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shine bright like a diamond
November 26, 2013

Do Diamonds in Beauty Products Actually Offer Any Benefits?

By Cheryl Wischhover

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You’ve probably heard about diamond beauty products in the context of ridiculous-sounding celebrity spa treatments (Mila Kunis, for example, made news in 2011 after she reportedly received a $7,000 ruby-and-diamond facial before an awards show), but it’s much less clear whether they actually work.

Thanks to an industry that strives to offer “aspirational” products — and consumers who often believe that expensive ingredients are better — we’re in a new era of pricey skin-care products. Now you can find diamond serums, masks, BB creams, nail polish, and even shampoos on the market.  Before you laugh about all the gullible people dropping $500 on diamond serums, it turns out that diamond powder does offer some potential benefits as a beauty-product ingredient — with a whole bunch of caveats.

First of all, finely ground diamonds definitely exfoliate. Dr. Amy Wechsler, a top New York dermatologist, uses a diamond-encrusted wand for in-office microdermabrasion procedures. The wand, she says, has become an industry standard: “I chose the DiamondTome systems over the other systems that have particles and sand because I never liked those,” she said. “I found them messy, and those granules would get in people’s hair, and it was not a pleasant experience, and it even hurt. The diamond-encrusted wand exfoliates without damaging the skin.” She follows the process up with a serum (like Chanel Hydra Serum), since the microdermabrasion helps with absorption.

Then there’s this procedure, which firmly belongs in the don’t-try-this-at-home category: teeth exfoliation with diamonds. (Yes, this exists  — and I tried it.) Cosmetic dentist Dr. Emanuel Layliev applies a scrub containing diamond dust and other secret ingredients to teeth before he performs tooth whitening because it helps to open up pores. (Who knew teeth had pores, right?)

“The diamond powder exfoliates very gently to remove the surface stains right before the whitening,” Dr. Layliev said. “It opens up the enamel pores in order to allow better penetration of the peroxide so that it can break down the stain molecules that are deeper.” It’s applied with an electronic toothbrush and feels like any standard dental cleaning. (I wonder if I swallowed any diamonds in the process. It’s a fun thought.)

You can buy exfoliating scrubs that contain diamond powder for your skin (unfortunately, not your teeth) for use at home. Here’s where you should be skeptical, though: Ron Robinson, a cosmetic chemist and the founder of BeautyStat, warned that it’s mostly marketing hype. “There are other types of exfoliators that work just as well,” he said. “The manufacturers are spending more to put it in the product, and they’re then able to command a higher price for it.”

So I’ll concede that diamonds are effective — if not always necessary — exfoliators. But companies also frequently use diamond powder as a brightener and optical diffuser in products, and that’s where it gets a little shadier.

Optical diffusing is a big buzzword in beauty right now. “Brightening” products often contain ingredients like mica that sit on the surface of the skin and disguise fine lines and imperfections by reflecting light. You’ll often see this referred to as a “blurring” effect on packaging and in ad copy. When diamonds are finely crushed, they can definitely provide luminosity and brighten the skin, but “it’s not the best brightener that could be used in skin-care,” Robinson said.

It also depends on how much diamond is in the product, which a consumer really has no way of knowing, and chances are high that diamond content is low. Randy Schueller, a cosmetic chemist, editor at the Beauty Brains, and author of the book It’s OK to Have Lead in Your Lipstick, said that to get luminizing benefits from certain diamond powders, products should ideally contain about 5 percent of the diamond mix, which realistically, probably isn’t happening. Finally — and this is an important point — Schueller pointed out that the beauty benefits you get from diamond powder are temporary. Diamonds are inactive. Unlike an active ingredient like, say, retinol, they’re not providing any sort of long-term benefit for your skin. When you wash your face, you’re washing off the diamonds, since they don’t penetrate skin and pores.

Still interested in diamonds for your face? All you need is about $400 to blow — and this handy guide.

