Célebre - Aphrodite's secret potion leaked out....

Finally, I have some quiet time to sit and write my blog. I have this issue of requiring a wide open space to write, ideally with trees, a breeze and natural sunlight. Mornings are the best, after my little minions are sent off to school. Being unwell since Chinese New Year which makes it close to a month now, a lot of my activities have been limited. Although some people may feel that its bad, I actually find peace in my inability to speak much and keeping silent. A silent mind brings forth fresh ideas, and it helps rationale things better. Oh yeah, I am actually enjoying the voice rest, I have a good excuse not to call people or pick up the phone.

Anyway, let's talk about Célebre. Célebre is the name of a Company in Geneva that specialises solely in Cell Therapy and advanced anti-aging specialties. Its team comprises of their own medical doctors, stem cell therapy consultants, researchers, chemists, biotechies and developers to create their own line of 'stem cell' products. The team has been around for quite awhile but this line of product was only introduced in 2012.

So why are the Europeans so hyped up about cell therapy and stem cells? The idea of stem cells as a form of alternative healing for humans began as early as 1931 where Dr Paul Niehans, a swiss doctor amazed the conventional world by saving a woman with her parathyroid glands accidentally removed during thyroid surgery. He took parathyroid glands from a sheep, crushed them, diluted with saline and reinjected the concoction into the surgical area. The woman survived, without much complications. He was also said to have treated a lot of celebrities with an amazing stunt of allowing an 80 year old an to impregnate his wife for their last child. In 1954, he was called to the aid of Pope Pious XII who was dying. The poor Pope was in critical state with only glucose infusion as he cannot tolerate any food or water. For 2 months, he nursed the Pope and within a few weeks he was able to tolerate orally and his power regained. Hence why the Anti-Aging Medicine world dubbs Dr Paul Niehans as the Father of Stem Cells. Even in the older days he managed to heal and prolong life, makes you wonder what more can he do with today's technology? Regardless, such extreme treatments received a lot of criticism from the medical world and professionals especially with the cost of treatments which are somewhat excessive.

                                

     I am a believer of stem cell therapies, but I am very skeptic as many parties try to take an idea, try to duplicate at a lesser cost (hence reduces quality, efficacy, dosing etc) and then mass promote with an extreme marketing gimmick. So hence my approach to Celebré was also very skeptic. So what better way to find out rather than try it myself. (And no, the Company did not sponsor the placenta supplements). What I am bound to write are the effects based on my own experience consuming this supplement, it may differ from individual to individual.

So I decided to test out the oral sheep placenta capsules. I have been trying a few brands over the years, but I guess this one did catch me by surprise. It comes in a standard box of 30 soft capsules. It is quite big, but swallowable. The good thing is the absence of any after taste that you get with some other supplements. It has a slight scent, but not smelly. I take one every morning on an empty stomach. I always take my supplements ideally on an empty stomach, because only then the best absorption occurs. For something this expensive, I'd want it to absorb as much.

The first week, I did not feel much difference. I was a little bit sleepier the first couple of days, but subsequently resolved. My energy level remained the same, and so was my appetite. But after consuming more than 7 days, I started noticing my skin texture feels softer, by the end of the second week, it felt as soft as my little girl. Even my staff noticed. My skin appeared to glow. It was cool. After the first box, I did notice some of my pigmentation appeared lightened. The skin remained soft. I guess this placenta focuses more on skin health rather than anything else. 

After the first box, my skin looked so healthy that people started to ask me what have I been doing. I didn't even need to apply much lotion, my skin kept hydrated.

The most question I get when I tell them I am on placenta supplements is about menses cycle and break outs. I have to admit, the first month I had more breakouts than usual and more menses pains compared to usual. But towards the second month, the breakouts lessen, and I was without much menses pain. I guess, it does affect your hormones as well. Another question people do ask me is about how hot do I feel taking the supplement? Compared to other supplements, I would say it is tolerable. I think I sweat a bit more, and probably feels warmer to touch compared to when I am off it, but its not as bad as consuming deer placenta (super heaty).

