New Jersey’s legislators have phased out  a 6% tax on elective cosmetic surgery procedures- the country’s first “Botax.” The tax fell below half of the $20 million a year it was expected to incur and was just recently approved for repeal by Governor Chris Christie.
A boon for plastic surgeons in the Garden State (and the Real Housewives) the bill’s review would be enacted by July 2013. Contributing to the potential repeal was an assessment conducted by the New Jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons that suggested the tax was in fact …

It’s very rare in this age of green-washing to encounter a high-performance product that takes the eco-ethos to heart. Vapour Organic Beauty is that rarity. The line of natural, organic and yes, luxury, cosmetics oozes eco-consciousness in every product, package and process.
Vapour’s unusual dedication to purity is neither a mistake nor a marketing ploy. Though it’s not something she puts in their product brochures, CEO and co-developer Krysia Boinis is a two-time cancer survivor for whom making cosmetics without carcinogens is extremely important. “Research shows that common surfactants [additives used to bind …

In their round up of best beauty stories of 2011, Drug Store News highlighted PanOxyl’s forray onto the retail stream in the US. How.Did.I.Miss.This?. PanOxyl™ is Steifel’s (a GSK Company) top selling acne brand and has been available on the Canadian retail market for years. It is among the best and most frequently touted Benzoyl Peroxide technology’s this blogger’s encountered. Ever.
Commonly used in concentrations between 2.5 and 10% for acne, Benzoyl Peroxide works to promote peeling, reduce bacterial count and act directly as an anti-microbial agent. The miracle agent behind …

A favourite of mine for their marketing sass and unique, high-performance formulas, Canada’s own Indeed Labs has introduced another SKU to their steadily growing portfolio. Okrapeptide is a recently released serum for dynamic wrinkles that boldly asserts itself as an alternative to injections.
In keeping with the bright and ballsy branding of Indeed’s first two products, Nanoblur and Snoxin, there’s no missing Okrapeptide’s bright green packaging and point-blank positioning: “Okra or Botox?.” Indeed, Indeed poses the question right on the box- with a few finely printed regulatory caveats denying any direct …

Ever shy away from a beauty purchase because a) you weren’t sure it suited your skin type? b) price point c) pushy sales clerk d) all of the above? If you answered yes to any of these, then Top Box is for you.
The brain child of Canadian Brian Lau, the man behind Bread&Butter’s mens skin care, Top Box is a subscription service designed to put top beauty brands at the pretty little finger tips of Canadian Beauty Junkies. Let’s face it- 80% of us buy our skin care and cosmetics …

Used to fill unwanted fine lines, wrinkles and voluminize lips- injectable hyaluronic acids in the US have largely been dominated by Medicis (Restylane®) and Allergan (Juvederm®). The recent approval of Belotero Balance®, a competitive HA distributed by Merz Aesthetics, thus opens the stage to another layer of competition and, we hope, choice.
Distributed in Europe (and Canada) as Esthelis®, Belotero is manufactured by Swiss company Anteis whose reputation for innovation in dermatology and opthalmology is well known in the industry. A cohesive, hyaluronic-acid gel, Belotero is designed to be injected in …

A new 20 second laser treatment gradually lightens brown eyes to blue, according to its manufacturer Stroma Medical. Championed by California’s Dr. Gregg Homer, the patented treatment is currently undergoing in-vivo clinical trials in Mexico and seeking an additional investment $750,000 to complete pre-commercialization activities.
Like laser treatments that target pigment in the skin, Stroma’s laser uses two frequencies that are absorbed only by darker pigment.  Once delivered, thermal energy causes changes to the structure of the pigment cells. Also like dermatological treatments, the targeted cells are recognized by the body …

Full, hydrated lips are envied in almost every culture. Injections- not so much. For those looking for the full lip look without a needle (or the dreaded trout pout), SesDERMA’s created Fillderma Lips, a two step topical lip augmentation system.
Known for their portfolio of high-performance peptides, SesDERMA’s FilldermaLips is positioned as a lip volumizer for fuller, fleshy, better outlined and (interestingly) red lips. Not to be confused with the fad of stinging lip plumpers, Fillderma consists of an instant action balm and a lip activating cream.
The first of these, the …

You’re probably familiar with the concept of locally-produced foods, but locally-produced skin care? Following the same eco-friendly ethos, Dairyface™ is a line of facial products based on locally-sourced yoghurt.
Based in upstate New York, Dairyface extols the ancient virtues of fresh, organic milk for the skin. To paraphrase your local dairy farmers: milk is a natural source of essential nutrients and fatty acids including lecithin, vitamins A, D,E, C, B12 and a host of other naturally occurring proteins and peptides. Unlike some synthetic ingredients, the nutrients found in milk are microscopic …

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic are giving new potency to the old “out with the old axiom.” As reported by news outlets all over the US, researchers at the famed clinic have shown that ridding the body of old cells may in fact disrupt the aging process and, potentially, break the connection with age-related conditions like heart disease, dimentia and, of course, wrinkles.
The premise of the study, published in the journal Nature, stemmed from the fact that cells continue to divide infinitely but rather reach a state of aging (senescence) …

