Frequently asked questions
Everything we get asked about the line, the ingredient, the routine and the order. Jump to a subject, or read the lot.
The line
What is PLARECETA?
A Korean skincare line built on placental protein. It is made by JBP, a house that has worked in placenta pharmaceuticals since 1936, and it is sold in the United States by Adam Mauer, M.D., who stocks it in his own practice.
Who is behind it in the United States?
Adam Mauer, M.D., a board-certified physician practising in New York. He is the United States distributor for the line and he uses it with his own patients at Human Medical Aesthetics, at 629 Park Avenue in Manhattan and 231 Washington Avenue in Garden City.
Where is it made?
In Korea, by JBP. It is JBP's own line rather than a formula bought in and relabelled, which is the usual arrangement behind a physician-branded skincare range.
What does nanoliposome mean?
It is the brand's term for the way the formula carries its protein into the upper layers of the skin. It describes a method of formulation, not a result, and we do not present it as one.
Why buy here rather than from a marketplace?
An order placed here is filled by the practice that distributes the line in the United States, so you are buying from the distributor rather than from a reseller. It also means the products Amazon no longer lists are available here.
Placenta, answered plainly
What kind of placenta is used, and is it safe?
An animal-sourced hydrolysed placenta extract, as listed on the manufacturer's ingredient panel. It is a standard cosmetic source in Korea and Japan. No material in this line is human-derived. If you need the species named for a dietary or religious reason, ask us and we will confirm it against the carton.
Is any of this human-derived?
No. Nothing in this line is human-derived.
How is this different from bio-placenta or phyto-placenta?
Those are laboratory-made peptides or plant extracts formulated to imitate the activity of placenta. This line uses placental protein. If the distinction matters to you, it is the reason to read an ingredient list rather than a product name.
Is the whole range placenta-based?
The manufacturer's key-ingredient panels list a hydrolysed placenta extract in the Collagen Cream and in the Firming Micro-Bubble Toner. We are confirming the rest of the range against the cartons before we publish a product-by-product answer, rather than assume it.
Is it vegan, halal or kosher?
It is not vegan: the active is animal-derived. We hold no halal or kosher certification for the line and we will not imply one. If you need the species confirmed before you order, ask us and we will read it off the carton for you.
Is it tested on animals?
We are confirming this with the manufacturer and will publish the answer here when we have it in writing. We would rather leave this open than guess at it.
Ingredients
Where is the full ingredient list?
Each product page carries the key ingredients from the manufacturer's own panel. The full INCI lists are being confirmed against the physical cartons and will be published per product as they are. If you need one before then, ask us and we will read it off the carton.
What is actually in the cream?
Its panel lists a hydrolyzed animal placenta extract, marine collagen, an amino acid complex, niacinamide, adenosine, copper tripeptide-1 and tocopherol. The full list, with the proportions the manufacturer publishes, is on the Collagen Cream page.
Is it fragranced?
No. It is not perfumed. It carries a herbal, faintly medicinal scent that comes from the formula itself, and some people notice patchouli, anise and rosemary in it. It is the thing people either like or do not.
Is there anything I should check before I buy?
If you have a known sensitivity, read the panel on the product page first and patch test before you use it on your face. If your ingredient is not on the panel and you need to be sure, ask us and we will check the carton.
Using it
Which one should I start with?
The Collagen Cream. It is the product the practice stocks first and the one most people stay on. The toner and ampoule go underneath it if you want the full routine, and the masks are occasional rather than daily.
What order do the products go in?
Toner first, on damp skin after cleansing. Then the ampoule, pressed in with the palms. Then the cream, last. The mask pack and the peel-off pack sit outside that routine and are used weekly rather than daily.
Morning or night?
The cream is used morning and evening, after a lotion or a serum, on the face, neck and decolletage. The toner and ampoule go under it at both ends of the day.
How often should I use the mask pack or the peel-off pack?
The mask pack once or twice a week. The peel-off pack about once a week. Both are the step before an event or an appointment rather than part of the nightly routine.
Can I use it alongside the rest of my routine?
