I don’t know anything about the ViaSalus skin therapy solution. For all I know, it’s fabulous. However, I was perusing the latest online news about acne products, and a quote from their CEO Paul Metzinger rubbed me the wrong way.
What he said: “Most products on the market today attempt to treat the acne, not the bacteria that causes the acne.”
First of all, no one knows exactly what causes acne. NIH lists the cause as ‘unknown’.
Second, most of the products do try to kill the bacteria. (Proactiv, every oral antibiotic, Clindamycin are among the most popular acne treatments and they all aim to kill bacteria). And the one product that works the best (not that I would recommend it, in fact — please don’t use it!), Accutane, doesn’t try to treat the acne by killing bacteria.
Third, P.Acnes bacteria are needed by the skin and they are there for a reason. The skin is home to a lot of other bacteria that produce things like azelaic acid, which helps the pores stay open. Acne products that kill bacteria kill off these, too.
Lastly, studies have proven that the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria are equally prevalent in acne and non-acne sufferers. If people without acne have this bacteria, then how can the bacteria really be the cause of Acne?
I don’t have the science, experience or knowledge to cast positive or negative judgments on ViaSalus acne products. I find it disconcerting that the CEO of a company that makes acne products either doesn’t understand the disease, or is simply willingly telling half truths about it. If the product really works, the results will speak for themselves. Misleading marketing statements just aren’t necessary.
I want to thank your organization for considering our ViaSalus Skin Therapy solution and providing constructive feedback on our marketing materials.
I’d like to clarify our position that ViaSalus Skin Therapy actually activates one’s own immune system to generate the natural killer micro-organisms which combat the bacteria, while other solutions, as you mentioned, attempt to directly take on the bacteria. In our research, we do know that bacteria are a primary cause of acne. We also found that while both good and bad bacteria are present in all bodies, the difference between immune systems determines the resulting level of bad bacteria and, thus, the severity of acne conditions. Weak or inefficient immune systems aren’t as well equipped to eliminate the bacteria that cause the acne. We know that customers who take ViaSalus as directed experience clearer skin and, frankly, they feel better, too.
We will refine the wording of my quote in future materials to remove the unintended implication that other products do not, in some fashion, address bacteria.
Sincerely,
Paul Metzinger
CEO
ViaSalus JV