So I've taken myself of the capsules for a bit, just to observe the effects. My skin remained super soft and hydrated for a good 2 weeks after stopping, and even now, although I feel that it can be softer, I feel that it was much better than before. According to their protocol, they advise to take 3 months directly then subsequently maintain by consuming two to three times a week. A box of celebré costs RM 880 for a months supply of 30 tablets. I'm waiting to restart on my 3rd box and then maintain.

This brand also comes in IM forms of placenta extracts, fetal extracts, fresh frozen cells, and they even have a Vegetal extract. However, as you guessed the products are in their thousands, and it is a science which many still argue about till today. Still, I have seen some people on the direct innoculation forms, and have seen how much it has kept them un-aged. Personally, I would subject myself to these alternative treatments once I start to feel my changed healthy lifestyle unable to ward off the signs of aging.

For the record, I do not smoke. I sleep early. I do not consume any form of alcohol and I am on a low to no sugar diet daily. I also exercise daily and do not take preserved foods, MSG and other chemically infested food products. I wear sunblock religiously and I drink at least 3 litres of water daily. So, your results may vary with what I have experienced. Lifestyle plays a very important role for skin health. The supplements will help, but for the best results, you will be required to do a few life style modifications. It is not just for placenta but other supplements as well like vitamin C, glutathione etc etc.

For more info or to order do contact us at faceworksclinic@gmail.com or call us at +6014-2233268.

Tried & Tested for this season..... Lalala......

It has been a very dramatic weekend in Malaysia as the 13th General elections took place and for the first time in history the turn up of voters were estimated around 10 million people which is the most so far. And most people were parading for change. So with the announcement of BN still remaining as the federal government, there were a lot of grouses and dissatisfaction from the voters. Especially since they are calling foul play as to be the reason for the current party to retain its victory. Despite the results are out, there is possibility of a rematch, or change in power in view the opposition leaders are determined to get justice. Many Malaysians wore black as a sign of protest as to how the election results were finalized, with many who were on duty confused as to how the amount written on the Form 14 and mutually agreed upon suddenly became a different number when announced by the election committee. Some were even more confused with the sudden black outs during the finalizing of vote counts, and TNB (the national electric company) claims they have nothing to do with it which made more people suspect foul play. Not to mention the appearances of ballot boxes that may have possibly fallen from the sky to side more on the ruling government. 

Since the election fever has not really subsided, I finally have some time to review some products that I have been trying out.

1. Rejuve TruWhite & Black Magic Whitening Soaps.

These are 2 whitening soaps from the same company. Black Magic has glutathione with papaya extract to help reduce inflammation. It is mainly for acne prone skin. Personally I haven't tried this one since I do not really have acne much except for the occasional hormonal spike break outs but based on what I gather from those who have tried, it does help to a certain extent especially for acne on the back and very oily skin on the face. I have been using TruWhite for the past month since I came back from Penang. It is a 100gm bar soap. Normally I am not a fan of bar soaps as the usual commercial ones give me break outs. Out of curiosity, I decided to give this a try. The soap has a very nice fragrance and on application makes the skin feel very clean. Its active ingredients are glutathione and sheep placenta extracts. It is slightly drying for those with dryer skin. After a week of using this soap, my skin does feel a little bit softer. In terms of whitening, I did notice an improvement of tan (I was really tan from Langkawi, Penang and Singapore). Fairer than I usually am? Perhaps not, but what could you expect from just a soap. Still, it does give me a softer feel, a more evener skin tone and it is very safe, even for children. Aina loves it. The retail price for this soap is roughly RM 35 +/- only, and is worth trying out. 

2. Age Defy Crystal Tomato

This is a new product in town which I found during my conference in Singapore. Crystal Tomato is a 100% vegetal extract from a special type of tomato grown in a controlled environment. The colourless caratenoid has been found to be a very potent skin whitening agent and through research and technology, they have managed to extract it into an oral form taken once daily. To make these tablets more effective, they have also included L-Cysteine which is a precursor for glutathione production in the liver to give you a more anti-oxidant effect.

