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
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.
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 section highly unethical because it implies that their products are sold at these major retailers.
Questionable Health Claims
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.
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.
Research-Backed Skincare Products
There are skincare products that contain ingredients proven 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. We consider this to be the most powerful topical skincare ingredient. Most importantly, this serum is entirely free of questionable additives like artificial dye or fragrance.
Interested consumers can check out Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum at this link.
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." In the linked trial, topical bakuchiol reduced wrinkles, improved skin elasticity and firmness, and reduced photodamage (damage from UV rays). There are no questionable additive ingredients in this product.
Interested consumers can check out HydraGlow at this link.
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. The only ingredient in Bulletproof collagen is collagen peptides sourced from grass-fed animals. We recommend a dose of 10 grams per day.
Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen Powder at this link.
