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As an editor who covers beauty and wellness almost exclusively, one of the best perks is getting access to a whole laundry list of new skincare products before they drop. While I don’t take this awesome privilege and *responsibility* for granted by any means, it also means that it takes a lot for me to get excited about a new beauty product—especially when it’s garnered a lot of buzz without the clinical research to back up that hype. After all, a solid marketing campaign won’t transform your skin. So, when I heard three aestheticians in separate aesthetic practices wax poetic about Plated Skin Science’s Intense Serum, an exosome- and antioxidant-rich serum powered by the brand’s proprietary Renewosomes cocktail, I knew I had to try this one.
I was initially intrigued by the growth factor- and antioxidant-rich Intense serum—especially since Megan Fox is reportedly a fan—but as a loyal SkinMedica TNS Advanced Serum devotee (I still am, by the way), I didn’t give it a second thought. Two months later, I was involved in a small fender bender, which resulted in an entire passenger-side car window pane worth of glass shattering on my face. While I’m certainly glad all that was left was a pretty minor cut on my right cheek, I was concerned about the scar that I feared would be left behind.
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Another perk of the job? I have a network of some of the best aestheticians, dermatologists and nurse injectors in my orbit who can give me personal advice. I tapped a few of these experts in my community and their suggestions ranged from red light therapy LED face masks and silicone patches to a dash of neurotoxin. What I didn’t expect was for a couple of them (unaffiliated with the brand) to recommend Plated Skin Science’s Intense Serum. I knew it was finally time to give the aesthetician-approved formula I had previously discounted a try.
I recently met Shawna Chrisman, Nurse Practitioner and founder of Destination Aesthetics Medical Spa, at an editor event for Allergan (the brand behind a massive portfolio of aesthetic treatments including Botox Cosmetic and Juvederm), and, aside from Botox, she suggested I might want to try using a topical exosome serum—specifically, Plated Skin Science Serum.
What Are Exosomes?
While I had heard of exosomes in the clinical space, exosomes are definitely becoming the ‘buzzy’ ingredient of choice for at-home and topical treatments—and with good reason. “Exosome treatments have gained significant attention in regenerative medicine and aesthetics due to their powerful ability to facilitate cell-to-cell communication and support the body’s natural healing processes,” Chrisman explained. Chrisman uses exosomes topically in her practice to help expedite healing post-procedure (e.g., after resurfacing treatments like microneedling) and to minimize downtime overall.
Of course, exosomes can also be used to address a variety of other complexion concerns, including reducing redness and inflammation, addressing laxity issues, softening fine lines and wrinkles, and, yes, fading scars by boosting collagen product and expediting skin cell turnover—all without the side effects you’d expect from other regenerative actives like vitamin A9 (retinoids) and chemical exfoliants.
Aside from preventing the scarring, my other skincare concerns include reducing redness and inflammation, ironing out fine lines, erasing the sun damage acquired from growing up in San Diego in the 2000s and defying gravity (treating my pre-jowls and preventing general lower face sagging). Plate Skin Science’s Intense Serum promises it can tackle all of the above—and, most impressively, in just 30 days. That’s a very bold claim, as I expect minimally visible results to take usually six to eight weeks at best. The serum’s fast-acting results are boosted by its zero-irritation and sensitive skin-friendly formula—after all, when you’re skin is red, dry, flaking and generally pissed off, it’s tough to see the transformation as a positive.
“Since exosomes work by supporting natural cellular functions rather than physically altering tissues, patients can experience quicker results with minimal discomfort and downtime,” says Chrisman. Instead of working against your skin and sloughing away dead skin, it’s working with it. This alone was music to my ears as someone with a love-hate relationship with my tretinoin.
Before and After Using Plated’s Intense Serum
At Chrisman’s advice, I waited for the cut to fully heal and then promptly began using the serum all over the face both morning and night, focusing more on the area of my injury. Post-cleansing, I applied the INTENSE serum first and did my best to wait at least ten minutes for it to absorb before following up with other products (the brand suggests waiting a full 30 minutes, but who has time for that?). To keep it simple and for the purpose of testing the serum’s merits and claims, I kept the rest of my routine pretty simple—just moisturizer and SPF during the day and night cream in the evening. Chrisman stressed the importance of SPF for preventing new scars from forming, though I had already developed a habit of wearing it daily.
Within about a week, my overall redness and broken capillaries around my nose were significantly reduced. Frankly, even if this serum did nothing for my scar, I would invest in it just for this. As someone who turns red just by being looked at, I have never found a topical formula that helped quell inflammation and redness like the Plated Intense Serum. At the ten-day mark, I noticed my skin felt baby-soft. While I don’t struggle with active breakout or severe congestion, I do have some rough spots and texture, and my skin felt smoother than ever—almost as if I had just done dermaplaning or a resurfacing treatment, which I most certainly had not.
After 30 days, my scar was more or less undetectable. While the scar wasn’t enormous to begin with (thanks to Chrisman’s anti-scarring prescription and not waiting a moment longer than necessary to begin using the serum!), 30 days is not a long time to make such a remarkable difference. As you can see from the before image on the left, my scar was not super deep set, but it was decidedly there—if only just to myself and those close to my face. In addition to fading my scar to the point of no return, I also noticed the UV-induced sun damage along my temples also significantly improved. After taking a break for a couple of months after using the first bottle up, I am happy to report I have secured a second bottle. I can’t wait to see what an additional 30 days will look like after using this multipurpose—and more importantly, clinically and anecdotally proven—magic elixir daily.
Is Plated’s Intense Serum Worth the Lofty Price Point?
As with most high-tech serums infused with more sophisticated and relatively newer ingredients like growth factors, the Plated Intense Serum is not exactly budget-friendly. At $258 for 0.5 fluid ounces (a 30 to 50-day supply, depending on how much and how often you use it), it’s definitely an investment. Because most growth factor-powered serums are around the same ballpark, the price point seems fair, albeit expensive. The way I see it, this formula replaced my daily cocktail of serums—antioxidant (vitamin C), growth factor and retinoid—which, combined, would be the sum of roughly $400. Given the rapid results, I would firmly recommend this to anyone who can afford the cost or perhaps who has a special event like a wedding or vacation and wants to supercharge their skin sans the downtime or risk of irritation.
