LifeCell is an anti-aging skincare brand. The company describes their most popular product as “6 Skincare Products Now Fit Into One,” and it costs an unbelievable $189 for under 3 ounces.
But does LifeCell contain ingredients proven in research studies to have anti-aging effects? Is it really worth nearly $1,000 per pound, or is it overpriced compared to similar products? Does LifeCell contain any unhealthy additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe its effects?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in LifeCell’s most popular anti-aging cream to give our take on whether or not it’s likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.
We’ll also feature real customer reviews of the product, and explain why we recommend avoiding it on Walmart's website.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in LifeCell All-In-One Skin-Tightening Treatment (which is the brand's most popular product) are shown above.
This cream contains a number of research-backed ingredients.
Retinol has been shown in a meta-review published in the Advances in Dermatology and Allergology journal to both reduce wrinkles and hydrate the skin.
Shea butter is clinically shown to repair the skin barrier.
Soybean oil was shown in a 2015 medical review to both stimulate collagen production and provide natural protection against damaging UV rays, when applied topically.
Ceramide 2 should have an anti-aging effect, because as we referenced in our review of another skincare brand called DRMTLGY, ceramides are clinically shown to have a wide range of positive effects on skin.
Palmitoyl tripeptide-5 and acetyl hexapeptide-3 are two of the five peptide ingredients in this product.
Peptides were shown in a medical review published in the Pharmaceuticals journal to have anti-aging effects, and to be especially effective for sensitive skin.
There are two inactive ingredients in this formulation that we consider to be unhealthy when used in combination.
Phenoxyethanol is a common synthetic preservative that was shown in a clinical trial to be toxic to human cells.
Ethylhexylglycerin is a synthetic preservative shown to potentiate the toxic effects of phenoxyethanol in a 2016 medical review.
Overall, we consider LifeCell All-In-One Skin-Tightening Treatment highly likely to have anti-aging effects, and also likely to improve skin hydration and support skin barrier repair.
We don't currently recommend this product due to the preservative combination discussed above.
Real People Try LifeCell
A YouTube creator named “V Roberts” reviewed LifeCell’s cream and included before-and-after images of the effects on her skin:
A YouTube creator named Sarah Pinedo calls the company a scam due to alleged billing mispractices.
She forgot to upload a thumbnail so it appears as though the video is broken, but it works as soon as you press play:
Customers Rate LifeCell
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
At the time of updating this article, LifeCell All-In-One skin cream has been reviewed over 1,400 times on Amazon, and has an average review rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Debbie Lee Wesselmann” who gave the product a 5/5 rating:
"This cream really works -- it made my facial skin look better in just a few days. When I'm off it for a while, I can see the difference. It's so gentle that I can even use it on the delicate skin around the eye area."
A top negative review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named named “Vera Musial” who gave the product a 1/5 rating:
" My skin became very taunt and small-line wrinkles appeared where they hadn't been before - so noticable that friends asked me if I was dehydrated. I believe the retinol was too much for my skin type."
LifeCell has several negative reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website.
Some BBB users allege that the company is a scam, including a customer named “V.S.”:
“This company ***** people! DO NOT TRY THEIR PRODUCT! They sucker you into a trial tube for $4.99 and then charge you $189 if you do not return the tube and sign up for their subscription.”
The complaints about auto-renewals suggests that it makes more sense for those interested in this product to purchase it on Amazon, where one-time purchase is an available option.
Our Clean Anti-Aging Picks
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.
Ritual HyaCera is our top anti-aging skin supplement.
It contains wheat oil extract which is clinically shown to "improve skin damages induced by aging."
Both of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Where to Get the Best Price
LifeCell is currently sold at a variety of online retailers.
Here’s a price breakdown for All-In-One Skin-Tightening Treatment at the time of updating this article:
Brand website: $189 (free shipping, link)
Amazon: $189 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
This product is also currently sold by third-party sellers on retailers like Walmart and Mercari for significant discounts.
However, we recommend purchasing from official distributors rather than third-party sellers to reduce the risk of receiving a counterfeit product.
Pros and Cons of LifeCell
Here are the pros and cons of LifeCell in our opinion:
Pros:- Highly effective formulation
- Highly likely to have anti-aging effects
- Likely to improve skin hydration
- Likely to support skin barrier repair
- Mostly positive Amazon reviews
- Free shipping from brand's website
Cons:
- Contains questionable synthetic preservative combination
- Very expensive
- Some users allege scammy billing practices
- Negative reviews on BBB site
- Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
