The Beauty Librarian

As a beauty blogger, almost nothing excites me more than discovering and trying new products.  Every now and then a product or line truly impress me and earns a place in my heart as well as a semi-regular spot in my constantly-changing routine, but never before have I been so impressed that I have asked myself if I want to settle down and commit to a line for good, perhaps exclusively.  Then I tried Silk Therapeutics.

 

Silk Therapeutics is a clinical-grade, minimal-ingredient anti-aging line that offers the unique (and truly breathtaking) benefits of patented pure liquid silk. When I spoke to Silk Therapeutics General Manager Rachel Dow, she told me that the company tests all their products for quality and effectiveness themselves and also sends them on for additional scrutiny via third-party verification by Think Dirty and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Moreover, they uphold a standard that each product needs to produce visible results within just 7 days. I was intrigued but skeptical. Most products—even truly good ones—take a month or more to begin to show benefits.  I figured maybe there was one outlier in each group of participants who might demonstrate some change in 7 days but as an average result?  That seemed remarkably fast, but as you will see, pure liquid silk is a magical ingredient for skin.

The generous team at Silk Therapeutics sent me a trio of products to try:  Renewing Peel Weekly Rejuvenation, C Advance Anti-Aging Intensive Serum, and Purely Radiant Daily Hydrating Serum. I noticed right away that silk gives the products a unique texture. Renewing Peel has an almost gelatin-like texture, so I was surprised when I experienced how well it sinks into skin, leaving no residue.  The serums are slightly gel-like, and they spread amazingly well, such that a couple drops of the product can cover your entire face.  Rather than remaining on the surface like typical products do, my skin seemed to drink them up.

While most lines are interested in their bottom lines and push the mantra that more is more, Silk Therapeutics actually discourages you—on every piece of their packaging–from unnecessarily wasting product with excess application. The directions with each product note that the formulas are concentrated and that a small amount is all that is needed for optimal results.  This struck me as refreshingly consumer-focused.  For example, each of the serums, used as directed, is designed to last for over 150 uses, making each purchase with Silk Therapeutics a remarkable value in the skin care realm.

In fact, just three days into using Silk Therapeutics, my husband (who is not one to notice these things) looked at me and told me that my skin looked incredibly smooth.  This is after just three days!  I do not get compliments on my skin often, but when I incorporated Silk Therapeutics, multiple friends asked me out of the blue what I was using.  To say I am impressed with this line is a huge understatement. I can’t think of the last time a line actually delivered skin-changing results like this, never mind so rapidly! Each product I have tried has exceeded my expectations, and it’s a growing collection because I am set on trying every product they make.  In fact, I was so excited with my results that I purchased Purely Smooth Daily Firming Complex on my own. Three weeks in, Silk Therapeutics has transformed my skin.  My husband recently stroked my face and said my skin was as smooth as our baby twins’!

Now that I have raved about the mind-blowing effectiveness of the Silk Therapeutics line, it is worth asking, what makes silk such a great ingredient? The Silk Therapeutics blog, Silk Unraveled, gives a great overview. First, silk complimentary structure to native collagen, and it promotes collagen production, giving it a unique ability firm and tighten skin. Second, silk molecules are small enough that they penetrate deeply into the skin, delivering key actives where they can go to work and have maximum impact, resulting in a line of products that truly deliver clinical-grade results. If that’s not enough, silk is also hydrating. Finally, silk has a unique ability to stabilize active ingredients and to prevent microbial growth. Liquid silk can be used to replace many of the chemicals, emulsifiers, stabilizers, and preservatives seen in conventional skincare. The end result is a line that takes clean beauty to new heights.  In fact, no Silk Therapeutics product has more than 10 ingredients!

Silk is highly biocompatible and does amazing things for skin and for skin care formulations, and it has never been available in skincare in its pure form until Silk Therapeutics introduced it. To give you a better idea of just how special this innovation is, Silk Therapeutics holds six separate US patents related to their unique silk-processing technology.  As detailed in their highly-informative blog Silk Unraveled here, Silk Therapeutics’ shelf-stable pure liquid silk is special, in part, because it is made of pure silk fiber completely free from Sericin (the outer coating of silk fiber, a waste product from the textile industry, known to be highly allergenic to humans) and Hydrolyzed  Silk (broken-down silk fibers left over from textile processing).

Other silk products on the market contain these textile waste products. Only Silk Therapeutics contains silk in its pure form.  Also, for all those among us (myself included) who love creatures great and small, it’s worth noting that Silk Therapeutics buys its silk cocoons from silk farms and that they seek cocoons for which the worm has finished its cycle and exited the cocoon on its own.  The team actively pushes farmers to let the life cycle complete and prefers silk raised in this way, and as such, they are doing their part to make silk more ethical. The team at Silk Therapeutics is very intentional in the way they run their business.  As part of their charitable mission, they donate their clean, luxury skin care to an oncology patient with every purchase.

