BioLogic Stem Cell Therapy by Lewis Feder: Is It a Scam?
89"Stem Cell Therapy" Claims
BioLogic Solutions manufactures a "Stem Cell Therapy" anti-aging cream, with advertisements plastered on the web and frequently shown on T.V. The cream has many claims stating it will halt the aging process, including:
- Increased production of skin cells by 57%
- Reactivate skin stem cells
- Increase area of new skin growth by 680%
- Increase natural collagen production by 80%
- Decrease wrinkle appearance by 56% in the first 30 days
- Increase collagen synthesis by up to 84%
The main, novel claim of this cream is the reactivation of stem cells in the skin, and the product charges a high price for this approach: the first shipment is $49.99 with $5 shipping, and individuals are automatically enrolled into a program for future shipments. A professional by the name of Dr. Lewis M. Feder backs the product with claims that it will turn back the aging clock.
Dissecting Biologic Stem Cell Therapy's Claims
Skin cells are constantly produced in the basal skin layer, and move up through the skin's layer. Once they reach the layer we are able to see, they die: the epidermis (outer skin layer) is a layer of dead skin cells acting as a mechanical barrier to the outside world. All skin (even in elderly adults) has a base layer which contains adult stem cells.
Claim 1: Increased Growth/Production of Skin Cells
Generally, skin care companies add "functional keratin" to products to achieve this claim. Unfortunately, they also hydrolyze the keratin, which makes it unusable to the skin cells. BioLogic has a rather mysterious ingredient list (see below), but it is likely the company adds a form of this ingredient to achieve this claim.
Claim 2: Reactivate Stem Cells
This seems to be the main selling point of the cream, which would be an amazing revolution: if it weren't so laughable. All adults have skin stem cells in the basal layer of the skin - there is no need to "reactivate" something that is already active.While stem cell activity does reduce somewhat with age, these cells are always active.
If the stem cells in the basal layer were inactive, an individual would have no skin as the dead, outer layer sloughed off. In fact, scientists have discovered a way to use adult skin stem cells as an alternative to embryonic stem cells. Don't fall for this one: you already have skin stem cells, and they are already active.
Claim 3: Increased collagen production
Many skin care creams have this claim, and include materials to temporarily improve the texture and perceived elasticity of skin. Obviously, no miracle "cure" has been found for aging skin, and this effect can be achieved from other products for a much lower price.
Claim 4: Decrease Wrinkle Appearance by 56% in the First 30 Days
By adding in a moisturizer, the product helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles. In addition, the addition of tocopherols (a form of vitamin E, obtained from brown algae) will help reduce wrinkle appearance. Lotions with vitamin E can be obtained for a fraction of the Stem Cell Therapy price.
Biologic Stem Cell Therapy: The Ingredient List
Only three "active" ingredients are listed on Biologic's "Stem Cell Therapy" product, and the company uses confusing terminology to prevent the user from identifying the true nature of the ingredients.
- Phyko-AI-PF: This ingredient sounds very scientific. In fact, it is a carbohydrate: a long chain of sugar molecules. The prefix "phyco" comes from Greek, meaning "from seaweed." This is rather economical of the BioLogic Solutions company, since it is likely a byproduct of the next ingredient.
- Mitostime: Brown algae is a form of seaweed, and mitostime is an extract of the algae. Brown algae is listed as a "cure" for many ailments in alternative medicine: beware of any ingredient listed as a panacea.
- Seractin: Billed as a "youth compound," this component has no listing in any chemical index or on Material Safety and Data Sheet indexes. For people looking for the fountain of youth, it is likely not found in the mysterious "seractin" ingredient.
The "Professional" Backer
Read the fine print: Dr. Lewis M. Feder is "remunerated" for commenting on the skin cell data. In other words, he is paid by the company to give a positive review: impartiality is not likely to occur. In fact, Dr. Feder has backed many face creams, including the StaTight cream, A retinoid therapy, and a product called Genesphere. This man makes his living by creating and hawking skin lotions: he is not an impartial scientific reviewer.
User Reviews
Users of the cream are certainly not happy with the results, or with the automatic enrollment into a program where more cream is shipped (and billed to your account) prior to the first 30 day supply running out.
One user states she used the product for three months and saw no improvement. Another commented the product was ordered (and paid for), but never arrived: calls to customer service have been fruitless. Yet another customer called to cancel an order, but was told she had to wait a full 72 hours before canceling, as the database would take that long to be "updated."
The TV Claims
Biologic Stem Cell Therapy: The Better Business Bureau Report
The Better Business Bureau gives Biologic Solutions a "C" rating on an A-F scale. There are currently 11 complaints filed against the company, and has insufficient background information on the business. Customer complaints indicate they were defrauded by charges for additional product they never ordered, and that free trial bottles were completely empty of product. In addition, contacting the company is extremely difficult.
