Carotone is a skin brightening and anti-aging cream that comes in a distinct orange bottle. The brand claims that their cream provides “advanced skincare rejuvenation” and it’s one of the more affordable anti-aging products on the market, retailing for under $10.
But does Carotone Cream contain ingredients proven in medical studies to reduce wrinkles, or does its quality match its low price? Does the product contain any questionable additive ingredients? What retailer sells Carotone Cream for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of the product?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in Carotone Cream based on medical studies to give our take on whether it’s likely to be effective for anti-aging or if it’s a waste of money.
We’ll also provide a cost comparison featuring the retailer that sells this product for the best price, and share real, unsponsored Carotone Cream user reviews.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Carotone Cream are shown above.
There are some ingredients in this formulation shown in research studies to improve skin quality.
Collagen may be an effective anti-aging ingredient because it’s a core structural protein in skin, although the majority of clinical trials we’ve reviewed on topical collagen (like this one) use a hydrolyzed version which may be more readily-absorbed into skin.
Ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin C, was shown in a clinical trial published in the Dermatologic Surgery journal to reduce wrinkles and improve skin hydration.
Mineral oil is clinically shown to improve skin softness and skin barrier function as we documented in our review of another cosmetic product containing this ingredient called Jergens Natural Glow.
Petrolatum may be effective for skin barrier repair according to a 2016 clinical trial, and is the active ingredient in Vaseline.
While there are some potentially effective ingredients in Carotone Cream, there are also some ingredients that may be questionable from a health perspective, as well as some that we don’t even understand.
UVA and UVB are types of ultraviolet radiation emitted from the sun. We have never seen these ingredients on a cosmetic product label, nor is it biologically possible for a wavelength of light to be a cosmetic ingredient.
Propylparaben is a synthetic preservative ingredient that has estrogenic effects, and a 2021 medical review on the safety of this ingredient concluded the following:
“We conclude that inadequate evidence has been provided for the safe use of [propylparaben] in food, cosmetics, and consumer products.”
Methylparaben is a synthetic preservative from the same class of chemicals (parabens) with similarly questionable health effects in our opinion.
Fragrance can be harmful to human health according to a medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal.
BHT is another synthetic preservative, and it breaks down in the body into a chemical compound clinically shown to be a “tumor promoter,” as we documented in our Cetaphil vs CeraVe comparison article.
Overall, we consider Carotone Cream to be potentially effective for anti-aging, but we can’t locate any active ingredients in this product that we consider effective for skin brightening.
We don’t recommend this product due to the questionable inactive ingredients highlighted above.
But how do real users describe the effects of Carotone Cream? We’ll review in the next section.
Real, Unsponsored Carotone Cream User Reviews
A YouTube creator named Ese Gloria explains why she wouldn’t recommend Carotone Cream:
A TikTok creator named “elodieikwa” documents side effects she claims to have experienced from Carotone Cream:
@elodieikwa Exactly a year ago today my skin was ruined (and burnt) by Carotone B.S.C cream. I was looking for something that would help fade my old scars but instead, this cream did more damage to my skin than ever before. I DO NOT recommend this cream!! I’m making this video to share my own personal experience that I’ve battled with, and hopefully help someone. A few of God’s promises that kept me through the journey; Philippians 4:13, Isaiah 41:10, James 1:2-4, Pslam 139:14 & more ♥️ #fyp #fypシ #foryou #carotone #skincare #hyperpigmentation #viral #darkspots ♬ The enemy thought he had me - Addie Woost
Unclear Manufacturer – Safety Issues
We recommend that consumers be cautious when purchasing from cosmetics brands without a clear manufacturer.
There are a number of different “Carotone Cream” products on the market, and many of them have different ingredients.
Based on our review of many cosmetics products that we’ve analyzed on Illuminate Health, we’ve noted a higher quality of formulation when there is a clear manufacturer behind the product.
The version of Carotone Cream we reviewed in the ingredient analysis section comes from a website called “Order Beauty Supply” which ranks high in Google for the brand term.
However, there is another version sold on a website called “Kismet Beauty Brands” that contains hydroquinone (as shown below), which is not approved for over-the-counter- products:
The FDA describes in an official notice that skin lightening products containing hydroquinone are “potentially harmful” and that these products are “unapproved drugs and are not generally recognized as safe and effective.”
We would advise consumers to avoid any Carotone Cream containing hydroquinone.
Are Skin Whitening Creams Toxic?
A dermatologist and YouTube creator named “Dr Dray” reviewed some concerning research on a toxin found in some skin bleaching and skin whitening products:
Where to Buy Carotone Cream for the Best Price
Carotone Cream is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown at the time of publishing this article:
Walmart: $19.49 (free shipping, link)
Beauty Supply USA: $9.99 (plus shipping, link)
Order Beauty Supply: $9.99 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $9.82 (free shipping depending on plan – link to official Amazon listing)
The price on Amazon is currently 20-30% cheaper than other platforms when factoring shipping fees.
Real Customers Review Carotone Cream
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
Carotone Cream has been reviewed 50 times on Amazon at the time of publishing this article, with an average review rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Michelle Mitchell” who claims it cleared up blemishes:
“Not only are my blemishes gone within less than 2 months, my complexion is also brighter. The product works on the body as well. My colleagues noticed the change in my complexion.I no longer need foundation to cover up blemishes. I cannot say enough about this product..I'm just elated that I took a chance on this product.”
All of the negative reviews currently only have star ratings, and none have descriptions.
Our Clean Skincare Picks
There are skincare products containing ingredients shown in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality.
Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum is our top anti-aging serum.
It contains hyaluronic acid which was described as a "skin-rejuvenating biomedicine" in a medical review due to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging.
HYDRAGLOW by CLEARSTEM is our top moisturizer pick.
It features bakuchiol as an active ingredient which was described in a 2014 clinical trial as "clinically proven to have anti-aging effects."
Bulletproof Collagen Powder is our top skin supplement.
Collagen supplementation was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology to reduce visible signs of skin aging as well as improve skin elasticity and skin hydration.
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy or unsafe.
Pros and Cons of Carotone Cream
Here are the pros and cons of Carotone Cream in our opinion:
Pros:
- May have anti-aging effect
- May repair skin barrier
- Very affordable
Cons:
- Contains fragrance
- Unclear manufacturer
- Some ingredients listed are not cosmetic ingredients
- Skin whitening cream may be high in toxins
- Both YouTube reviews we came across were negative
- Some companies selling this product are using unapproved drug ingredients