Silk Therapeutics is perhaps the most beautiful marriage of innovative science and clean beauty I have ever come across. This is a line of beautifully-formulated and highly effective clean beauty products with pure silk as the star ingredient. Each of the products I have tried has exceeded my expectations, and I want to tell you about each.

Purely Radiant Daily Hydrating Serum—This light, creamy serum contains pure liquid silk for firming and anti-aging effects, hyaluronic acid for skin plumping and hydration, and vitamin B-5 (panthenol) for hydration and smoothing. Panthenol not only helps infuse water in the cells, it also takes on an anti-inflammatory role when used regularly, something valuable for anyone with skin challenges and all of us concerned with inflammaging.  If you are looking for light hydration with anti-aging benefits or want a plumping serum to supercharge your moisturizer, look no further than Purely Radiant. Oily skin can use this as a moisturizer in and of itself. My skin is prone to breakouts, and Purely Radiant has been a great way to provide light, refreshing hydration without any worry about breakouts. This skin-quenching serum is hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, phthalate-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, and suitable for sensitive skin. It’s also Environmental Working Group (EWG) Verified, which means that the product has met rigorous criteria and been awarded the gold standard for health and wellness.

Purely Radiant Ingredients:

Water

Sunflower Oil–antioxidant, hydrating, protects

Glycerin–humectant that helps skin retain water

Rosehip Oil–antioxidant, soothes, nourishes

Sodium Hyaluronate–hydrates, plumps

DL-Panthenol (Vitamin B-5)—hydrates, smoothes

Silk—anti-aging, firms

Glyceryl Caprylate—natural preservative with conditioning properties

Aspen Bark Extract—natural preservative, skin-conditioning

C Advance Anti-Aging Intensive Serum—This is an intensive yet gentle anti-aging serum that contains a hefty dose of collagen-boosting Vitamin C (10%). Vitamin C is renowned for its ability to provide antioxidant protection, prevent signs of aging, and lessen hyperpigmentation, making it the sort of ingredient that can benefit nearly anyone. The pure liquid silk in C Advance stabilizes Vitamin C, giving this easily oxidized ingredient a much longer shelf life. Not only does the silk ensure that the Vitamin C stays viable, it also helps deliver the Vitamin C deeper within the skin where it can truly exert its anti-aging effects.  I have used dozens of different Vitamin C serums over the years, and many of them irritated my skin without delivering any real visible benefits. C Advance is gentler on my sensitive skin than other Vitamin C serums I have used, and yet it has delivered the best skin-smoothing, brightening, and renewing benefits of any Vitamin C serum I have tried.  Plus, just one drop of the serum easily spreads and delivers a powerful anti-aging treatment to my entire face; it has a lovely consistency that is less watery than most other vitamin C serums I have tried.  This incredibly effective serum is hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, phthalate-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, and suitable for sensitive skin. It’s also  EWG Verified.

C Advance Ingredients:

Water

Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Glucoside)—antioxidant, stimulates collagen

Sodium Hyaluronate—hydrates, plumps

Silk-anti-aging, firming

Sodium Anisate—natural preservative, humectant

Aspen Bark Extract—natural preservative, skin-conditioning

Rosehip Oil—antioxidant, soothes, nourishes

Renewing Peel Weekly Rejuvenation–As someone with sensitive skin, peels were decidedly not my thing, so the first time I tried Renewing Peel, I was a little nervous that it might irritate my skin as so many other peels have. Much to my delight, though, Renewing Peel is exceptionally gentle yet still remarkably effective. I have never tried any other product that comes close to this! Renewing Peel is highly effective without being irritating, because it has just the right amount of acid (pH of 2.5) to work effectively on the outer layers of skin, exfoliating only the dead cells and skin, without damaging the vital living layer underneath.  Silk Therapeutics Renewing Peel leaves my skin softer and visibly smoother each time I use it. In fact, if I’m honest, I have gotten so hooked on this product and its smoothing results that I use it at least twice—if not three times—a week.  Renewing Peel gives the overall complexion a refreshing boost, and it can also be used as a fabulous spot treatment if you dab it on blemishes and leave it on 10 minutes or even a little longer.  I have never liked or benefitted from any other peel the way I do Renewing Peel. It’s paraben and phthalate free, fragrance-free and contains just five lovely ingredients.

