Freeze 24-7 is a New York–based company that sells a small line of “works like Botox” products, all accompanied by the obtuse slogan, “Immediate gratification is our mission.” Their products supposedly are formulated with Topical Muscle Relaxers (TMR), which they claim can exert Botox-like effects every time you apply them. If their claims were true, this collection of products would render all of us completely wrinkle-free, and Allergan, the company that manufactures Botox, would go out of business. Don’t hold your breath—that isn’t happening in this lifetime, and Botox injections remain the most popular medical corrective procedure for wrinkles.
The ingredients in these products, despite “miracle-in-a-jar” claims, simply can’t replace Botox or any other medical cosmetic corrective procedure. I have written before about the main “active” ingredient touted by Freeze 24-7—gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA). GABA is an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter inhibitor and is associated with reducing seizures and depression when taken orally (Sources:
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2004, volume 548, pages 92–103; and
Archives of General Psychiatry, July 2004, pages 705–713). GABA’s use in reducing the speed with which nerves fire (in the brain) is what companies such as Freeze 24-7 use to convince consumers they are buying the equivalent of topical Botox. The associated false logic is that topical GABA can affect the nerves that control muscles, selectively preventing muscle contractions. Since GABA can stop certain nerves from firing in the brain, the suggestion is that maybe it could do that for the facial nerves that cause muscle movement, thus diminishing expression lines without (and this is almost becoming a cliché) “painful injections.” However, there is absolutely no research to support this. Even when taken orally GABA does not work alone to prevent seizures or lessen depression. Many other components and compounds found in the body are required for it to function (Sources:
www.emedicine.com; and www.naturaldatabase.com). You simply can’t get GABA to act like that when it’s applied topically. Just suppose for a moment that it did work as claimed. Wouldn’t you be unable to use the muscles in your hand if you got GABA on it as you were massaging the cream onto your face? After all, you are applying the stuff with your fingers. Now that would be a problem!
What the products below amount to are a lot of hype for way too much money. Think about it this way: You can get Botox injections (which really do work) from a reputable dermatologist for between $350 and $700, depending on the area treated and how much Botox is used. Or you could spend over $300 on a routine of Freeze 24-7 products, with negligible (and at best anecdotal) results. If you ask yourself which choice makes the most financial, results-oriented sense, the answer becomes painfully (no pun intended) obvious.
For more information about Freeze 24-7, call (877) 373-3934 or
visit www.freeze247.com.