{"id":557016645705,"title":"Gotucream Review: Can An Herbal Cream Heal Skin?","created_at":"2022-10-02T23:40:31-04:00","body_html":"\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"Gotucream Review: Can An Herbal Cream Heal Skin?\",\n \"keywords\": \"gotucream, gotucream reviews, gotucream review, gotucream walgreens\",\n \"description\": \"Our research team reviews every ingredient in Gotucream based on medical studies to give our take on whether it's likely to be effective for healing skin issues and improving skin quality. We highlight some questionable health claims and brand associations on the Gotucream website.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/gotucream-review\",\n\"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University\"\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"creator\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University\"\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"editor\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Taylor Graber\",\n \"honorificSuffix\": \"M.D.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/taylor-graber\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/taylor-j-graber-md-81351642\/\",\n \"https:\/\/www.asapivs.com\/\"\n ],\n \"jobTitle\": \"Content Partner\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"medicine, health, anesthesiology, iv therapy, science, drugs, pharmaceutical, medical research, scientific research, medical journals, entrepreneurship, healthcare, orthopedic surgery, biomedical engineering\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": [\n \"University of California San Diego\",\n \"Arizona University\",\n \"University of Arizona College of Medicine\"\n ]\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"image\": {\n\"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Gotucream_Thumbnail.png?v=1664769247\",\n\"width\": \"3196\",\n\"height\": \"3196\"\n},\n\"citation\": [\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3834700\/\", \n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/19218914\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/zo-skin-health-review\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34961431\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/maelys-cosmetics-review\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30287361\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24471735\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30681787\/\"\n],\n\"mentions\": [{\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"tea tree oil\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"grapeseed oil\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Walgreens\"\n }\n],\n\"datePublished\": \"2022-10-02\",\n\"dateModified\": \"2023-02-28\",\n\"copyrightHolder\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n},\n\"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/\",\n \"description\": \"Illuminate Labs is the most transparent supplement company in the U.S., and is a leading publisher of research-based health information.\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"supplements, science, nutrition, exercise, health, medication, pharmaceutical, wellness, diet, weight loss, medical research\",\n \"publishingPrinciples\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/editorial-guidelines\",\n \"memberOf\": [\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"U.S. Chamber of Commerce\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Certified B Corp\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.bcorporation.net\/en-us\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Natural Products Association\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.npanational.org\/\"\n }\n ],\n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Illuminate_Labs_Favicon_48x48_7595c3cc-e27b-47b8-a4fe-edcc7ed9b29a.png?v=1666502785\", \n \"width\": 48,\n \"height\": 48\n},\n \"foundingDate\": \"2019-01-30\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/illuminate-labs-supplements\",\n \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpgSJAsIPb-fZ25djtTxBEA\"\n ]\n }\n}\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Gotucream_Review_Article_Header_Image_Optimized.png?v=1664768462\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dc\"\u003eG\u003c\/span\u003eotucream is a skincare product that the brand describes as an “incredible herbal skin healer.” The brand claims that their cream contains ingredients proven in clinical studies to reduce pain, inflammation and scarring of the skin.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this article we’ll review every ingredient in Gotucream based on medical research to give our take on whether it’s likely to be effective, or whether it’s a waste of money.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe’ll highlight some questionable health claims made by the brand, and some claims about media appearances that appear to be false.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIngredient Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGotucream publishes information about six ingredients on their website but it’s unclear if this is the full set of ingredients or just the ones they choose to highlight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA 2013 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3834700\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e found that \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003egotu kola\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e can reduce inflammation and scarring, but it’s typically supplemented orally rather than topically. We’ll consider this a potentially effective ingredient.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAloe vera\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a well-studied and effective anti-inflammatory ingredient. A \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/19218914\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emeta-study\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eItalian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e found that topical aloe vera was effective for treating a wide range of inflammatory, bacterial and viral skin conditions including seborrheic dermatitis and wounds.