Quantum Derma Herbal Scar Reducing Cream

If there is an all-natural, herbal scar reducing cream that may actually work I guess it must be Quantum Derma’s cream. Reason? Because it does contain some promising ingredients. This cream is said to reduce the appearance of both new and old scars and contains a wide range of natural, healing ingredients.

Let’s review this product by examining its components.

Quantum Derma Scar Reducing Cream contains various herbal ingredients. Some are commonly thought to improve scars but are not backed by science (onion extract). A few of them are interesting and promising though.

Ingredients:

• Onion Extract,
• Lysine,
• Vitamin E,
• Tamanu Oil,
• Allantoin

Tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) for example. This aromatic oil is also referred to as “green gold” or “sacred oil of Tamanu”. It is said to be able to penetrate all skin layers.

Tamanu oil heals damaged skin, alleviates various medical conditions, and is known for its skin smoothing and softening properties. Revered by ancient Polynesians, the oil was historically used for its medicinal and wound healing properties. More on wisegeek.com .

Lysine is an amino acid that plays a role in building healthy tissue.

Allantoin has a positive effect on the skin’s moisture levels. Also has a keratolytic (deflaking) effect and stimulates the production of new epidermis cells, stimulates skin regeneration, rendering it smoother and softer. Clinical studies indicate it helped prevent and reduce scarring during tattoo removals.

Vitamin A (Retinyl palmitate is the safest form of the various types of vitamin A with the best tolerance, fewest side effects, and no prescription needed More on the role of vitamin A in scar treatment.

Bee propolis extract is reported to help scars heal. Especially acne sufferers seem to benefit from this substance according to some testimonials. Indirectly related to this subject is this post about scar treatment with bee venom .

Additional ingredients include:
Olive Oil, Beeswax, Aloe Vera Gel, Purified Water, Tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), Chamomile extract, Sweet Almond Oil, Gum Benzoin extract, Calendula extract, Bee Propolis extract, Golden Seal Root extract, Onion extract, Echinacea extract, Bisabalol (a chamomile extract), Cajeput Oil, Tea Tree oil, Vitamin E, Retinyl palmitate (vitamin A) , Vitamins A & D

A few of the ingredients of this cream appear to be promising because of their separate properties. They may provide a synergistic effect but studies should be done to proof this. When it comes to an all-natural scar cream I personally would like to see a scar cream containing Centella asiatica and liquorice. This because these substances appear to have some scar improving evidence behind them.

According to one reviewer on Amazon “this product works but has funny smell maybe because it is natural product and it is pricey for small tube.”

The manufacturer states that Quantum Derma Scar Reducing Cream:

• Significantly improves the appearance and reduces visibility of existing scars resulting from surgery, burns, injury and acne,
• helps prevent the formation of scars on newly healed wounds,
• makes scar tissue, calluses, and other skin hardenings softer and smoother,
• is also advertised to be effective on stretch marks.

Suggested Use: Massage into scar 3 5 times daily to smooth, soften and diminish appearance of scars.

Quantum Scar Reducing Cream is available on Amazon.

Neaclear Scar Advantage is a product I hadn’t heard of before (although it has been around for a while). Just yesterday I stumbled upon it when reading articles written by cosmetic and plastic surgeons. One of these health care practitioners recommended this cream for facial scars.

To me this doesn’t necessarily mean it is a good product because even among medical experts such as plastic surgeons and dermatologists ignorance occurs. I always like to dig for scientific reports and other indications products may actually work. Let’s have a closer look at Neaclear. Is it really as innovative and revolutionary as they say?

It is said to promote optimal scar healing with ingredients such as;

• cortisone,
• vitamin E,
• silicones,
• vitamins A & D,
• liquid oxygen,
• and vitamin C.

Let’s take a look at the respective actions of these components:

• topical cortisones reduce irritation (used in anti-itch creams) This study concludes there’s no benefit to the scar’s appearance. As there is none for vitamin E
• silicones are proven effective to decrease collagen formation and increase the scar’s maturation process.
• vitamins A (retinoids) has shown to have both benefits as side effects. No sufficient research data available for firm conclusions
• vitamin C seems to have scar healing benefits but stability is needed. It’s difficult to control whether or not Scar Advantage contains such a stable form of vitamin C.
• liquid oxygen



About the addition of liquid oxygen (whatever that may be) has been some rumor. New Scientist notes that “We have certainly never heard of a skin cream that contains liquid oxygen, the temperature of which is normally somewhere below -183 °C.” There has been a discussion on museumofhoaxes.com. Neaclear’s reaction:

the oxygenation is a special 4 step process that enables us to place oxygen into a stable liquid form. liquid oxygen normally exists only at the extremely low temperature of -183 degrees Celsius under normal atmospheric pressure. liquid oxygen in it’s purest form is highly combustible and basically “rocket fuel”.