Yes. It is a moisturiser and it layers over most routines. If you use a prescription retinoid or an acid, apply that as usual and put the cream over the top. Your own physician is the right person to ask about your specific routine.
How should I store it?
Somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sun, with the lid closed. Nothing in the line needs refrigeration.
Skin, safety and procedures
What skin types is it for?
All skin types. The line is built around firmness, dryness and rough texture rather than around a particular skin type.
Can I use it around injectables, laser or peels?
Yes. It is a topical intended for the weeks between treatments, which is how it is used in the practice. Your physician can advise on timing around a specific procedure, particularly in the first days after resurfacing.
Can I use it if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
Ask your own physician before you start any new product during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. We are not able to give individual medical advice, and we would rather say that than give you a general answer that was not written for you.
Will it break me out?
We have no comedogenicity testing to publish and we will not claim otherwise. Patch test on a small area first, particularly if your skin is reactive.
What should I do if I react to it?
Stop using it. The line is for external use only, and the guidance on every product is to patch test before first use and to stop if irritation occurs. Then contact us, because we would rather take it back than have it sit in your cupboard.
Can I use the face cream on my eyelids?
The face cream is not formulated for the eyelid. Keep it to the face, neck and decolletage, and use a product intended for the eye area there.
What to expect
Will it do anything beyond moisturising?
It is a moisturiser, so the honest answer is that what changes is the condition of the skin rather than its structure. Patients report it feels softer within about a week and reads smoother by about a month. There is no clinical trial behind this line and we do not claim one.
What does it feel like on the skin?
The cream is thick in the jar and considerably thinner once worked in, and dries to a matte finish with nothing left on the surface. It carries a herbal, faintly medicinal scent - some people notice patchouli, anise and rosemary. It is not perfumed to cover it, and it is the thing people either like or do not.
How long before I notice anything?
Most of what people describe in the first week is how the skin feels rather than how it looks: softer, less tight, holding moisture longer through the day. Texture is the thing people tend to mention at about a month.
Are there before-and-after photographs?
Not for the products. Dr. Mauer's before-and-after images are results from procedures, not from a moisturiser, and putting them next to a jar of cream would be dishonest.
Is there clinical evidence behind the line?
No clinical trial has been run on this line and we do not claim one. What we can tell you is what the manufacturer publishes about the formula, and what patients in the practice report. We have kept those two things clearly separate.
The practice
Where is the practice?
Human Medical Aesthetics has two locations: 629 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, and 231 Washington Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530. Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm, and Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
Do I have to be a patient to buy?
No. The store is open to anyone. The line is stocked in the practice, which is why it is written about the way it is, but you do not need an appointment to order it.
Can I speak to someone before I order?
Yes. Call the practice on (516) 739-1504 during opening hours, or use the contact form and we will come back to you.
Orders, shipping and returns
Where do you ship?
Within the United States. We do not ship internationally at the moment.
What does shipping cost?
Standard shipping is free on United States orders over $75. Below that it is charged at a flat rate, shown at checkout before you pay. An express option is available at checkout.
When will my order ship?
Orders leave New York in one to two business days. You will get a confirmation email when the order is placed, and a second one with tracking when it ships.
Can I return something?
Yes. Unopened items can be returned within 30 days of delivery for a refund to the original payment method. Email us first and we will tell you where to send it.
What if it arrives damaged, or the wrong thing turns up?
Contact us within 30 days with a photograph and we will replace it or refund it. You will not be asked to send a damaged item back at your own cost.
Can I change or cancel an order?
If it has not shipped yet, yes. Contact us as soon as you can and we will stop it. Once it is with the carrier it has to come back as a return.
Authenticity and dates
Is this authentic?
Yes. It comes from JBP to the practice that distributes the line in the United States, and it ships from there to you. There is no reseller in the middle.
What about expiry dates?
Every carton carries the dates printed on it by JBP. If you want to know the dates on the stock we would send you, ask before you order and we will check the shelf and tell you.
Why is a product I have seen before not on the site?
Two of the products in the range were removed from Amazon over the wording of their titles rather than anything in the formula. Some of what is missing here is a stock question and some of it is a decision. If you are looking for something in particular, ask us.