Crystal Tomato™ has been scientifically proven to offer the following benefits:

1. Serves as a natural sunscreen against UVA and UVB rays to protect against UV damage, photo-oxidation and sunburn.
2. Acts as anti-oxidants to protect against free radical damage caused by environmental aggressors.
3. Contains anti-inflammatory properties against wounds and UV damage.
4. Inhibits melanin synthesis to prevent pigmentation spots from forming.
5. Reduces the melanin present in the cells including dark acne scars, freckles, dark underarms and age spots for an anti-ageing and anti-photo ageing effect.
6. Prevents DNA damage.
7. Promotes even skin tone and radiant complexion.
8. Protects and enhances the efficacy of other active ingredients and their activity.

Personally, I have been consuming this product religiously every morning and now entering my second week. The most striking difference I can see is the radiance that emits from my skin even without having to wear make-up. My skin tone seems to even out more, but pigmentations still remain. According to the literature study, it is suppose to help with pigmentation as well as it also affects the eumelanin pathway. I also notice that I do not tan as much as compared to before even without applying sunblock and this could be the sun protective effect that they mentioned about. But its only 2 weeks, I'll have to finish the box and write another review later with more explanation about the science. This product's retail price should be around RM 450 a box of 30 capsules, single tablet a day. The tablet is pretty big, but you can chew on it, it has a tomato taste actually. The product is still undergoing registration process in Malaysia. It is already registered in Singapore since last year. 

3. SRS e-Co2 Gel Mask

This is not a new product in the market. I have been using this mask on my patients for the past 4 years. as a rescue mask after doing procedures. One of the most significant case was a patient who was allergic to arbutin and developed redness and swelling over the face. She was allergic to a lot of other stuffs as well and her birthday was in 2 days. We tried the mask on her, and it help reduce the redness by 50% on the 1st application. I gave her another one to use at home and by the second day, only a slight redness that is concealable by make-up. Not only the redness disappeared, but her skin became softer and more radiant afterwards. So why does it work so well? Carbon dioxide has been known to cause blood vessels to dilate if present in a concentrated amount. When applied into the mask, the CO2 granules create a relative gradient of higher concentration of Co2, hence increases blood circulation to the area of application (usually face). It also increases local tissue metabolism and enhances the separation of oxygen from haemoglobin thus increasing tissue oxygenation. This in turn improves tissue healing and thus, the almost instant result. 

I tried out this mask last night after having a chemical peel and arbutin iontophoresis done to the face. It had a warm prickly sensation which was not uncomfortable. After the 30 minutes, we took it off and I can feel that my face felt tighter and my pores appeared smaller. Even pimples seem to have shrunk. Immediately, my skin felt very soft and smooth. Today when I woke up, my face still felt smooth and soft. The whitening effect of arbutin kicked in, hence my face did appear brighter so I can't really say it was an attribute of the mask. However, for the past couple of days, I noticed my face to be very oily when I wake up in the morning that I require Turnover to reduce the oil. This morning, my face was not  oily and I only washed it with water before sending my kids to school and chilling out in KLCC for breakfast. Even without any make up or sunblock my skin looked healthy. This mask is sold at RM 250 a piece if you would like to bring it home. If you like to try the effects yourself, you can opt for one of our rescue facials - I have taken the liberty to include this mask into some of our treatments since it has shown to be very effective.

Interested in any of the above products, feel free to contact us at  Faceworks Clinic : 03-21440080 / 014-2233236 or email your enquiries to faceworksclinic@gmail.com. For facials, please book prior appointment. Thanks.

Caviarlieri - Supplements for vitality.

A lot of people ask me about stem cells and placenta supplements and whether it is worth taking. I think that the word 'stem cells' has been overly used that it confuses a lot of people including doctors. According to wikipedia:

'Stem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide (through mitosis) and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells. In mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in various tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all the specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.'

