This Skin Cream Could Actually Be Giving People Nightmares
The world of online reviews is a strange and hilarious place — but this week, we learned something totally unexpected from a group of online beauty product reviews.
Racked pointed out that some users of Dr. Brandt’s Dream Night Cream, a nighttime wrinkle-reducing moisturizer, were reporting that the cream was giving them nightmares in the review section of the product’s Sephora page.
Said one reviewer:
“… after a few nights of use I started having really vivid, creepy dreams where I honestly could not wake up. I thought I was hallucinating. They were the kinds of dream where you need a while to recover after you wake up. I don’t know if it gets better once you adjust but I don’t think it’s worth the $135 for scary dreams…”
And she wasn’t the only one. There were nine similar claims made on Sephora’s page.
Crazy, right?
So here’s the big question, can night creams cause night terrors? We reached out to Dr. Brandt’s to comment on the issue. The brand’s VP made this statement:
“At Dr. Brandt skincare, we take our scientific claims very seriously. Each product in our line undergoes extensive clinical tests before being released to market. During the testing phase, Do Not Age with Dr. Brandt™ Dream Night Cream was used by consumers once a day for 28 days, during the nighttime and no concerns or side effects were reported. Following this inquiry, we have looked into the product again, consulting with our ingredient manufacturer to investigate the claim’s validity. We have found no scientific backing for this claim.”
Basically, according to Dr. Brandt’s their night cream shouldn’t cause night terrors. But DUH! they’re going to say that – they’re not suicidal. So we had to ask someone else – someone impartial to the situation.
Dr. Sandra Kopp, a NYC dermatologist for the Schweiger Group, said it could be possible that the night cream’s causing nightmares.
“I find it unlikely that any topical cosmeceutical would reach high enough concentrations to cause systemic side effects,” she said. “That being said, it does have many plant based ingredients that theoretically could trigger anxiety in susceptible patients through aromatherapy. We would need more studies to substantiate these claims.”
Whether or not you believe the hype, it’s pretty crazy to think that this even might be true. But WebMD backs up the idea that certain chemical reactions could cause nightmares. Some other things that could give you nightmares: alcohol, medications, and tranquilizers.
Remember last year when Mentality Nail Polish was seriously damaging women’s nails, Cosmopolitan reported? And now this?
You might be wondering how products with potentially damaging or traumatic effects keep making it to the market.
Simple – the FDA doesn’t regulate cosmetic products. They leave it up to the companies and individuals manufacturing these products to ensure that their products are safe and labelled correctly.
Just let that sink in…
