Alpha Lipoic Acid...the fountain of youth?(and where to get it cheap!)

Got an email blast from the famous Dr. Nicholas Perricone, "youth guru" to the stars, head of a $50 million cosmeceutical empire, and the author of The Wrinkle Cure, as did millions of other fountain of youth seeking women and men who have found their way to his mailing list....This particular email was extolling the virtues of ALA..alpha lipoic acid. Here's what the good doctor's website says this powerful antioxident does:

» Works with other antioxidants to reduce the damaging inflammatory effects of ultraviolet radiation.

» Regulates production of nitric oxide, which controls blood flow to the skin to transform the complexion from dull, pasty, and pale to vibrant and glowing.

» Reduces puffiness in the face and eye area

» Decreases wrinkles

» Improves the appearance of the skin's resilience, tone, and texture

» Decreases the appearance of enlarged pores and scarring

» Decreases the appearance of uneven skin tone and discolorations

» Blocks the production of enzymes that damage the collagen fibers, preserving a smooth skin surface

»Helps prevent glycation, a biochemical process brought on by an excess of sugar in our blood (from eating sugar and starchy foods). Glycation ages the collagen in our skin, resulting in the formation of wrinkles and lines on our skin as we grow older.

Holy cow, that sounds good, yes? And I will tell you, I have become a believer in ALA....even though I'm not sure that it does all the thingslisted above, I take it in pill form and I used the cream form on my face. And I'm still alive to tell the tale, baby. But here's the thing... Dr. Perricone's ALA supplements, 50 mg pills, are $30 for a 30 day supply. Hmmm, let's see....that's $360 a year, just for this particular supplement. And the Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator which features alpha lipoic acid, DMAE, and Ester-C cream as it's anti-aging ingredients, is $120 for a 2 ounce bottle. And that's a pretty small bottle. I have used this before, and I like it, but that's a whole bunch of money. Here's an alternative for both that I've found, much less expensive...so I'm sharing. You can thank me later.?

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="I love this cream!!"]

[/caption]

First, the DMAE-Alpha Lipoic-C-Ester Cream from Derma E....I buy it on the Swanson Vitamin website, where I get all my vitamins...and that's a lot, let me tell you. The cream is around $13 bucks for 2 ounces...even tingles a little when you first start using it....and I think it's great. And because it is so inexpensive, I can even use it on my hands(you know what I'm talking about).

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="ALA-fountain of youth??"]

[/caption]

Swanson also sells alpha lipoic acid supplements , 50 mg pills, for $2.99 a bottle of 120 capsules. Oh, and right now it's buy one get one free. Do the math.

I'm not saying the formulations are exactly the same, they're not. There are extra ingredients in the Perricone supplements, like flaxseed powder and black pepper extract(?), but the main ingredient...ala...is the same. And you're saving a bundle! I'm sure it's the same for the DMAE-ALA creams. But hey, just because the economy has gone south, doesn't mean we have to look bad!