factors, it has been proposed in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology that topically-applied human growth factors may be beneficial in reducing signs of skin aging due to their capacity in promoting dermal fibroblast and keratinocyte proliferation, and in increasing collagen production.  Growth factors have shown promise to enhance wound healing following dermatological treatments with lasers or dermatologic surgery, reduce wrinkling, and increase skin smoothness.

What I have noticed most about persons using stem cells is that some seem to swear by them, while others don’t really notice many changes at all. Some of this may be due to a lack of compliance — most people fail to apply skin care treatments daily, much less the recommended twice-daily. However, my hunch is this may be due to differences in different people’s skin. For instance, if I’m 55 and have half the amount of growth factors I did in 1995, I’m going to notice a significant difference from stem cell skincare. Thankfully for MDSUN, it has a slew of other effective ingredients that pack a big punch in MDSUN Med-Eye Complex Cream.

Ceramides are Naturally Found and Produced within the Skin And Hydrate Very Well

First, to understand the role of ceramides, you need to know what causes dry skin to begin with.

Two main disorders feature dry skin. The first is atopic dermatitis, which was reported in this study to be characterized by a decrease in skin’s lipid content.

The second disorder is xerosis. In xerosis, your total lipid content is fine and dandy and up to par, but your proportion of ceramides is decreased, and particularly ceramide 2. (study)

Some chemists make the argument that putting ceramides on your skin won’t hydrate, because the ceramides are too large to penetrate the skin. (There is a 500 Dalton rule — molecules larger than 500 Daltons, like proteins and ceramide-esque lipids, cannot penetrate the skin).

On the other hand, some chemists are demonstrating amazing results after putting ceramides on dry skin. In one study in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, topical application of ceramides did in fact improve barrier function and moisture retention of the skin.

Look, honestly, I wouldn’t spend $210 for the ceramides only in MDSUN Med-Eye Complex Cream. But at the same time, if you’re getting ceramides and stabilized vitamin C in astronomical concentrations and a dozen peptides and vitamin E and ubiquinone, well, then ceramide is just icing on the cake!

Peptides Here are Numerous, Highly Concentrated, and Amazing

Full list of peptides and functions:

• Acetyl Octapeptide-3 may reduce the depth of wrinkles on the face caused by the contraction of muscles of facial expression
• Rh-Polypeptide-9 may reduce wrinkles and enhance skin elasticity
• Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate may prevent the formation of expression lines
• Potato SH-Oligopeptide-1 may increase the rate of cellular turnover as well as slow the thinning of aging skin
• Rh-Polypeptide-1 may may reduce wrinkles and enhance skin elasticity
• Tripeptide-29 may minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles
• Hexapeptide-11 may upregulate key genes responsible for collagen production and hyaluronic acid
• Tetrapeptide-23 may protect skin against reactive scavengers and increase antioxidant activity
• Tripeptide-1 may stimulate the synthesis of collagen
• Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 may inhibit inflammation and glycation
• Oligopeptide-91 may prevent wrinkles

Personal Use and Opinions

MDSUN Med-Eye Complex Cream is a luxurious white cream. When you press down on the bulbous roll-on applicator, it comes out as a white cream that glides across the skin evenly. For absorption, you massage the applicator in circular motions from the inside of the under-eye area outwards.

Bottom Line

I personally love this product. You can quote me: MDSUN is Skinceuticals or Kiehl’s on steroids! It is a product with MANY promising scientifically-proven ingredients in high concentrations, using a quality delivery system, and at a skin-friendly pH. If you suffer from undereye signs of aging and are looking for a luxury product that actually works, this is the one. You’re paying for far more than just fancy packaging and beautiful ads with well-known models and actresses, which is what I unfortunately see with a lot of products above $150. You’re paying for efficacy and amazing ingredients. which is what I look for in my skin care. This will be a staple for me for a long, long time.

Ingredients:

Tetrahexydecyl ascorbate, water, acetyl octapeptide-3, cichorium intybus (chicory) leaf extract, thioctic acid, tripeptide-29, 4-ethoxybenzaldehyde, niacinamide, rh-polypeptide-9, dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate, palmitoyl dipeptide-5 diaminohydroxybutyrate, potato sh-oligopeptide-1, rh-oligopeptide-2, rh-polypeptide-1, rh-polypeptide-33, whey protein, tocopherol, phytonadione, glycerin, hexapeptide-11, retinal, acetylarginyltryptophyl diphenylglycine, palmitoyl tripeptide-5, tetradecyloctadecyl stearate, tetrapeptide-23, acetyl oligopeptide-70, coffea arabica leaf/seed extract, hexanoyl dipeptide-3 norleucine acetate, human adipocyte conditioned media, human adipocyte conditioned media extract, tripeptide-1, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, dextrin, steareth-20, retinyl palmitate, acetyl tetrapeptide-22, caffeine, oligopeptide-96, retinyl acetate, retinyl propionate, rh-polypeptide-11, tripeptide-46, butylene glycol, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, polysorbate 20, hydrolized soy protein, chrysin, hydrolized hibiscus esculentus extract, n-hydroxysuccinimide, oligopeptide-91, pseudoalteromonas ferment extract, tetrapeptide-21, hydrolized wheat protein, ergothioneine, hexapeptide-40, hydroxyproline, sargassum filipendula extract, tetrapeptide-38, ubiquinone, carbomer, cholesterol, cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethyl isosorbide, dipeptide-2, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, hesperidin methyl chalcone, kinetin, PEG/PPG-18/18 dimethicone, hydroxyethyl urea, tripeptide-10, caprylic/capric triglyceride, dimethicone crosspolymer, disodium EDTA, glyceryl stearate dimer dilinoleate copolymer, lecithin, linoleic acid, phytosphingosine, ceramide AP, cocoyl hydrolized wheat protein, ethylbisiminomethylguai acol manganese chloride, propylene glycol alginate, ceramide NG, acacia senegal gum, glycine soja (soybean) oil, retinol, ceramide NG, glycolipids, butyrosepermum parkii (shea) butter, hydroxypalmitoyl sphinganine