Caveat Emptor
Biologic Solutions Stem Cell Therapy is a scam. The claims are not backed by peer-reviewed data, the ingredient list is vague, and the company has a history of sending empty bottles to customers. The automatic enrollment into an auto-refill program empties the pockets of unwitting customers, who cannot contact customer service to stop the shipment of the product. Waiting 72 hours for entry into the "database" further inhibits order cancellations.
The lowdown? Save a lot of money and go to a local drugstore: find a lotion with some vitamin E - it is cheaper and as effective as the Biologic Solutions "Stem Cell" therapy.
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I have a background in biochemistry, so I was a tad annoyed when I saw the claims about "stem cell therapy" and the elusive ingredient components. Honestly, the same effect can be obtained from a much cheaper lotion containing vitamin E! Peer reviewed, scientific side-by-side studies haven't been done with this product (not required because it isn't covered by the FDA).
This is nothing but a big scam. I'm surprised that Dr.
Fedders is involved in this. I tried to call their customer service line to cancel and it was impossible to talk to anyone because a recording says they are talking to someone else. I tried to email the email address they give you. Comcast tried 63.5 hours to get the email through but they couldn't. I tried to cancel the same day that I ordered because I realized I could not have money taken out of my credit card each month. My husband just passed away and I can't afford that.
They make it impossible to get through after you place your order. I called my credit card company and cancelled my old credit card that they have and they're sending me a new one with a new number.
I should have looked on the internet before I placed my order to see all the complaints because you cannot get in touch with them once you order. Unfortunately my order came today and I went to the post office and rturned it with a letter. I ordered a receipt and signature. If they don't credit my card I'm reporting them to the better business bureau, and the office of consumer complaints.
Arlene, I'm sorry they snagged your money - you're smart and have canceled the order with a request for a receipt and signature - the BBB has several complaints about this company. The only reason they rate a "C" is because they take corrective action for the people who complain - I feel so badly for the people who have money sucked out of their accounts due to the "automatic enrollment" trick they play.
So glad I read this article before I ordered. Thanks so much..
I am glad it helped you make an informed decision - the automatic enrollment plan often surprises people when the high bill comes in the mail!
would like to know the name of these inexpensive products with vitamin E that disguise wrinkles. thank you for this article and the opportunity to hear the experience of other consumers of this product.
Hi Raquel - there are several lotions (such as Jergens) that offer a moisturizer with Vitamin E. A dermatologist (independent of any manufacturing firms) will be able to point you to a great product for your specific needs. Retinol is a common product (based on Vitamin A) that helps eliminate minor wrinkles and lines on the face (retinol does increase sun sensitivity, though). It seems that a lot of people get roped into the auto-enrollment plan for items advertised on TV - just a warning to be careful if you give them your credit card number!
Unfortunately I did not run an Internet search prior to ordering what I thought was a FREE sample of their product. I cannot tell you how irritated I was after being subjected to ten minutes of computer automated nonsense. I only kept holding because I thought eventually I would get a live person to ask what's up with the offer of a free sample, yet there isn't an option for a free sample. It's false advertising. I ultimately got a call from them trying to sell me some more "stuff" and at that point I asked for their customer service number, which is 1-866-434-6600. You will reach a live person who will refer you to their billing department for just about every question you might have. You will then wait on hold for about 10 minutes before you get another live person. I made them confirm and send me an email confirmation that I am not signed up for any type of auto enrollment. I also had them remove me from and and all mailing lists, which they said would take up to 90 days to cease. I haven't recv'd any mail yet, but based on everything I've read they're wasting trees at an all time rate! Thank you to all of you for posting your complaints. It has helped me get a jump on preventing what might be coming! I told the customer service person that I was reporting them for false advertising. The commercial states to call for a limited time supply of a free sample. You only get a FREE one if you BUY one. Don't be fooled.
JLee, I am so sorry this happened to you! Companies with this type of business practice ought to be ashamed: they earn money through trickery and false advertising rather than by producing a quality product. I hope you get your money back, and that you are successfully removed from their mailing lists.
Thanks so much for the information.
Hi Jenni - I hope it was helpful to you. A lot of people have been ripped off or placed into an auto-enrollment program that continually charges their credit cards!
As a physician with extensive knowlege of stem cells, I was intrigued by the concept but instintively felt this was a gimmick or scam. Thank you for your balanced and informative review along with comments from frustrated users. The fine print under their examples reads "Changes like these dramatized results can occur within 4-6 weeks." Clearly the large print leaves one with the impression that the pictures are actual results. However- these are just "dramatized" or touched up to say what CAN (or more likely can NOT) happen. This is a not so obvious attempt to decieve and mislead readers. Thank you for clearing the air.
