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52 DAYSPA | JUNE 2014 Cell-ing Points Opinions on the direct effi cacy of topical stem cells do vary. Crystal McElroy, esthetician and national edu- cator for Dermatude North America, cites the overall limitations of topical products in affecting change under the skin. McElroy advocates for her company's META therapy method, in which plant stem cells are perforated into the epidermis. "When plant stem cells are placed into the skin at a .05mm in depth, the cells attach to the human dermal stem cells, which increases their longevity," she says. What is agreed upon is that plant cells don't inter- act with human ones in terms of actually developing new skin stem cells. So what is the effect? "Human stem cells decrease and degrade as we age," explains Christine Heathman, founder and CEO of GlyMed Plus. "Plant stem cells from high-powered botanicals are scientifi cally proven to protect our stem cells from degrading from the effects of oxidative stress and in- fl ammation. Your skin is going to be older tomorrow than it is today, and damage happens 24 hours a day, so stem cell protection is imperative." Experts also agree on the general fragility of hu- man stem cells. "Adult stem cells have a limited life and are subject to intrinsic and environmental aging," says Gül Zone, president of DERMAWARE. "True, plant cells cannot insert themselves into the human infrastructure and become human cells, but they can increase the life span of those cells, stimulate them and protect them against UV damage." Despite the repeated explanations, the idea that human stem cells and plant stem cells interact and are interchangeable is one of the more common misconceptions heard by April Zangl, CEO and co- formulator of HydroPeptide. "I tell people that plant stem cells act as more concentrated botanicals that provide the skin with superior nourishment in the form of antioxidants and anti-infl ammatories," Zangl explains. "Epider- mal stem cells, found at the epidermal base layer, can be thought of as 'mother cells' that continually create healthy 'daughter cells.' As the mother cells age, they aren't as well nourished and, as a result, their turnover isn't as regular, and that leads to dull, lackluster skin. When plant stem cells are topically applied, they have been shown to help feed and nourish mother stem cells." "Human stem cells and plant stem cells are not equal," agrees Laurie Nicoll, president and CEO of Ste- mulation, which uses a derivative of stem cell growth factors from Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs) in its formulations. "Plant stem cell growth factors do have benefi cial effects, but there is no scientifi c evidence that they have any direct effect on dermal stimulus. Human stem cells do have white papers supporting their scien- tifi c and medical impact to promote collagen synthesis and dermal stimulus." UNMISTAKABLE MESSAGE Promoting skincare products containing stem cells without furthering common myths can be a challenge. "The best marketing strategy is to be sure that clients are not only fully educated on the differences " Your skin is going to be older tomorrow than it is today, and damage happens 24 hours a day, so stem cell protection is imperative." RASPBERRIES ROSE MELON ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM C e l l - i n g P o i n t s . i n d d 5 2 Cell-ing Points.indd 52 5 / 6 / 1 4 1 : 2 3 P M 5/6/14 1:23 PM