Securing body contouring claims from Health Canada is the pulling of the sword from the stone in the medical aesthetics industry. That’s why the recent approval of a novel RF device, EXILIS™, for skin tightening, wrinkle reduction AND fat removal is causing many to take pause.
To be sure, most body contouring devices are approved for wrinkle reduction and a minority for skin tightening and wrinkle reduction. The attainment of the trifecta of claims including “fat removal” in by EXILIS is thus, impressive.
Manufactured by BTL industries, EXILIS is viewed by many …

Surgeons have long cautioned that liposuction is not a stand-alone answer to weight loss. New research, however, indicates that the procedure may confer some of the benefits commonly associated with a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index).
Unsurprisingly, Llposuction (also known as lipoplasty) was the 2nd most popular plastic surgical procedure in the US in 2010 (ASAPS). While most patients are motivated by the desire for rapid weight loss or targeted body contouring, a new study shows that the manual removal of fat cells may also lower a patient’s metabolic profile and …

An apple a day may do more than keep the doctor away according to research in anti-aging…Well, the right apple…and the stem cells of that apple specifically. Known as Uttwiler Spatlauber, the stem cells from a variety of Swiss apple are gaining notoriety for their proven ability to regenerate everything from more supple skin to thicker hair.
Beyond its nutritional properties, the Swiss apples’s stem cells have been shown to be rich in phytonutrients, proteins and long-lasting cells. These “epigenetic factors” provide nutrients that have been demonstrated to preserve the longevity …

Since Botox™’s (Allergan) approval for cosmetic use in 2000, achieving comparable control over dynamic wrinkles has been the holy grail for cosmeceutical manufacturers. To be sure, products like Indeed Lab’s Snoxin™ and Mychelle Dermaceuticals’ No-Tox™ present ever-more potent formulations of peptides and antioxidants that are carefully inching towards this goal. The reality of a topical toxin, however, has as much- if not less- to do with what’s IN the formulation as it does how it gets where it needs to go. Here’s a closer look.
Botox™ and Dysport™ (both different forms of Botulinium Toxin …

As more and more health-related apps pop up, it should be no surprise that-sooner or later-they too would show up on regulatory radars.
Last week the Federal Trade Commissioner in the US (the entity responsible for protecting US consumers) targeted AcnePwner and AcneApp for fradulant claims in the treatment of acne.
Reported by the LA Times, AcnePwner, an android app for $0.99, and Acne App, itunes for $1.99, were unfounded in their acne treatment claims. Whereas most health-related apps tend to take on quasi-Web MD functions (potential diagnoses, helpful healing tips) AcnePwner …

If you thought that celebrity endorsements and fashion mag write ups were a guarantee of cosmetic quality- there is yet another reason to think again.
Popularized by glossy editorial spreads, the Brazilian Blowout- a smoothing/straightening treatment for the stars-has recently been deemed “adulterated and misbranded” by the FDA.
On September 7th, the FDA issued a warning letter to GIB LLC- the manufacturers of the hair product line- claiming that the much touted Professional Smoothing Treatment contains ingredients that “may render it injurious to users under the conditions prescribed on the labelling.” Say what? …

Bad jokes about British dental hygiene may have seen their day following new research by Mintel.
According to Mintel’s Oxygen report, sales of oral hygiene products in the United Kingdom have grossed 14% over the past five years. Mouthwash topped the product categories, skyrocketing 44% in sales compared to 2006 when fewer than 45% of Brits reported its use. With toothpaste representing the largest segment, the entire British oral hygiene market racked in the equivalent of $1.4 billion US dollars in 2010.
So what’s driving this upsurge? It seems the UK has …

Having conquered the masstige skin care market with their ProX and Regenerist lines, the folks at Olay have turned their attention to new areas of cosmetic concern. Deemed Olay Confessionals, Olay’s (a Procter & Gamble brand)  fall campaign is launching a suite of products that target some of the more…embarrassing issues women encounter in the beauty battle. Among the innovations, Olay’s Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo (it’s a mouthful!) offers the first, gentle system to address-dum, dum, dum….Facial Hair.
Though excess hair can be a result of fluctuations in hormones …

Research shows that the web is the first and among the most influential sources of information for patients considering aesthetic procedures. But with social media making everyone appear an expert (ahem…), it can be difficult to tell the charlatans from the crowd.
In particular, patients considering cosmetic surgery or dermatological procedures are confronted by a chorus of websites, web banners, tweets and blogs claiming to be authorities on the best technologies, techniques and-increasingly-practioners. While no amount of web surfing replaces face-to-face diligence, the following are some of the best resources for …

Demand for non-invasive skin tightening procedures is booming. Projected to grow at almost 15% through 2012, the skin tightening market was pioneered by Solta Medical’s Thermage® in 2002. Though the first generation of the device, Thermacool, suffered from a reputation of inconsistency and a whopping “ow” factor, a second generation system dubbed Comfort Pulse Technology (CPT) was introduced in 2009 to wide acclaim.
Approved by the FDA for the treatment of wrinkles, Thermage is used for skin tightening and conturing of the face, eyes and body. Thermage uses monopolar radio-frequency and promises …