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[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] If you’ve read this site for a while, you’ll know one of my ride or die products is Bioeffect EGF Serum. I’ve tried lots of other things from the brand but nothing has ever matched up to the serum. I remember when this brand launched in the UK they were very clear that the serum was all you’d ever need and somewhat belatedly realised that was not a great strategy for launching other products. So, with a high bar and scepticism about EGF (not from me) new launches were always going to be a challenge.
Power Cream is the newest product in the EGF family – EGF stands for Epidermal Growth Factor which in Bioeffect’s case is grown from barley and is a protein found already in skin. More of it is helpful for smooth texture, elasticity and firmness. The Power Cream is one of those products that instantly feels at home on your skin – it’s got all the luxy feel of Creme de La Mer (so it should – it’s only slightly less expensive) and gives skin an almost immediate look of vitality.
For the first time, the brand has included barley derived beta glucans (sugars compounds that are helpful in skin healing) as well as EGF. While mushroom extracts generally aren’t new to skin care, Oridonin is rapidly growing in popularity as an ingredient, often used in Chinese herbal preparations, and alongside sodium hyaluronate (a kind of sister to HA), squalane and niacinamide, you can see it shapes up to be a very promising cream. Shea butter and evening primrose oil appear high on the INCI, however, so that’s something to bear in mind, but compared to acres of ingredients from many luxury creams, it’s quite reserved at 23 leading me to think it has all it needs to do the job.
In use, I can’t say it’s anything other than gorgeous – cool, silky feeling and straight away smoothing on the complexion. You’ll see an improvement in glow in a couple of days but longer term use promises even tone, complete hydration and plumper, firmer skin which I can well believe. While I haven’t long term tested Bioeffect EGF Power Cream, I do know EGF serum like the back of my hand and it has the same ‘instant revival’ behaviour as that. I don’t use the serum every day – it’s more like my SOS product that just blossoms up your skin when you most need it. Power cream has the same effect so really, it’s up to you whether you’d rather go the expensive route and use daily for longer term benefits or the moderate route and use when needed for immediate effect. You can find Power Cream HERE for £165 (ouch). Non-affiliate is HERE.
Transparency Disclosure
All products are sent to me as samples from brands and agencies unless otherwise stated. Affiliate links may be used. Posts are not affiliate driven.
9 comments
Ooh, I love the serum and the essence, but £165 may be a bridge too far for me. I’d love to be able to buy a sample size, so will keep my eyes peeled!
Yes, it’s a lot I agree. Great to find another fan of the serum!
It was your recommendation that prompted me to try it years ago, so thank you for that.
so welcome x
While I’d like to try these growth factor serums and creams, I’m always nervous because my sister-in-law who holds a PhD in regenerative sciences and actively researches and teaches in the field tells me cells can only regenerate so many times before they’re depleted. So while I may be preserving my youth, I am actually “killing” my cells faster. It becomes a race of how long I live vs how long my cells can live. I’m definitely not explaining things right with my limited understanding, but I think I got the gist of it. As a scientist, she told me that it frustrates her when cosmetics company release these products and market them as essentially miracles, but they don’t disclose everything. Understandably, why would they? They have a product to sell!
I think I read some other people chime in something similarly on Caroline Hiron’s post back then.
If I ever use this or purchase it for my mom, I’d use it like you do. As a booster or a pick me up and then stop. I don’t think I’d risk using it daily, even if I had the money.
It’s something I’ve been around the houses on many times – like you, I’m not a scientist so it’s been a hard one to understand. I think initial reservations about EGF in beauty products was concerning animal derived EGF (BioEffect takes theirs from barley). They’ve been questioned very hard on all of the points and their site is informative and factual. I’m 100% not the poster girl for BioEffect but I use it in the way you describe (as a booster) and don’t have any qualms about it because I feel all my apprehensions have been answered. Not least because I’m under no illusions that the hyaluronic content does a lot of the heavy lifting. The other thing to note is that beauty products can only do so much before they’re classed as medical – marketing has a lot to answer for because clever words promise results that cannot, outside of medical intervention, be achieved. Always read between the lines – if a product can radically alter the skin below a certain skin depth, it would be medical and subject to tests and scrutiny in a way that beauty products aren’t. It’s a product that works very well for me in the way that I use it – at the back of my mind, I think I remember Caroline’s concerns were also answered and she did another post to address it. But, as always, it’s whatever the user feels comfortable with – I always encourage everyone to do their research. I can’t argue with a bone fide scientist obviously but would be interested to know if she has read their site and FAQs and also the difference between topical EGF and ingested? Also agree with the lack of facts around beauty products in general – I come across it almost daily … I feel if I ever did my own PhD it would be in beauty BS!
I think you’d be an awesome scientist, Jane! You already do a lot of heavy research as it is!
You bring up a good point. If a product truly altered the skin, it would have to be considered medical. I will pick my sister’s brain on this a little more and report back if there’s something interesting to share. She knows my hobby is skincare and beauty and always seems to know what question I’ll approach her with next.
As a side note, it’s interesting how all these research fields overlap. While she’s not a cosmetic chemist, she actually worked on a clinical hair growth product that’s still in development/testing stages. She can’t tell me what it is, of course, but it’s so neat to see how her field of regenerative science crosses into the beauty sphere.
I’d love to hear her thoughts on it 🙂
I really can’t wait t try