A crystal-clear way to have whiter, younger skin

MANILA, Philippines - There is a new whitening pill in the beauty market called Crystal Tomato and people are panic-buying it  and hoarding it as if there was going to be a dark tomorrow.

Introduced in Manila by the medical duo Dr. Z Teo and Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo, well-known skin, hair and anti-aging specialists, Crystal Tomato is selling like hot potatoes — or should we say, hot tomatoes.

While Caucasians  want to have a brown tan, Filipinos — like many other Asians — prefer to have fairer skin. It is a reality that puzzles beauty connoisseurs worldwide.

Perhaps Asians will  find comfort in a historical footnote bared by Neill Irvin Painter in her book, The History of White People.According to her, most ancient peoples culturally regarded lighter people as “less civilized.” The ancient Greeks, for instance, noted their “barbaric” neighbors — the Scythians and Celts — had skin lighter than what Greeks considered normal. But then of course, this is not enough to stop Asian women from aspiring for whiter skin.

Here in an interview, the Teos shed fairer light on this wonder product:

PHILIPPINE STAR: What is Crystal Tomato and what makes it different from other skin-whitening methods?

Dr. Z TEO and DR. AIVEE AGUILAR-TEO:    Skin whitening can be done in many ways. First is through the use of creams and lotions.Then you have dermatological procedures like skin peeling. And then you have the intake of oral glutathione tablets. Crystal Tomato is a tablet that uses a unique active ingredient — colorless carotenoids, namely phytoene and phytofluene — which have been discovered from years of research to have whitening properties.

What makes Crystal Tomato so popular? What are its advantage over other methods?

Its main advantage is that it is very safe since it uses all-natural ingredients from organic white tomatoes. Also, it has additional anti-aging properties aside from its whitening effect. Lastly, it is taken just once a day so it’s very convenient.

It claims to have 100-percent natural ingredients. What are these ingredients?

The main ingredient is a unique tomato. After 10 years of research, scientists have been able to select and cultivate a specific tomato  rich in colorless carotenoids (or CLC). CLCs have been shown to  concentrate in the skin to absorb UVA and UVB to reduce the existing melanin — the black pigment in our skin — and prevent formation of new melanin.

These colorless carotenoids (CLC) are the New  Glutathiones of the 21st century!

Who developed Crystal Tomato?

The supplement is a result of a decade of research and development by the most established laboratories in Israel. A patented technology was then developed by their scientists to extract the colorless carotenoids from the tomatoes for oral consumption. One of the forefronts in the research of this technology is Dr. Alain Khaiat, a leader in cosmetic research, skin biologist and advisor to Singapore's Health & Science Authority.

The brochure says “Skin whitening and beauty from within. Just one a day." So with just one pill, results can be seen right away?

One pill a day is sufficient to bring to the skin the maximum concentration of the CLC. It takes around three months to see the results; while some of the persons who have tried the product have reported efficacy after one to two months.

Are there no side effects when taking this?

Since it is organic and made from all-natural ingredients,there are no known side effects. Each pill is equivalent to eating three of the special tomatoes.

If Crystal Tomato serves as a natural sunscreen against UVA and UVB rays, does this mean we don't need to apply sunscreen anymore ?

Yes, it does. However it is still good to apply sunscreen for double protection.

The brochure also says “Suitable for vegetarians.”

There is no animal by-product in Crystal Tomato, no egg derivatives so nothing that will not be suitable for the strictest vegetarians.

Tomatoes are said to have an anti-cancer ingredient (lycopene?). Does Crystal Tomato also have it ?

Lycopene is the red pigment in the normal tomato skin. It is also a carotenoid. Crystal Tomato is made of “almost white” tomatoes, that's why they do not contain lycopene, but are rich in colorless carotenoids..

How does Crystal Tomato prevent aging?

All carotenoids are excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidants. They prevent the damages that free radicals create and that lead to premature aging.

Are you the exclusive distributor in the Philippines?

Dr. Z Teo: It has gained popularity in Singapore and the whole of Asia for the past year and yes, now we exclusively distribute it in the Philippines. But it will be available nationwide in the Philippines through doctors when we launch Crystal Tomato on April 8.

Have any of your celebrity clients tried it?

It's their best-kept secret.Hahaha!

You have a natural blush. Do you take Crystal Tomato yourself?

 Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo: Yes! After my pregnancies, I needed to regain my skin's natural glow, even out my skin tone and prevent further aging of my skin.

What is your advice to people who want whiter skin?

First of all,prevention is important. We need to protect our skin from the sun by using a good sunscreen with maximum protection. Secondly, it is also advisable to take an oral supplement to even out our skin tone in combination with our skin whitening products.

Is whiter skin also desired by Singaporeans? In which countries are skin whiteners most salable?

Dr. Z Teo: Like Filipinos, Singaporeans favor whiter skin. I feel it is also important to have a uniform complexion and glowing young skin.That's why oral skin whitening supplements are very popular in the Philippines, Singapore and all over Asia. 

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A box of 30 tablets of Crystal Tomato costs P5,950. To order Crystal Tomato, call 403-3245. Regen Technologies will be the exclusive distributor with sales  hotline 828-0197.

Dr Aivee Aguilar-Teo, a board-certified dermatologist, is a  member of Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS), the American Academy of Anti-Aging Society, and the Philippine Stemcell Society. She has been in the practice of cosmetic and laser dermatology for the past 10 years. Her clinic, The Skin and Laser Center, is located at the second floor  of East Building at the Burgos Circle in Fort Bonifacio. Another clinic is located at The Bellevue Hotel in Alabang.

Dr Z Teo  is an esthetic doctor practicing in Singapore at the Paragon Medical Suites ( 11-04/05 Paragon Medical Suites, Orchard, Singapore). He is a member of the Singapore Society of Aesthetic Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Society.

What Crystal Tomato does

Crystal Tomato has been scientifically proven to offer the following benefits:

• Serves as a natural sunscreen against UVA and UVB rays to protect against UV damage, photo-oxidation and sunburn.

• Acts as antioxidants to protect against free radical damage caused by environmental aggressors.

• Contains anti-inflammatory properties against wounds and UV damage.

• Inhibits melanin synthesis to prevent pigmentation spots from forming.

• Reduces the melanin present in the cells including dark acne scars, freckles, dark underarms and age spots for an anti-aging and anti-photo aging effect.

• Prevents DNA damage.

• Promotes even skin tone and radiant complexion.

• Protects and enhances the efficacy of other active ingredients and their activity.

• For added benefit, L-Cysteine, an amino acid, is also included in the formulation. L-Cysteine helps to boost the liver's production of Glutathione, commonly referred to as the body's master antioxidant, to maintain skin health.