NO, we do not have rocket fuel (pure liquid oxygen) in our products. please realize the oxygen concentration in our skin care products is not a large amount, definitely less than 5%. again, we always recommend not placing these products close to any sources of fire or anything flammable (a good piece of advice with any skin care products).



One more thing. I know this sounds rather cocky but I’m not convinced the action behind the product is pressure like stated on the Neaclear website. Yes, indeed, pressure (compression) has a beneficial effect on scar healing. Therefore it has been used since the 1960 in the treatment of burn and other scars. But how much pressure does a thin film apply? I have read lots of clinical reports and study abstracts and I am convinced to belief it is occlusion what makes that such products work.



Occlusion by silicone gels and sheets is thought to restore the water balance in the scar tissue thus preventing dehydration and excessive scar tissue. More on this in my post titled; how do silicones for scars work.



Neaclear Scar Advantage can be used on scars of all types – new or existing, traumatic or surgical. Whether or not it really works remains unclear. To me it seems comparable with other scar creams with roughly the same ingredients. The only difference is the addition of the mysterious liquid oxygen.



Have you used Neaclear Liquid Oxygen Scar Advantage? I would love to hear about your experiences. You can drop a comment below or contact me via the contact page.

Note: in order to avoid confusion, there are two Neaclear scar products on Amazon. Both with the same name but with other ingredients. The other product has chamomile and some other components in it.














none

Vitamin A comes in several forms. The strongest is called retinoic acid which, because of its strength, may cause adverse reactions. Therefore, this active form of retinol is not suited to all skin types. Retinoic acid creams are only available with prescription from a doctor or dermatologist. Because of its potency it’s classed as a pharmaceutical and not a beauty product.

Retinoic acid is not a new product. It has been clinically tested and is used in skin care for almost three decades. Some of these studies, instigated by the observation that oral vitamin A improved the appearance of keloid scars, have examined the effects of the topical use of this potent vitamin A on scars.

Conclusion of examining these reports is that the use of topical retinoic acid on scars, although seemingly effective, is not recommended. This because of potential side effects.

One study report is titled: Reduction of Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars Following Systemic Administration of Vitamin A:

[..] examined the effect of a topically applied 0.05% solution of retinoic acid on keloids and hypertrophic scars. [..] Slight to marked reduction of the size of these scars and a decrease of complaints such as itching were noted in the majority of the cases.

In addition, Hansen reported a 75% subjective and objective improvement in scars as old as three years old treated with a 0.05% topical retinoic acid. This improvement meant softening and flattening of hypertrophy and fading of the scar’s color once the effects of the acid had worn off.

In his series, vertical scars on the abdomen and those across the lines of minimum tension elsewhere on the body showed the most dramatic improvement. Areas that did not seem to respond well were the breast, chin, and jawline.

Another report by Daly et al. [2] presented the results of a randomized, double-blind, prospective study on the effects of topically applied vitamin A:

A statistically significant difference (20% reduction in scar size) was noted between the group treated with 0.05% retinoic acid and the control group treated with the base cream.

In the retinoid-treated group, lesion size was reduced by approximately 20%. Daly and coworkers concluded that the clinical effects of retinoids had been demonstrated to be consistent with the in vitro data.

Side Effects
In some case scarring actually was the result of inappropriate use of 0.05% retinoid gel. Gels seem to provoke skin irritation more often than retinoin creams [3].

Topical retinoids may be absorbed in the body. Therefore it may cause side effects due to excessive vitamin A (specifically retinoid) intake (hypervitaminosis). Especially for those who take vitamin supplements.

Another possible side effect is damage to unborn children (teratogenicity). So pregnant women should steer clear of retinoic acid.

Because of these possible complications and the absence of sufficient research data some experts do not recommend the use of topical retinoic acid on scars.

Conclusion
I would personally opt for silicones because these have no side effects. In case silicone sheeting doesn’t catch on I would possibly consult my doctor about retinoic acid treatment for scars. Although I think steroid injections would be a more appropriate next step.

Maybe prolonged use of an retinyl palmitate or retinol cream could help fade scars. Since these creams are rather safe to use and easy to obtain (I would advice to always start moderately with new skin care products to monitor the results) such creams may offer a valuable addition in case other treatments don’t work.