Renewing Peel Ingredients:

Water

Silk—firms, anti-aging

Glycolic acid—exfoliates

Lactic acid—exfoliates, hydrates

Lemon Grass Essential Oil—antioxidant, firming, natural preservative

Purely Smooth Daily Firming Complex—A lightweight serum-moisturizer hybrid, Purely Smooth provides just the right amount of hydration to my combination skin, all the while diminishing wrinkles and leaving my skin simultaneously suppler yet also firmer.  Purely Smooth has the most silk out of any product in the line, making it the most firming and the most soothing of all the products. It features Silk Microcapsule technology, with microcapsules made from pure silk protein that encapsulate Liquid Silk, Vitamin C, and Rosehip Oil, delivering these potent actives deep within the skin where they have maximum benefit.  Purely Smooth is fabulous for sensitive, aging skin; I have noticed a softening of lines and a more even skin tone from using it. In terms of results, Purely Smooth lives up to its name and is a gentle, even soothing powerhouse anti-aging product. It’s also  EWG Verified.

Purely Smooth Ingredients:

Water

Silk—firms, anti-aging

Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Glucoside)—antioxidant, brightens, stimulates collagen

Sodium Anisate—natural preservative, humectant

Rosehip Oil—antioxidant, soothes, nourishes

Finally, of the products I tried, there is Nurture, a lovely moisturizer that comes in three formulas depending on the amount of hydration desired.  Nurture provides matte hydration for oily or combination skin, minimizing shine while imparting a gentle radiance and delivering the anti-aging benefits of silk.  Nurture + offers similar anti-aging benefits with slightly more hydration for normal skin.  Finally, Nurture ++ is designed to provide intense hydration for dry skin.  In addition to hydration, these moisturizers are also highly effective at calming reactive skin and promoting healing (e.g., post-procedure, etc.). All three moisturizers are  EWG Verified.

Nurture Ingredients:

Water

Rosehip Oil—antioxidant, soothes, nourishes

Jojoba Oil—nourishes, balances

Sodium Hyaluronate—hydrates, plumps

Silk—anti-aging, firms

Vitamin E—antioxidant, nourishes, hydrates

Sodium Anisate—natural preservative, humectant

Aspen Bark Extract—natural preservative, skin-conditioning

Nurture + Ingredients:

 

Water

Rosehip Oil—antioxidant, soothes, nourishes

Jojoba Oil—nourishes, balances

Sodium Hyaluronate—hydrates, plumps

Silk—anti-aging, firms

Vitamin E—antioxidant, nourishes, hydrates

Sodium Anisate—natural preservative, humectant

Aspen Bark Extract—natural preservative, skin-conditioning

Nurture ++ Ingredients

Water

Shea Butter—nourishes, hydrates, supplies essential fatty acids

Coconut Oil—hydrates, nourishes

Sodium Hyaluronate—hydrates, plumps

Silk—anti-aging, firms

Vitamin E—antioxidant, nourishes, hydrates

Sodium Anisate—natural preservative, humectant

Aspen Bark Extract—natural preservative, skin-conditioning

 

Last but not least, Silk Therapeutics is a uniquely honest and ethical company. From the purity of their formulas and their commitment to full transparency with EWG Verification, to the dramatic results with minimal ingredients, to their exemplary customer service (with a true emphasis on service), to their efforts to make the silk industry more ethical, to their commitment to charitable giving, Silk Therapeutics stands out as a company that cares about giving back and doing things the right way. As just one example, with every purchase made, Silk Therapeutics provides their clean, luxurious, and safe skin care to an oncology patient through charitable organizations like Pink Warrior Angels.  Silk Therapeutics also provides all products to a monthly free “refresh and recharge” program that Victoria Collotta, Vice President of Professional Devices, organizes at her spa for women undergoing cancer treatment.  The CEO, Dr. Greg Altman, also speaks at a middle school for kids with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities like he has, encouraging them to consider careers in science and engineering. Moreover, Silk Therapeutics offers a truly refreshing level of customer care through their day-to-day operations. Having had the chance to speak with several Silk Therapeutics representatives, I have met a team of hardworking, earnest people who actually take the time to listen and are not chiefly motivated by making a sale. Indeed, Silk Therapeutics may be the first skin care company ever that explicitly encourages customers to use their (concentrated) products sparingly to enjoy optimal results and a better, more lasting value.

If you are interested in exploring how Silk Therapeutics can help you achieve your goals, the company offers both a Quiz and a Product Chart to help you identify the products that are the best match for your skin type. For personalized recommendations, they welcome your inquiries at support@silktherapeutics.com or 1-866-809-0367.  Based on all my interactions, I can tell you that the Silk Therapeutics team truly welcomes questions of any kind and will go out of their way to help you achieve your desired results and a high level of satisfaction.

 

 

CONCLUSION

Silk Therapeutics takes clean beauty to new heights, both with the purity of their ingredients and the effectiveness of their products. Most skin care lines have a hero product, but Silk Therapeutics is a hero line.  Every product I tried in this silk-based line delivered rapid, visible benefits, such that each deserves to be singled out as remarkable. Their patented core technology and star ingredient, pure liquid silk, has truly unique anti-aging benefits for skin and also allows for the purest formulations on the market. No skincare line has ever impressed me more.