Recently some FutureDerm.com readers requested that I review Gwyneth Paltrow’s beauty secrets. Paltrow, an Oscar winner at 25, singer-actress by 28, and now wife-mother-cookbook writer-blogger-singer-actress at 38 continues to astound us with her talent, ambition, and beauty. She is still one of America’s most admired celebrities, and she regularly shares her beauty secrets on her blog, Goop. Some of these secrets include:
Clarisonic Opal Cleansing System ($185 retail)
Paltrow reports the Clarisonic Opal Cleansing System as one of her new favorite gadgets.
“I’ve been obsessed with mine ever since I started using it. I’ve seen a real difference I my skin,” Paltrow told the Daily Mail.
FutureDerm.com Review: The Clarisonic Opal Cleansing System uses sonic waves in an effort to firm skin around the eyes, but I cannot find independent research to support this claim. The Clarisonic Opal Cleansing System is likely to help aid dry skin, as sonic waves have been shown to increase the fermentation of biological ingredients like the Clarisonic system’s algae, producing ultra-hydrating lactic acid in the process (Japanese Journal of Applied Physiology, 2004). However, I cannot find any reason why the Clarisonic Opal Cleansing System would aid undereye puffiness. I would recommend the Clarisonic Opal Cleansing System to men and women with older or dry, wrinkled skin who are in need of hydration and/or soothing.
Prtty Peaushun Skin Tight Body Lotion ($36)
Gwyneth deems Prtty Peaushun “the new miracle cream.” The cream reportedly enhances muscles and makes skin radiate, and with 92% raw ingredients, it sounds like just the kind of thing stars would love to slather on (or put on their plates, for that matter). Other fans reportedly include Tracy Anderson, Debra Mazar, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, Pam Anderson, Sade, Faith Ford, MO’NIQUE, Macy Gray, and Marisa Tomei (Amazon.com, 2011).
FutureDerm.com Review: Don’t expect Prtty Peaushun to make you look instantly thinner. Basically, if you are at or within five to ten pounds of your ideal weight (like Paltrow), you might look a little thinner, since caffeine acts as a natural diuretic, dehydrating your skin cells. However, while a liposome-encapsulated form of caffeine has been found to pass through the skin and reduce fat (Nature, 1991), Prtty Peaushun does not contain that specially-designed transdermal system.
Other than that, Prtty Peaushun is the first popular natural weight-loss cream, with a reported 92% raw ingredients. Prtty Peaushun also contains a lot of hydrators – avocado oil, dimethicone, and cetyl alcohol.
I do not recommend Prtty Peaushun for use by pregnant women because the American Pregnancy Association has declared rosemary, a stimulant, as “possibly unsafe” for pregnancy…”There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of the topical use of rosemary during pregnancy.” (American Pregnancy Association, 2011) Although, truth be told, if there’s a time you shouldn’t be quite as worried about your figure and allow the slim figure cream to sit on the shelf, it’s pregnancy.
Ingredients in Prtty Peaushun: Water (aqua), Glycerin, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Butter, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Citrus Grandis (Pomelo/Grapefruit) Fruit Wax, Dimethicone, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters, Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Calendula Officinale Flower Extract, Japanese Green Tea (Camellia Oleifera) Extract with Caffeine, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Extract, Allantoin, Arnica (Montana) Extract, Blue Vervain Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, May Contain (+/-) Mica.
Butter London Nail Polish ($17)
I knew for it was just a matter of time before nail polish went green, and now there’s Butter London, free of formaldehyde, toluene, or phthalates. Gwyneth in particular loves Yummy Mummy (shown above) and Waity, Kaity, a sparkly purple, and notes, “They mix great colors.” ( Goop, Newsletter 127)
FutureDerm.com Review: It is a good idea to avoid formaldehyde, toluene, and phthalates in general. Although the small concentrations with which these ingredients are included in nail products has not been directly proven to harm or cause long-term health effects when used over time, larger doses of these chemicals (such as in the industrial setting) have been proven to have deleterious effects. For instance, formaldehyde, used in nail polish as a hardener, is considered toxic, carcinogenic, and allergenic in large quantities. Formaldehyde has been associated with watery eyes, burning throat, and difficulty breathing. Toluene, on the other hand, is included in nail polish to give a smooth application. It’s really a terrific solvent for applying nail polish, but unfortunately it has been associated with headache, dizziness, and fatigue when released into the air in high doses. Lastly, phthalates give nail polish flexibility and sheen, but some studies link large quantities of the ingredients with early puberty in girls, reduced sperm count in men, and birth defects; certainly more research needs to be done before making these claims about phthalates in nail polish. (Source: Live Like Your Nail Color[…], 2010). Personally, if there is an alternative to avoiding them, like with Butter London, I would at this time, just to be on the safe side.
Olivella Cleansing Wipes, $10
Gwyneth says, “The [Olivella] products are all allergen and scent-free and because they’re olive oil based, they’re full of vitamins A & E which are great for the skin.” She loves the wipes for a quick wash at the beginning or end of the day.
FutureDerm.com Of everything Gwyneth recommends, I love the Olivella Cleansing Wipes ($10 retail) the most. Enriched with 100% virgin olive oil, plus vitamins A and E, they’re a wonderful, gentle way to remove makeup (remember the Oil Cleansing Method?) They’re fast, effective, non-scented, and anti-aging. What more could a girl want?