BEAUTY WITH PANACHE
Stanley Jacobs MD
Visco-Elastic Serum
San Francisco-based plastic surgeon Dr. Stanley Jacobs has launched a first-of-its-kind serum scientifically demonstrated in a clinical study to reduce wrinkles and improve skin elasticity without skin irritation. Stanley Jacobs MD Visco-Elastic Transforming Serum is based on an authentic ancient Egyptian formula that has been modernized to boost the effectiveness of its active ingredient -- mandelic acid.
Thousands of Years in the Making
More than a decade ago, Dr. Jacobs became intrigued by an ancient Egyptian scroll that had been discovered in the early 1900s, but only ever partially translated. Known for their highly advanced civilization, the Egyptians were master chemists and physicians who mixed medicines and performed surgeries. Guided by their belief in everlasting life, these early pharmacists to the queens and pharaohs formulated a royal ointment to keep skin smooth and youthful. Their secret was buried on a papyrus scroll of hieroglyphic text that ends with “proven good a million times.”
Enter Dr. Jacobs, whose modern-day odyssey to decipher the papyrus combined the spirit of exotic adventure with the science of skin biometrics. After nearly 10 years of travel and research, Dr. Jacobs solved the mystery of a single mistranslated word, which led to the discovery of the serum’s active ingredient -- mandelic acid. Mandelic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid derived from almond extract and a close cousin of glycolic acid; because the molecule is larger it penetrates skin more slowly, offering sustained results with virtually no irritation. The ancient Egyptians knew their secret recipe worked, but it took Dr. Jacobs’ ground-breaking research to prove that mandelic acid would measurably promote the viscoelasticity of the skin.
“Mandelic acid is naturally grown and has been cultivated for centuries, but its use as a skin rejuvenator had been lost since the time of Tutankhamen,” says Dr. Jacobs, who plans to expand the line with daytime moisturizers, facial cleanser, eye cream, night cream, facial scrubs, weekly home peels, acne solutions, sunscreens and more. “The Egyptians put such a weighted emphasis on protecting and minimizing the aging of skin, so it seems logical that they would have developed specific, natural chemicals, which we should explore and utilize for modern man.”
To create his exclusive formula, Dr. Jacobs partnered with Jules Zecchino, former vice president of research and development at Estee Lauder. Zecchino boasts more than 33 years of industry experience and has a venerable list of industry-leading concepts to his credit. After 18 years of service, Jules retired from his position as Vice President of Innovation and Applied Research at Estee Lauder in November 2007.
"Working with Dr. Jacobs has been a very rewarding experience, and with his discovery, we are poised to change the world of skin care forever," says Zecchino. "The power and knowledge of the ancient Egyptians coupled with modern science will — at long last — empower people with the ability to maintain their youth. And this is just the beginning.”
Results that Speak for Themselves
Viscoelasticity refers to a substance’s ability to have both viscous (resistant to flow) and elastic (flexible) properties. Like honey, syrup and some metals at high temperatures, skin can be measured by its ability to maintain its structural integrity under various conditions. “Human skin is ‘viscous,’ existing as neither a solid nor liquid, but a living form of elastic that degenerates with age,” says Dr. Stanley Jacobs, triple-board certified facial cosmetic surgeon and visionary in cosmetic procedures and treatments.
In a unique biomechanical study, Dr. Jacobs had patients apply his Visco-Elastic Transforming Serum with Mandelic Acid to their faces and necks twice daily. Each week, the patients’ skin was tested (eyelids, cheeks, jowls and neck) with a Cutometer, a device proven to measure the viscoelasticity of the skin, accurate to one millionth of an inch. By the third week, the improvements were substantial, with increases in elasticity seen in all areas. By the fourth and fifth weeks, some patients had seen as much as 85 percent improvement. The study also included photographic evidence and patient testimonials, but the scientific results left little doubt that Stanley Jacobs MD Visco-Elastic Transforming Serum produced dramatic results — without irritation, as can be seen with glycolic or retinoic acids.
Stanley Jacobs MD Visco-Elastic Transforming Serum with Mandelic Acid is the result of a serendipitous series of events -- on a whim, a renowned facial plastic surgeon purchases a 600-page book from the 1930s, then meets a famous Egyptologist who helps him translate it. Near the end of the volume, they discover a magical, forgotten formula in this 3,600-year-old bit of Egyptian wisdom. The surgeon enlists a pioneering chemist, and the rest is a modern-day miracle with results that speak for themselves.