Read more about the topical use of retinol creams on scars.

[1] Janssen de Limpens AMP: The local treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids with topical retinoic acid. Br J Dermatol 103:319, 1980

[3] Hogan DJ: Scarring following inappropriate use of 0.05% tretoin gel. J Am Acad Dermatol 17:1056, 1987

Scar Esthetique Reduction Cream Review

Scar Esthetique Reduction Cream is often bought in combination with silicone sheets. This scar reduction cream is marketed with the pay off:

“Containing more ingredients that promote scar healing and scar reduction than any other scar cream on the market”.

Which in fact is true. It contains an impressive amount of ‘active’ ingredients. (w/Silicone, Arnica, Antioxidants, Copper Peptides, Co-Q10)

Scar Esthetique Reduction Cream

Some of them are frequently occurring scar cream components which have no scientific scar treatment value. Onion extract is one of those. Or at least it is disputed. One animal study showed improvement while two other studies didn’t show benefits. Vitamin E is also a popular skin care product component but whether or not it is useful in scar treatment hasn’t been scientifically proven. It is often added because of its skin soothing properties. Some other ingredients of Scar Esthetique however seem more promising. Vitamin C for example.

Several studies have shown vitamin C to be an effective scar treatment constituent. Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) has shown to hydrate scar tissue, reduce scar discolorization and redness, and regulate excessive collagen formation. Major downside of vitamin C and products containing it is that it is very unstable. This means that if it is exposed to the air (oxygen) it will loose its action. (A more stable form of vitamin C is Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate) I am not sure whether or not Scar Esthetique Reduction Cream contains a stable form of vitamin C.

Arnica montana, also referred to as Leopards bane or Mountain Tobacco, is known to promote wound healing. Historically used to reduce bruising, swelling, and  inflammation. Although advertised frequently as an effective scar treatment component its scientific efficacy has to be proven yet.  Study reports from the ‘Archives of Facial and Plastic Surgery’ show that when arnica is taken orally before surgery it reduces inflammation and bruising. Arnica stimulates white blood cell activity which might be beneficial in scar tissue reduction.

Copper peptides is another supposed scar reducing ingredient. Proteins called peptides boost the body’s reserve of an enzyme which regulates the way cells age and deal with stress.  In a previous post on copper peptides I concluded that copper peptides will probably help a little bit because copper is a part of healthy collagen placement but they have to be used in combination with peels and results will only be seen over (a relatively long) time.

Silicones (dimethicone) are proven effective scar reducing agents. Silicone sheets or ointments reduce scar elevation, redness, itch, and pain. I know of some other creams containing silicones that they stay on the surface of the skin and seal it to enable the rest of the ingredients to work. Whether this is the case in this particular cream I don’t know.

Vitamin A is an important skin care vitamin. “Today it is well recognized that the rejuvenation of skin can be achieved by applying vitamin A to the skin.” Studies show that vitamin A has some scar fading properties. There are many types and derivates of vitamin A. Retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and beta-carotene are a few of them. Retinyl palmitate, present in the Scar Esthetique cream accounts for about 80% of the vitamin A found in the skin. For more in-dept info on the role of vitamin A in scar treatment visit this post on the benefits of vitamin A in scar treatment.

According to the manufacturer:

“Scar Esthetique Scar Cream penetrates deep into the skin’s epidermal layers to treat scar tissue damage from the inside. It stimulates new cellular growth to reduce scarring and is the only scar cream available that can remove scars. Scar Esthetique Scar Creme is clinically proven to improve the appearance of scars, including hypertrophic and keloid scars, that result from surgery, trauma, burns, laser resurfacing and acne. It is also highly effective in reducing stretch marks and lightening brown aging spots.”

It is also said that it works like a silicone sheet at a cellular level. Whether or not this is completely true remains to be seen. No real evidence proving these statements is available. On the other hand, there’s no real proof this cream doesn’t work at all.

My conclusion for now: I think that, among the possibly, not yet proven, effective scar reduction creams Scar Esthetique might be a very promising contender. No studies to this exact mix of ingredients have been done but the components used in this cream are at least promising.

Apart from this the customer reviews of this product are pretty positive. To see for yourself click the link below. It is rated 4 out of 5 stars. I’m convinced these reviews are unbiased and real because there are other products on their website that have far less positive ratings.

Read More Reviews of Scar Esthetique Reduction Cream