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La Prairie Skin Caviar Crystalline Concentre I was afraid of walking around with this in my bag for fear of getting mugged. This wins as most exp... La Prairie Skin Caviar Crystalline Concentre I was afraid of walking around with this in my bag for fear of getting mugged. This wins as most expensive serum I’ve ever tried. The pinkish, opalescent serum is silky on the skin, and I definitely noticed a shimmer, sort of like when you use a highlighter on your face. La Prairie Skin Caviar Crystalline Concentre, $410
Carita Beauty Diamond Eye Program This is a two-step system for eye bags and wrinkles – there’s one formula for day and one for night. Both conta... Carita Beauty Diamond Eye Program This is a two-step system for eye bags and wrinkles – there’s one formula for day and one for night. Both contain diamond powder as well as mica. (I did not try this brand.) Carita Beauty Diamond Eye Program, $380 Photo: copyright G. Boynard -2012
La Mer The Refining Facial This product is downright cut-rate in the world of diamond cosmetics. It’s a gorgeous, gentle, clay-based scrub contai... La Mer The Refining Facial This product is downright cut-rate in the world of diamond cosmetics. It’s a gorgeous, gentle, clay-based scrub containing diamond powder. My face was incredibly soft after I used it. But whether or not that is the magic of La Mer or the diamonds remains to be seen. La Mer The Refining Facial, $85
Natura Bisse Diamond Life Infusion This brand, reportedly a favorite of Beyoncé, has a sixteen-piece “Diamonds” collection. However, only ... Natura Bisse Diamond Life Infusion This brand, reportedly a favorite of Beyoncé, has a sixteen-piece “Diamonds” collection. However, only one of the products in that collection – this one – contains diamond powder. I tried the $345 non-diamond version. It was luxurious and gentle but (sad face) had no diamonds. Natura Bisse Diamond Life Infusion, $590
Beauty Lab Black Diamond Energizing Serum This U.K.-based brand didn’t return my calls or e-mails, but Schueller told me that there is some evide... Beauty Lab Black Diamond Energizing Serum This U.K.-based brand didn’t return my calls or e-mails, but Schueller told me that there is some evidence that the diamond technology used here provides a certain "photoluminescence” to skin, similar to the way younger skin reflects light. Beauty Lab Black Diamond Energizing Serum, $136.02
Peter Thomas Roth BB Blur The Zales (as opposed to the Cartier) of diamond beauty products. This reasonably priced BB cream hypes the power of di... Peter Thomas Roth BB Blur The Zales (as opposed to the Cartier) of diamond beauty products. This reasonably priced BB cream hypes the power of diamonds to “blur” fine lines. There’s definitely a bit of a sheen when you apply it. Peter Thomas Roth BB Blur, $48
Forever Flawless Black Diamond Collection This company didn’t return my calls or e-mails. Perhaps they’re too embarrassed to explain their ration... Forever Flawless Black Diamond Collection This company didn’t return my calls or e-mails. Perhaps they’re too embarrassed to explain their rationale for charging $2,500 for face cream? Forever Flawless Black Diamond Collection, $2,499
Tigi S Factor Diamond Dreams Shampoo and Conditioner Perfectly adequate shampoo and conditioner. I’m assuming all the diamond powder went down th... Tigi S Factor Diamond Dreams Shampoo and Conditioner Perfectly adequate shampoo and conditioner. I’m assuming all the diamond powder went down the drain, because my hair didn’t look any shinier afterwards. Tigi S Factor Diamond Dreams Shampoo and Conditioner, $20.95
Azature Black Diamond Nail Polish Every bottle of polish supposedly contains one black diamond. The company made news a few times by offering a $... Azature Black Diamond Nail Polish Every bottle of polish supposedly contains one black diamond. The company made news a few times by offering a $250,000 and $1,000,000 bottle, which Kelly Osbourne wore. (The price was due more to the fact that the bottles were covered with actual diamonds.) It’s pretty and sparkly, but you can get the same kind of shimmer with similarly priced Chanel or $8 Essie. Azature Black Diamond Nail Polish, $25
Caswell-Massey Diamond Dust Nail File A pretty heavy-duty nail file. I’d leave it at home, though, because losing a $20 nail file is going to sti... Caswell-Massey Diamond Dust Nail File A pretty heavy-duty nail file. I’d leave it at home, though, because losing a $20 nail file is going to sting a little bit. Caswell-Massey Diamond Dust Nail File, $20
Riiviva Microderm This is the first-ever diamond tip microdermabrasion device for home use. It comes with multiple tips for all your exfoliation ... Riiviva Microderm This is the first-ever diamond tip microdermabrasion device for home use. It comes with multiple tips for all your exfoliation needs, plus a suction gizmo to suck up all the dead skin cells. Riiviva Microderm, $299
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