Review: 18Actives Dynamic Eye Pack - Thumbs in Pocket

The Claim: Eye Essence is a potent therapy for under eye treatment. Dark circles, puffiness, dry skin, and fine lines can be addressed with this amazing formulation. Faux Filler works by increasing the number of adipocytes (fat cells) in the area being treated, resulting in increased volume and density of the underlying skin structure.

The Review: The first thing I noticed was the web site for these products did not contain the full ingredient list (that would be red flag number one). I did go to their distributors site, http://www.naturalskinshop.com/, and I was able to find the ingredients there.

The second red flag was their claim that the Faux Filler “works by increasing the number of adipocytes (fat cells) in the area being treated”. Um, sorry, but that would be impossible, without actually injecting fat under the skin. There is no miracle product that can do this, if there was there wouldn’t be a flat chested woman left in the world! Interestingly enough there are topical creams for the chest that claim to do the same thing, but those claims have never been proven in an independent study.

Below are before and after pictures of my co-worker, as she was a great test subject for the “lightening” claim put forth by the manufacturer and pictures of myself before and after using the Faux Filler.

Before and after using Eye Essence

 
Before and after using Faux Filler

As you can see my eyes don’t look any fatter and my co-workers dark circles haven’t faded one shade. My co-worker did state, however, that the product left her eye area moisturized and she noticed that it felt dryer when she stopped using the product. I also noticed a tingling sensation when I applied the faux filler and you’ll notice in my before and after photos that the skin around my eyes appears less shiny, which is due to the silicone in the product. Overall I noticed a slight improvement, but not enough for what this product costs.

My overall advice when it comes to these two products would be this…don’t waste your money. For dark circles you can rub a little bit of organic, virgin, coconut oil under your eyes. This isn’t a miracle solution that’s going to make you look 25 again, but it will definitely moisturize the under-eye skin. It also contains vitamin K, which along with the massaging motion, will help to decrease dark circles. In regards to the Faux Filler, like any other product that contains silicone it will give a smooth and satin feel the area where it’s applied, but there are cheaper versions, Sephora Perfecting Eye Primer, $14, comes to mind. I am also a bit put off by the amount of preservatives used in these products.

Price: Eye Essence, $48 and Faux Filler, $74

Purchasing Information: http://www.18actives.com/product-category/products/

Eye Essence Ingredients:

• Deionized Water
• Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) – red algae used as a thickener & moisturizer
• Glycerin – humectant, draws moisture to the skin
• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 – known as botox in a jar, but not proven
• Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein – skin-conditioning agent (moisturizing)
• Oxido Reductases - Large group of enzymes that reduce or block oxygen in different forms from generating free radical damage.
• Glycine Soja (Soybean) Protein – skin-conditioning agent (moisturizing)
• Citric Acid – preservative (that means that everything below this is 2% or less of the total ingredients.
• Sodium Hyaluronate - moisturizing
• Coffee Robusta Extract – (Green Coffee Extract) – antioxidant, but I couldn’t find any research that showed it was effective at this low of a level.
• Coffee Arabica Seed Extract – antioxidant
• Phenoxyethanol - preservative
• Caprylyl Glycol - preservative
• Potassium Sorbate - preservative
• Hexylene Glycol - solvent

Faux Filler Ingredients:

• Deionized Water
• Silicone Glycol - emollient, humectant and moisturizer
• Cetyl-Peg - emulsifier
• Polymethylsilsesquioxane - a silicone ingredient that creates a lubricating, smooth, silky feel.
• Cyclopentasiloxane - a silicone
• Dimethicone – a silicone
• Polysilicone-11 – a silicone
• Butylene Glycol - thickener
• Decyl Glucoside – surfactant (lower the surface tension of a liquid i.e. “slip”)
• Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil – skin conditioner
• Macelignan – A polyphenol that is isolated from nutmeg that is touted as increasing the volume of fat cells. I cannot find any scientific research stating that this is true. I do find research stating that this ingredient is an anti-oxidant though.
• Seaweed Extract - hydrating and firming effect, as well as anti-inflammatory
• Tocopherol – vitamin E
• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 – peptide used to relax muscles
• Rice Bran Protein – skin conditioner
• Glycine Soja (Soybean) – moisturizer and antioxidant
• Tripeptide-10 Citrulline – Skin conditioner that mimics the molecule responsible for regulating collagen fibers I’ve only been able to find research from the manufacturer so I’m thinking that it probably doesn’t really work.
• Squalane – emollient/moisturizer
• Hydroxyethyl Acrylate – thickener that leaves creates feeling of velvety softness when applied to the skin. Note: the manufacturer of this states the following on their site “Brief skin contact may cause skin irritation with local redness, including an allergic skin reaction. Prolonged skin contact may result in skin burns, including pain, severe local redness, swelling, and tissue damage. Prolonged or widespread contact could result in absorption of amounts that could be fatal. (seriously would you want this around your eyes…)
• Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer - thickener
• polysorbate 60 – surfactant/emulsifier
• Sodium Hyaluronate - lubricant
• Silica - humectant
• Phenoxyethanol - preservative
• Caprylyl Glycol - preservative
• Potassium Sorbate - preservative
• Hexylene Glycol - solvent