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTea tree oil\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is another efficacious ingredient choice for an anti-inflammatory skincare product. As we documented in our \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/zo-skin-health-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eZo Skin Health reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e article, clinical studies show that tea tree oil, when properly diluted, is a powerful antibacterial agent that can treat acne and skin lesions. The concentration of tea tree oil is not published in Gotucream, and we suggest the brand publish it, because high concentrations of tea tree oil can be damaging to skin.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNeem\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e may be an effective skincare ingredient based on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34961431\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical studies\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, but further research is needed and the benefits seem theoretical at this point. We cannot identify a human trial proving neem to be effective for improving skin quality or reducing irritation, so we will consider it likely ineffective until future research emerges.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCedarwood\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a strange way to list an ingredient, because we can only identify medical studies on cedarwood essential oil. It’s unclear based on Gotucream’s website whether they are using cedarwood essential oil or some other plant material here, and we urge the brand to clarify.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGrapeseed oil\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a nutrient-rich botanical ingredient that’s effective for improving skin quality and reducing inflammatory skin conditions. As we discussed at length in our \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/maelys-cosmetics-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMaelys reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e article, clinical research has shown that grapeseed oil reduces sebum (oil) production, reduces pore size and reduces redness when topically applied.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOverall we find the active ingredients in Gotucream to be well-formulated. Most of them have clinical research backing for anti-inflammatory properties, so we consider the brand’s claims about their cream reducing inflammation and scarring to be likely accurate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe cannot recommend this product overall because it’s unclear to us if there are additional ingredients in this formulation. Gotucream fails to publish a plain-text ingredient list on their product page with all active and inactive ingredients, and we urge the brand to clarify if these six ingredients are truly the full set of ingredients, or just a selection of highlighted active ingredients.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHighly Questionable Media Appearances Section\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Gotucream_Questionable_Media_Appearances_Optimized.png?v=1664768499\" alt=\"Gotucream questionable media claims example\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAt the time of writing this article, there is a banner on Gotucream’s website titled “As seen on” with the logos of various major media enterprises: NBC, FOX, CW, CBS and ABC.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis suggests that the brand has been featured on these platforms, which appears to be false, at least based on our search. We searched “Gotucream” on each one of these brand’s websites and found zero results.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe find this to be a serious red flag about the ethics and professionalism of this brand, and we urge the brand to either provide proof that their product has been featured on these platforms or remove this section. At this point we do not believe these claims. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Gotucream_Questionable_Retail_Associations.png?v=1664768597\" alt=\"Gotucream questionable retail associations example\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is also a section on Gotucream’s site suggesting that users “ask about Gotucream” at major chains like Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens. Gotucream is not in any of these stores (we searched their websites) and again we find this to be a highly questionable marketing practice because it implies that their products are sold at these major retailers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eQuestionable Health Claims\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Gotucream_Questionable_Health_Claim_1_Optimized.png?v=1664768784\" alt=\"Gotucream questionable health claim 1\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGotucream’s site claims that their cream causes skin to “remarkably improve within just hours.” There is no citation for this claim. We have not seen any evidence that any single herbal ingredient can cause remarkable skin improvements within just hours, and we recommend that consumers disregard all uncited health claims made by skincare brands.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Gotucream_Questionable_Health_Claim_2_Optimized.png?v=1664768810\" alt=\"Gotucream questionable health claim 2\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTheir site also claims that Gotucream is “for all severities of problems” and is “formulated to bring relief to even the worst effected skin.” This is a ridiculous claim, and is again uncited. Third-degree burn victims should not be using Gotucream. It’s dangerous for skincare brands to claim that their products are effective for serious skin conditions or disorders, and we suggest the brand remove this claim.