Oral supplements which claim to be stem cells are not stem cells but are rather supplements. But depending on the bioavailability of the supplements to the body and the concentrations, thus will give varying effects despite the component being the same. Which is why I am very skeptical about the efficacy of supplements claiming to be stem cells.

I was approached by Caviarlierli's people 3 months ago during the start of the fasting month. Caviarlieri is a new type of supplement which contains DNA from marine source i.e. expensive caviar from sturgeon fish and collagen from salmon and the sturgeon. Produced from perhaps the only lab with the recognized technology for extraction of DNA and creation of high quality stem cells in Switzerland, it comes in an interesting box sealed neatly. The accreditations were printed on the box, with a Halal certification from Singapore. Still being skeptical, I asked for the internal clinical studies done on the product and the results from the studies were promising. Prior to this, most stem cells were derived from either human or animal source, mainly from the placenta or the yolk cells. Despite its benefit, a lot of questions arise on the products as whether they contain any hormones since there are some results suggesting it does although there were no statements from the producing companies. Another issue was for Muslims and people who do not take red meat, some feel that it is not okay to consume or take placenta supplements due to beliefs.

The only downside of this product is that because it is made out of fish collagen, people allergic to fish is an absolute contraindication. In US, 2.4% of the whole population is allergic to seafood in general. In Malaysia, there is no statistics on allergies published but I believe it would be somewhere around 1% at least.

I'm already at my 3rd box and I would say that it would be a really good supplement if you can afford it. (Yes, the price is pretty expensive approximately USD$400/box). Certain changes I noticed after starting on the supplements:

• Initial 1st week I was so sleepy and slept more but after the 5th day, the sleepiness disappeared and I found that I was pretty hyper.
• I had more energy in the morning and I was able to sleep late and wake up the next day fresh.
• I slept better at night with less waking up.
• My appetite improved, and I found that the 1st month I think I gained a few pounds, but subsequently the weight reduced.
• After the 1st box, people started to notice my skin appears to glow, and it feels softer. My girls were the first to tell me.
• I also noticed my hair growing more and faster. I use to have thinning hair on my head, but after 2 weeks my hair felt heavier. Even my eyebrows grew faster. Initially I thought I was just imagining things but after a visit to my hairdresser, he reconfirmed that I had better volume.
• I noticed after 1 month, my nasolabial lines have improved without using fillers, Radiofrequency or BTA.
• The appearance of my cellulite has also improved dramatically without any procedures done at the area.
• I have less sinus problems. I recover from illness pretty fast compared to when I wasn't on it.
• I have less PMS symptoms and although initially my menses was delayed for a week. Subsequently it remained the same.
• It elevates your mood so that you feel less stressed and happier.
• What it doesn't do is avoid you from getting illnesses, so you can still fall sick. If you have PIH or post-inflammatory pigmentation like me, it still remains but maybe lightens faster. You may have a lighter skin tone, but don't expect to be extremely fair.

The listed benefits of Caviarlieri are as follows:

• Reversing the degeneration of aging and age-related conditions like arthritis, chronic fatigue, asthma, degenerative brain disease and osteoporosis.
• Strengthening the body's immune system.
• Substantially increases energy and stamina.
• Increases sexual desire and performance.
• Increases sexual satisfaction and elevates mood.
• Delaying premenopausal symptoms and delays menopause.
• Improvement of mental concentration and alertness.
• Substantial reduction in joint pains.
• Lowers glycemic index and thus leading to weight loss.
• Visible increase in radiance and glow of skin.
• Reduces appearance of lines and wrinkles significantly.
• Prevents macular degeneration.

For more info about this product you can visit http://www.swisscaviarlieri.com

I would recommend this supplement to anyone who can afford it, ideally those with chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension to help control the disease better. The ideal is to take continuously but for those who wants to try, at least 3 months for best results.

For more information please contact Faceworks Clinic  at 03-21440080 or email to info@faceworksclinic.com