Tamim is beauty commerce writer at InStyle, with nearly a decade of experience writing about beauty, fashion, wellness, and music.

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There are a lot of places to get skincare advice, but the most trusted source will always be a dermatologist. Dr. Dendy Engelman, MD, a New York-based dermatologist that is frequently quoted by myself and other InStyle writers, helped formulate a new skincare product: Say hello to Glo Skin Beauty’s Bio-Renew EGF Cream. 

I was first introduced to epidermal growth factor (EGF) a couple of years ago while looking into under-the-radar and under-utilized anti-aging ingredients. “EGF is a [substance] manufactured by the cells to stimulate cellular differentiation and cellular turnover,” says California-based cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban, MD. Think of the ingredient as a task manager, “it is a signal communicator within the skin’s cellular network.” Its prowess in skincare is that it tells the appropriate cells in the skin to “act younger, and be faster and more productive,” Dr. Shamban says. EGF, therefore, has a plethora of benefits: “It’s used for anti-aging [properties], cell turnover, UV damage repair, boosting collagen synthesis and elastin production, improving skin firmness, strengthening our skin barrier function, and even supporting hair growth.” 

Dr. Engelman tells InStyle that these were all considerations she took into account while formulating a product for the first time. “Glo Skin Beauty’s Bio-Renew EGF Cream uses vegan EGF to repair, strengthen, and firm skin.” Other ingredients have similar benefits, but Dr. Engelman says, “EGF stands out because it is very effective, but also very gentle. Many anti-aging ingredients that we are familiar with, like retinoids, for example, are aggressive and can be overly harsh on the skin… EGF, on the other hand, is easily tolerated by all skin types.” Unlike many other anti-aging active ingredients, she says there is “no irritation, purging, downtime, or worry about how your skin might react.” 

Besides the titular EGF, Glo Skin Beauty’s Bio-Renew Cream is also packed with peptides and three types of plant-based retinol. Dr. Shamban says the marriage between retinol and EGF is an ideal combination. One of the downsides of retinol is that it thins the outer layer of the skin, but EGF speeds up the healing process and creates a healthier, stronger skin barrier so the combination of the two is “complementary,” according to Dr. Shamban. 

Glo Skin Beauty’s Bio-Renew EGF Cream is an investment at $175, but remember the benefits: firmer skin, diminished wrinkles, increased elastin, quick healing, stronger skin barrier, etc. (Whew.) With all of that and your retinol packed into one bottle, you could probably do away with the rest of your anti-aging routine.

Head to Dermstore to see the benefits of the Bio-Renew EGF Cream for yourself.