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOur Clean Skincare Picks\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Skincare_Products_Image_Optimized.png?v=1664754145\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are skincare products that contain ingredients shown in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality generally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"http:\/\/track.revoffers.com\/aff_c?offer_id=155\u0026amp;aff_id=7240\u0026amp;url_id=2077\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAnnie Mak Vitamin C Serum\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is our top skin cream pick because of its effective and clean formulation. It contains \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ehyaluronic acid\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e which was described as a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"skin-rejuvenating biomedicine\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e in a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30287361\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e due to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterested consumers can check out Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum \u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"http:\/\/track.revoffers.com\/aff_c?offer_id=155\u0026amp;aff_id=7240\u0026amp;url_id=2077\"\u003eat this link\u003c\/a\u003e to the product page on the official brand's website.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"http:\/\/track.revoffers.com\/aff_c?offer_id=159\u0026amp;aff_id=7240\u0026amp;url_id=2174\"\u003eHydraglow\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is our top moisturizer pick.\u003c\/span\u003e It features \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ebakuchiol\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e as an active ingredient which was described in a 2014 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24471735\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinical trial\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"clinically proven to have anti-aging effects.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterested consumers can purchase Hydraglow at the secure checkout below:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstyle\u003e\u003c!--\n.katalys-iframe-container {\n position: relative;\n width: auto;\n height: 100%;\n max-height: 420px;\n overflow: hidden;\n }\n .katalys-iframe-container::after {\n display: inline-block;\n content: \"\";\n padding-bottom: 58.82%;\n }\n .katalys-iframe-container iframe {\n position: absolute;\n width: 100%;\n height: 100%;\n }\n @media (max-width: 660px) {\n .katalys-iframe-container {\n width: 300px;\n height: 600px;\n max-height: 600px;\n margin: 0 auto;\n }\n .katalys-iframe-container::after {\n padding-bottom: 0%;\n overflow: hidden;\n }\n }\n--\u003e\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"katalys-iframe-container\" style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\u003ciframe allow=\"payment\" src=\"https:\/\/1o.io\/checkouts\/ffccd0c3-b4bc-4d88-aea3-38e8de7f1296\/#placementId=gotucream-review\/placementId2=HydraGlow\/placementId3=inline\" style=\"margin: auto; border: none; width: 100%; height: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe only oral supplement we recommend for skin quality improvement is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/bulletproof.fdf2.net\/c\/3271428\/1278011\/9221\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBulletproof Collagen Powder\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOral \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ecollagen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e supplementation was shown in a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30681787\/\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJournal of Drugs in Dermatology\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eto improve visible signs of skin aging as well as improve skin elasticity and skin hydration\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen Powder \u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/bulletproof.fdf2.net\/c\/3271428\/1278011\/9221\"\u003eat this link\u003c\/a\u003e to the product page on the brand's official website.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone of the products recommended in this section contain additive ingredients that we consider questionable from a health perspective.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGotucream may be effective for healing skin because some of the active ingredients are research-backed anti-inflammatory compounds. However we don’t recommend the product overall because the concentration of certain sensitive ingredients like tea tree oil isn’t published, and because it’s unclear to us what the full set of ingredients is.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis brand has a banner on their website with logos of major media organizations which suggests that their product has been featured by those organizations, but we searched “Gotucream” on all five media websites and found no results.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGotucream also makes questionable health claims on their website that are uncited, and that we recommend the brand remove.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":49281925193,"author":"Calloway Cook","user_id":26601750601,"published_at":"2022-10-02T23:57:06-04:00","updated_at":"2023-07-25T13:02:20-04:00","summary_html":"We review every ingredient in Gotucream based on medical studies to give our take on whether it's likely to be effective for healing skin issues and improving skin quality. We highlight some questionable health claims and brand associations on the Gotucream website.","template_suffix":"","handle":"gotucream-review","tags":"_related:skincare"}

