Truth In Aging
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Just another WordPress weblog
May 14th, 2008
Today I received an email from Ildi Pekar, my esthetician. She wanted to share with me a new product she has been trying out for the last two weeks with great results. She says her skin looks younger and wrinkles are diminished (not that she really has any compared to tortoises like me). The product is called A&G Skin Solutions Active Serum and it has four very interesting ingredients that promote cell growth.
This is a product that takes the opposite approach to anti-aging than, say, a retinol. Retins and hydroxy acids work by exfoliating to make the skin think it has had a trauma so that it starts to make new cells. The problem with this (other than the fact it is irritating) is that you eventually reach the Hayflick Limit: cells can't divide and reproduce indefinitely - if they are healthy - and so reach their limit at 52 divisions before dying completely. Cell growth ingredients are different because they aim to replace or augment the natural growth agents that we lose as we get older.
The first of these cell growth ingredients in A&G Skin Solutions Active Serum is TGF-beta (1-3). This is a 'super' protein that controls cell functions such as growth and proliferation. It also regulates cell death. Studies at Cornell, Vanderbilt and Jefferson show that TGF-beta stimulates collagen and elastin production. Jan Marini uses TGF-beta (1) in her product line called Transformation (pictured below).
Next there is PDGF (platelet derived growth factor). This is also a protein that regulates cell growth and division. The third protein in AG Skin Solutions Active Serum is granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). This one stimulates stem cells. Finally, there are more cytokines (molecules that send out controlling signals) called interleukins.
In addition, the two doctors behind A&G have included an anti-oxidant concoction of vitamins C and E, evening primrose and Pycnogenol, an anti-oxidant from a maritime pine tree that grows in France. The manufacturer of Pycnogenol claims that 170 studies and trials have been pubished over that last 35 years backing it up as an anti-oxidant.
As Ildi pointed out, at $190 this product isn't cheap. But if my research bears out, it may prove to be well worth it. Anyway, I pressed the buy now button. We'll report back.
Related Articles
Reviewed and recommended: another growth factor cream called ReLuma
What is it: the Hayflick Limit and is exfoliation possible
(No Ratings Yet) 
22 Responses to “A&G Skin Solutions Active Serum and four cell growth ingredients”
May 16th, 2008 at 12:19 am
The best product in the market hands down, I bought it from their web site agskinsolutions.com . I am loving it !!!
May 16th, 2008 at 12:28 am
got it, loved it, want more of it..finally something really works ..
the picture in the article is not the right picture of the product,,hmmm why is that? where can I get it in NY?
May 16th, 2008 at 12:41 am
my sister is using it and her skin now is gorgeous, I just got mine 3 days ago and my skin never felt better. I emaild the company and they said a full launch of the product will start in September for now its only available though their web site.
May 17th, 2008 at 10:48 am
The image is of Jan Marini’s Transitions - also mentioned in the post. I couldn’t get hold of a pic of the A&G, but I’ll take a product shot when my order arrives.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Are you gals using it once a day or twice a day? I used it last night and loved it But the bottle is so teeny, I hesitate to use it more than once daily. And if you’re using it once a day, what do you use in the morning? thanks!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Hi Kathy,
I use it twice a day in the mornings and before bed. The bottle I think is perfect size, especially when you think about how long it takes to generate the serum. I emailed them to ask about other products and they said the rest of the A&G line will be launched on the Vegas show, they have the link on their web site (www.agskinsolutions.com) anyone here is going to the vegas show that can report to us about their products and news? I am telling you gals, this will be the next big thing.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:20 pm
My esthetician, Ildi Pekar, says “For the best result I would use the Ag serum twice a day for two weeks. You only need a small amount. I been using my for a couple weeks and still feels pretty full. And maybe after two weeks just in the morning.”
I just started using it yesterday (mornings only). A little seems to go a long way.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Okay, sounds reasonable. The bottle only has like .6 oz, that I don’t want to use it more often than I should. What are you using in the evenings if not the AG?
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Depends how I feel my skins looks, but usually either Image Skin Care serum or Image Skin Care Ormedic Balancing Bio-Peptide (which is really a moisturizer, but a good one).
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:14 am
I thought you gals might enjoy this, my husband is using it too now and his skin improved more than mine. He use it after shaving and now he loves going to work
May 28th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
I have used the Active Serum twice daily for 9 days and I already see dramatic results.It’s by far the best product I have ever used.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:48 am
I’m using the A&G twice a day-morning and before bed. One bottle lasts almost a month. Most importantly- it works great and is well worth the expense.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:32 am
I’ve been using it for nine days. I think there are results but not dramatic so far. I will give it several weeks longer before I review it. If it really lasts barely a month then I would conclude that it is ridiculously overpriced.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Well, well, well Sylvia. What a coincidence that you should have the same email address as the previous commenter called Jennifer. I thought you’re comments were suspiciously unauthentic. I don’t mind marketers fessing up to who they are, but don’t come on my site posing as a consumer. If you won’t be able to because you are banned.
June 1st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Hi Marta, my sister lasted her for one month exactly. I used a lot of it at the beginning but last week I used less. My skin feels great now, and the redness under my chin went away. she’s going to wait for a week before she get another one just to see if her skin changes.
p.s. email A&G regarding the marketers (Sylvia and Jennifer) and demand an apology. They respond fast and post their respond here for us to see.
June 9th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
I not tried the J&M product but I have tried the A&G skin solutions serum and I love it! I tend to try anything new on the market and most are a waste of money but this one really does work- the fine lines around my eyes have almost disappeared and my skin is a lot firmer. It’s an amazing product and I can’t wait to see what else they have.
July 19th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
The active serum i absolutely amazing!It is the nest best thing to surgerey and botox itself! I noticed a difference in less than a week! Worth every penny!
September 14th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
It is very nice to read A$G website, plenty of disclosure and real information. Many other sites of “similar” products websites just pushed you to telemarketeer without disclosing anything about the companies.
December 6th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Anybody can post ingredients list for A&G Skin Solutions Active Serum? I’d very appreciate it. Thank you!
December 6th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Hi Barbara
I don’t have them for the serum, but I do for the eyecream and, as I recall, they were very similar:
Water (aqua), human fibroblast conditioned media, acetyl
hexapeptide-8, glycerin, hesperidin methyl chalcone, steareth 20,
dipeptide 2, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, butylene glycol, evening
primrose seed extract, polysorbate 20, chrysin, n-hydroxysuccinimide, palmitoyl oligopeptide, aminoethylphosphinic acid,
xanthan gum, green tea leaf extract, grapefruit extract, lactic acid,
bergamot oil, phenoxyethanol, 1,2-hexanediol, caprylyl glycol.
December 7th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Thank you Marta!!
December 15th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
So I’ve been using this for over a month now and this is the real thing. You do have to use it twice a day and put a full pump on. On days that I skip a dose or put less I can see a difference but when I put it twice a day with a good moisturizer (I use Origins, Youthtopia!) I get a lot of people asking me what have I done to my skin. I’ll be using this for a while and although it’s SO expansive, I tell my self that I used to buy so much shit that didn’t work… at least now I only need this and my moisturizer.