Thank you, Dr. Parke. The claims on the television commercial were a bit grandiose, particularly for a product which is sold over-the-counter. My "suspicion meter" is rather high for highly priced products with 'secret' ingredients. There are quite a few people who have had difficulty with the auto-enrollment program. Once they have a credit card number, the customer will have a hard time recovering money from product they never intended to buy on a continual basis.
You guys are awesome! Thanks you so much for putting this information on line for consumers to see. This type of information saves people so much money. These companies prey on innocent people and its pathetic. Thank you for being the filter between us and them.
Thanks, Michelle. I once got sucked into an auto-enrollment feature (with a different product) and it was a nightmare getting off their auto-payment list. I have a background in biochemistry and was rather irritated by the grandiose claims in the TV ads - and then looked up the company and found the low rating by the Better Business Bureau. Too many people get ripped off by this sort of thing!
I saw the same ad claiming a 'free' sample but wanted to check it out online first. Glad I did. I cannot stand these companies that auto-enroll you and make it nearly impossible to cancel once you're in their system. Proactive is another one that does this and I got suckered into that one in hopes of helping my teenage daughter. BTW Proactive doesn't work either. Thanks for the posts everyone, I will definitely not buy into this scam!
Another clue to me on this was the Dr. himself--looks like he's had way too much plastic surgery imo
Vicki, I'm glad you looked before you leaped! The doctor who supports this product makes money from each sale - he has championed several other skin creams in the past (and made money from all of them). Proactive is the one I got suckered into - I was put onto their auto-enrollment program and it was a pain to get out of it. So many of these products are over-hyped with little actual gain. They pay celebrities and unscrupulous doctors to hawk their product, and people tend to believe the statements from these people. Since these items are "supplements," they're generally not regulated by the FDA.
so glad i found this information before i wasted more money on skin products~ thank you!!!
I'm glad it helped, fb. The stem cell therapy certainly won't "hurt" anything, but it probably won't do much more than a standard moisturizer. And the auto-enrollment program is a nasty way to snag people's money before they realize what is going on!
Major Rip off. Orderd the bogofree offer and not 2 jars but THREE arrived. And with an addtional FORTY BUCKS charged to my cc. Then you call the "customer service" at 866-434-6600 and they tell you you must call 877-329-4653, press 3, then 4, then you will get to billing and supposedly they will tell you how to return it. I am currently on hold for that, and have been for over 1/2 hour now. Keeps saying "I'm sorry, all stations are currently busy". Hmm- MAYBE IT's b/c NO ONE wants to be scammed and we are ALL waiting on hold! I HATE THIS COMPANY- RUN AWAY- FAR AND FAST!!! RUN AWAY
rjb, I am SO sorry they took your money! They have a poor rating with the Better Business Bureau, and the only reason they have managed to maintain a "C" rating is by resolving the official complaints lodged through the BBB. Most people simply get ripped off by the auto-enrollment and MANY people have complained that it is impossible to get through to the company to get off the auto-payment list. I hope you manage to get your money back, and thanks for sharing your story so that other people realize the truth about this company and product!
I was thinking seriously to buy this product. As I was searching through the Internet, I realize that most of the reviews are very biased as if the review was done indirectly by the company itself. I found this article very impartial and quite informative. Thank you very much. you saved my time, money and energy.
I'm glad it helped, Sam - particularly BEFORE they got your credit card number! The vast majority of the product reviews are done by paid sponsors or affiliates of the company, so they are rather biased.
The product does help with defoliating the dead skin cells and after a few days I could see the differnce. However, after 35 days I noticed more wrinkles in the middle of the cheeks and switched back to my other rather expensive creme. I believe there is no inexpensive way to prevent wrinkles. I am 70 and appear 60.
Caralynt, the majority of the expensive face creams contain vitamin E, retinoids, and often have salicylic acid to gently exfoliate and remove fine lines. The ingredient list is usually fairly similar among the face creams - the key is moisturizing. Wrinkles also have an environmental and genetic component - some people simply have less elastic skin, and those living in harsh environments are going to have more skin damage as they age. People who have paralyzed facial muscles do not develop wrinkles - this was an observation that led to the use of Botox in the beauty industry (the toxin temporarily paralyzes facial muscles, causing wrinkles to disappear for the length of the muscle paralysis).
Beava 15 months ago
As a PR person and a skincare fanatic, I'm so thankful for this information. I received a letter in the mail today from this company and I'm so glad I found this article before they found my pocketbook. Thank you!