Dr. Bonnie Marting
“I’ve read lots of claims about Matrixyl® 3000. I have some wrinkles and spots I’d like to get rid of. Will this work? It’s 35 dollars…”
This is a question I’ve been getting fairly frequently. My answer unfortunately is that Matrixyl®is probably not so magical. An ounce of Matrixyl®3000 costs about 35 dollars. An ounce isn’t that much, especially for something you plan on using every day to firm skin, remove spots, and reduce wrinkles like they’re claiming the product will do.
Should you buy it? First let me tell you some positives. This may sound a bit clinical, but the Palmitoyl Pentapeptide and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide that are found in the Matrixyl 3000 version have been studied and found to increase some cell turnover. That being said- there is no way to tell by how much. Whenever you have some cell turnover, your skin may show some slight improvement if you weren’t currently using any product at all. In that instance, (and I really stress NOTHING else was being used) then something is certainly better than nothing. So it may provide a good place to start. But if you’ve already been using some alpha-hydroxy acids or antioxidants to rejuvenate your skin, then you really shouldn’t expect to see a difference. It will more than likely just be another skin-care step and another hit to your checkbook.
I also would be wary of this product if you’re buying it to remove spots. Reducing hyperpigmentation is really hard to do without a prescription lightener. Some pharmaceutical grade products available in healthcare offices may reduce the brown areas, but all of this really depends upon age, sun damage and heredity. Many brown spots are actually seborrheic keratoses and these are difficult to lighten. You usually have to physically remove them. You may also notice raised spots. Since these only go away if you physically remove them, they will not respond to the ingredients in Matrixyl 3000.
By the way, I have been asked many times about masking these spots with self tanner. Unfortunately, that will only make them appear even more prominent as they love to soak up self tanner formulas. If you are concerned about the spots from a health and not cosmetic perspective, ALWAYS check with your dermatologist.
