Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Cleansing Gel

After trying the new Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask and falling head over heels, I was curious about the companion Cleansing Gel.  At $38/8.5oz, it's less than half the price per ounce of my HG cleanser. It comes in a tall, clear plastic bottle that showcases the light pink hue of the cleanser.

This is a mildly lathering cleanser. I appreciate that it forces the user to engage in some facial massage to create the lather, which is excellent for anti-aging and overall skin health. It appears to be clear once it leaves the bottle- suggesting that the pink isn't overloaded with synthetic dyes.

I found that this cleanser stripped my face of any moisture. I actually felt dry enough to put an additional moisturizer on several hours later on top of my Le Weekend (a real no-no!).  I am dedicated to using this bottle up, but don't expect to repurchase.

I compared the ingredient list with the one on this page and they're identical.  This cleanser promises a lot- "With state-of-the-art breakthrough stem cell technology, rose stem cells are blended with rose extracts to help repair visible signs of aging, including the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, skin texture, and dullness. It effectively clears skin of impurities and sweeps away dead surface skin cells that can dull the complexion. Rose water adds a light, delicate scent and leaves skin clean, purified, silky soft, rejuvenated, and youthful-looking." I'm not sure how well it delivers on any of them because it's honestly too much for my face.

I feel like this cleanser would work best for above-30 skin that's been historically a bit oily since I found it a bit drying on my sensitive skin.  The good news is that it leaves you feeling fresh- and although my face felt dry, it didn't irritate my skin.

This is a product that I highly recommend trying before you buy.  Peter Thomas Roth Stem Cell Cleansing Gel is available at Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, and the brand's website.

Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask

Consider this fair warning and a bit of a spoiler: this is a very long post about a product that's a total game-changer for me in my skincare routine.
 
I know I've been talking about skincare a lot recently, but that's mostly a product of the changing seasons.  This past winter was especially harsh on my sensitive skin, so I stocked up on incredibly rich and nourishing products. Those are fantastic for when it's snowing; when it's 90 and humid, I go diving for much lighter products- especially gel-based ones.

I think it should be clear by now that I am usually one of the last to try the latest it-ingredient in skincare.  While I'm always thrilled to try the latest makeup trends, my ultra-sensitive skin is another matter altogether.  It took me years of trial and error to finally land on products that work.  I'm usually very cautious about adding new products into my rotation- especially from a brand I'm not currently using.

For whatever reason, I threw caution to the wind with Peter Thomas Roth's newest release: the Rose Stem Cell line. I've been testing both the mask and the cleanser for about a month. Today's post is only about the Bio-Repair Gel Mask; I'll cover the cleanser another day.

The Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask ($45/5 fl oz), according to its box, is "Cutting-edge plant biotechnology isolates and replicates the perfect rose stem cells for maximum anti-age repair. With state-of-the-art, 21st century breakthrough stem cell technology, five rose stem cells are blended with their rose extracts in a cooling, rejuvenating gel to help stimulate cell turnover for younger looking skin. Helps repair the signs of aging, including the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, dehydration, dullness, and sagging as it strengthens and tones the look of skin. Reveals silky soft, radiant, beautiful, and youthful-looking skin."


The PTR Rose Stem Cell Gel Mask comes in a clear plastic jar, and the gel mask is a light pink color that applies on the skin clear.  I don't detect a rose fragrance from the mask, but I've been having sinus and allergy issues for the greater part of two months.

Returning to the box, here are the directions: "Apply a generous coat on clean skin. Allow to remain on for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water. For an intensive treatment, refrigerate and apply as a mask or apply a thin layer as the last layer of skin care and leave on overnight. Use 2-3 times a week or daily for intensive repair."  I've also verified the list of ingredients is the same as Sephora lists- so feel free to read them over there.

How I applied it:  Always after a full cleansing, not just after removing my makeup. I tried this following the matching cleanser, Shiseido's Benefiance and The Skincare Cleansers, and Philosophy Purity Cleanser.  I tried two different methods of application- with my fingers and with a synthetic foundation brush. I vastly prefer the brush, even though fingers allow for some facial massage.

Frequency of application: To really give this a truthful trial, I've been applying it an average of 5 days per week

Length of testing: Just under 4 weeks

The results? I simply can't believe them.  This was the only change in my skincare routine and the change in my skin is amazing.

My skin, which was in pretty good shape before, it truly luminous in a non-oily way.  It glows with health and looks better than it ever has in my life.

So, let's evaluate some of PTR's claims.

• "cooling, rejuvenating gel to help stimulate cell turnover for younger looking skin."- The mask is very cooling and soothing. I can't speak to cell turnover, but there's been a change in the appearance of my skin
•  "Helps repair the signs of aging, including the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, dehydration, dullness, and sagging as it strengthens and tones the look of skin." - I don't have fine lines and wrinkles, so I can't evaluate that, but it's more hydrated, luminous, and looks amazsing
• "Reveals silky soft, radiant, beautiful, and youthful-looking skin."- Yes to all of the above

I'm generally a skeptic about these types of claims, but I've found a real keeper with Peter Thomas Roth's Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask. This is a skincare product I'll keep using with regularity since it's produced incredible results. My skin looks better than I can ever remember- healthy, luminous, hydrated, soft, smooth.... any positive trait that you can think of, my skin's got that going on.