Gotucream Review: Can An Herbal Cream Heal Skin?

Gotucream Review: Can An Herbal Cream Heal Skin?


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Read our Editorial Guidelines to learn more about what makes our site the premier resource for online health information.

Gotucream is a skincare product that the brand describes as an “incredible herbal skin healer.” The brand claims that their cream contains ingredients proven in clinical studies to reduce pain, inflammation and scarring of the skin.

In this article we’ll review every ingredient in Gotucream based on medical research to give our take on whether it’s likely to be effective, or whether it’s a waste of money.

We’ll highlight some questionable health claims made by the brand, and some claims about media appearances that appear to be false.

Ingredient Review

Gotucream publishes information about six ingredients on their website but it’s unclear if this is the full set of ingredients or just the ones they choose to highlight.

A 2013 medical review found that gotu kola can reduce inflammation and scarring, but it’s typically supplemented orally rather than topically. We’ll consider this a potentially effective ingredient.

Aloe vera is a well-studied and effective anti-inflammatory ingredient. A meta-study published in the Italian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology found that topical aloe vera was effective for treating a wide range of inflammatory, bacterial and viral skin conditions including seborrheic dermatitis and wounds.

Tea tree oil is another efficacious ingredient choice for an anti-inflammatory skincare product. As we documented in our Zo Skin Health reviews article, clinical studies show that tea tree oil, when properly diluted, is a powerful antibacterial agent that can treat acne and skin lesions. The concentration of tea tree oil is not published in Gotucream, and we suggest the brand publish it, because high concentrations of tea tree oil can be damaging to skin.

Neem may be an effective skincare ingredient based on medical studies, but further research is needed and the benefits seem theoretical at this point. We cannot identify a human trial proving neem to be effective for improving skin quality or reducing irritation, so we will consider it likely ineffective until future research emerges.

Cedarwood is a strange way to list an ingredient, because we can only identify medical studies on cedarwood essential oil. It’s unclear based on Gotucream’s website whether they are using cedarwood essential oil or some other plant material here, and we urge the brand to clarify.

Grapeseed oil is a nutrient-rich botanical ingredient that’s effective for improving skin quality and reducing inflammatory skin conditions. As we discussed at length in our Maelys reviews article, clinical research has shown that grapeseed oil reduces sebum (oil) production, reduces pore size and reduces redness when topically applied.

Overall we find the active ingredients in Gotucream to be well-formulated. Most of them have clinical research backing for anti-inflammatory properties, so we consider the brand’s claims about their cream reducing inflammation and scarring to be likely accurate.

We cannot recommend this product overall because it’s unclear to us if there are additional ingredients in this formulation. Gotucream fails to publish a plain-text ingredient list on their product page with all active and inactive ingredients, and we urge the brand to clarify if these six ingredients are truly the full set of ingredients, or just a selection of highlighted active ingredients.

Highly Questionable Media Appearances Section

Gotucream questionable media claims example

At the time of writing this article, there is a banner on Gotucream’s website titled “As seen on” with the logos of various major media enterprises: NBC, FOX, CW, CBS and ABC.

This suggests that the brand has been featured on these platforms, which appears to be false, at least based on our search. We searched “Gotucream” on each one of these brand’s websites and found zero results.

We find this to be a serious red flag about the ethics and professionalism of this brand, and we urge the brand to either provide proof that their product has been featured on these platforms or remove this section. At this point we do not believe these claims. 

Gotucream questionable retail associations example

There is also a section on Gotucream’s site suggesting that users “ask about Gotucream” at major chains like Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens. Gotucream is not in any of these stores (we searched their websites) and again we find this to be a highly questionable marketing practice because it implies that their products are sold at these major retailers.

Questionable Health Claims 

Gotucream questionable health claim 1

Gotucream’s site claims that their cream causes skin to “remarkably improve within just hours.” There is no citation for this claim. We have not seen any evidence that any single herbal ingredient can cause remarkable skin improvements within just hours, and we recommend that consumers disregard all uncited health claims made by skincare brands.

Gotucream questionable health claim 2

Their site also claims that Gotucream is “for all severities of problems” and is “formulated to bring relief to even the worst effected skin.” This is a ridiculous claim, and is again uncited. Third-degree burn victims should not be using Gotucream. It’s dangerous for skincare brands to claim that their products are effective for serious skin conditions or disorders, and we suggest the brand remove this claim.

Our Clean Skincare Picks

There are skincare products that contain ingredients shown in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality generally.

Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum is our top skin cream pick because of its effective and clean formulation. 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.

Interested consumers can check out Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum at this link to the product page on the official brand's website.

Hydraglow 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."

Interested consumers can purchase Hydraglow at the secure checkout below:

The only oral supplement we recommend for skin quality improvement is Bulletproof Collagen Powder.

Oral collagen supplementation was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology to improve visible signs of skin aging as well as improve skin elasticity and skin hydration.

Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen Powder at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.

None of the products recommended in this section contain additive ingredients that we consider questionable from a health perspective.

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Conclusion

Gotucream may be effective for healing skin because some of the active ingredients are research-backed anti-inflammatory compounds. However we don’t recommend the product overall because the concentration of certain sensitive ingredients like tea tree oil isn’t published, and because it’s unclear to us what the full set of ingredients is.

This brand has a banner on their website with logos of major media organizations which suggests that their product has been featured by those organizations, but we searched “Gotucream” on all five media websites and found no results.

Gotucream also makes questionable health claims on their website that are uncited, and that we recommend the brand remove.




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