Arbonne - Dr. LeWinn

Comparison of Two Very Different Approaches to Skin Care

Arbonne vs. Dr. LeWinn's Private Formula

Dr. LeWinn's is the long-running #1 skincare line in Australia.

Find out why.

Hi,

I have been using Arbonne RE9 system and am quite happy with it, but I have tried a sample of Dr. LeWinn's and I am now a little confused.

I was wondering if you could help me in any way.

Many thanks,

Karen

I can't give a complete analysis of either line since their consumer websites don't have full ingredient lists.

Arbonne provides that information to its consultants in a password-only section of their website. When I tested Arbonne a couple of years ago, I received the ingredient lists but I can't be sure whether or not they have changed.

Arbonne

I haven't had a question on Arbonne in a while so I checked their website to see if I could perceive any updates to the RE9 line. No.

The day cream still has SPF of 8 and a tiny amount of UVA protection.

So regarding Arbonne, the advice I gave to a reader two years ago still stands: generally very good anti-aging ingredients in sufficient strength.

Be sure to add broad spectrum sun protection if you use the RE9 day products.

Based on the ingredient lists from two years ago, RE9 anti-aging creams contain Active Vitamin C (stabilized antioxidant), Active Copper Peptide (skin repair) and Palmitoyl Oligopeptide (wrinkle-plumping peptide).

I was disappointed to see that Arbonne doesn't seem to be keeping up with cosmetic science.

I already mentioned that they haven't increased the sun protection in the day cream. Also it is not apparant that they have added new peptides or antioxidants, nor have they removed known irritants (mostly plant extracts used as fragrances) from their products.

Dr. LeWinn's Private Formula - The Company

Dr. LeWinn's Private Formula skincare is the # 1 skincare line in Australia and is available internationally as well.

The home page of the website quotes Dr. LeWinn to say, "With my years of experience as a plastic surgeon, I push the boundaries in anti-aging skincare to deliver uncompromising quality to women. I know you will see results. That's why my signature is the Dr. LeWinn's seal of quality."

It sounds wonderful, but who is Dr. LeWinn?

The company history page says he "was one of the world's most distinguished plastic surgeons."

"Was" implies that he maybe he has died or is simply no longer associated with the company. It bothers me when I can't find credentials for medical professionals. [ Dr. LeWinn's is not the only company where this is the case.]

I did find one very short (three paragraph) published commentary co-authored by Dr. Lawrence R. LeWinn: California Ear Plugs for Rhytidectomy [wrinkle removal] Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, October 1992.

That seems to fit as far as field of specialization and location go, but curiously in all references for Dr. LeWinn's Private Formula I've found, the first name is spelled "Laurence".

Was this the same Dr.LeWinn?

I have not been able to confirm if he is as famous as claimed or was a "plastic surgeon to the stars" as some websites state.

As always, do your own due diligence before you buy.

Dr. LeWinn's Private Formula - The Product

What really counts is the quality of the products.

The Line Smoothing Complex line description says it "is the first in Australia to contain the breakthrough ingredient Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 or Argireline". Argireline is a fine Botox-mimicking anti-aging peptide ingredient that has been around for years.

The LeWinn Firming Plus Ultra R4 line description says its "secret lies in the Australian First, patented cutting-edge peptide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3". It's not clear what is meant by "Australia First" because Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3 (new INCI name Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5) was developed and patented as SYN-Coll by Pentapharm in Basel, Switzerland.

(Perhaps the Australian version is somehow unique.)

SYN-Coll (for synthetic collagen) is one of my favorite anti-aging peptides. In vitro studies have shown it to increase collagen synthesis by 119%. So I took a closer look at the Ultra 4R line.

Two products for day, Rejuvenation Fluid and Restorative Cream have a stated SPF of 15. I was able to obtain the complete ingredient list for the Restorative Cream without SPF. This would be used as a night cream or for day if you apply a separate sunscreen first.

It contains some excellent antioxidants in good concentrations: namely Vitamin C in a somewhat more stable form (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate) than plain Ascorbic Acid, Pomegranate Extract, Vitamin E and Retinyl Palmitate.

The best thing about this cream is the high concentrations of Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3 and Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, both of which are plumping peptides and stimulate collagen production to fill wrinkles from within.

My conclusion on Dr. LeWinn's: confusing information; some good anti-aging ingredients; products that are updated with new scientific research; and good sun protection which is issue #1 for anti-aging skincare.

Conclusion

If I had to choose between Arbonne and Dr. LeWinn's Private Line based on the ingredients alone, I would buy Dr. LeWinn's for its higher SPF and inclusion of several excellent anti-aging peptides.

I would still add additional sun protection.

I would like to see Dr. LeWinn's Private Formula adopt opaque air-tight packaging (like Arbonne's vacuum pump bottles) to preserve antioxidant stability where relevant. A few days after opening, unstable antioxidants can become useless in the free radical battle.

You can find my current anti-aging skin care favorites in my
Top Ten Anti-Aging Skin Care Picks and
Top Ten Affordable Anti-Aging Skin Care Picks