Created by regular guys for regular guys in late 2015, Tiege Hanley is a skin care subscription service that aims to take the guesswork out of skin care. Tiege Hanley founders Kelley Thornton and Rob Hoxie set out to design a simple, hassle free system that offered their mostly male clientele affordable, effective skin care products, as well as some education on how to effectively take care of their skin.
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| Rank | Brand | Link | |||||
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| 1 | Carrot & Stick | Review | |||||
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| - | Tiege Hanley |
Today, the brand has evolved into a skin care subscription service that delivers an entire set of products right to your door. For those who don’t have the time or knowledge to build a skin care routine from scratch, this streamlined approach can be extremely helpful.
But does a simple skin care routine equate to an effective skin care routine? To answer that question, we’ll have to evaluate the Tiege Hanley product formulations through a scientific lens. That means we’ll dive into the research that supports (or doesn’t support) the ingredients used in these products. We’ll also share some Tiege Hanley reviews so that you can get a better idea of what customers think of these products.
What’s Inside Tiege Hanley Skin Care?
Before we get into the key ingredients that you’ll find in Tiege Hanley skin care products, we have to let you know that this brand uses very low concentrations of their key ingredients. We know this by looking at the ingredient lists for their products.
Ingredients are listed in order of descending concentrations, and most of the Tiege Hanley skin care products list their “key” ingredients after the preservative phenoxyethanol, which cannot be used in concentrations more than 1%.
That means you’re getting less than 1% of those ingredients, which likely isn’t doing your skin any good! We find it to be very deceiving for the brand to highlight “key” ingredients on their website, when really their products are mostly composed of water, glycerin, and silicones.
For example, the Tiege Hanley AM Moisturizer contains three chemical sunscreen ingredients to provide SPF 20 protection. The rest of the formula is composed of water, synthetic emollients, silicones, beeswax, and glycerin. The brand claims that calendula extract, plantain extract, lavender oil, and rosemary leaf oil are key ingredients. However, all four of these ingredients are present in very low concentrations (less than 1%).
We’d like to point out that there’s nothing wrong with the high concentrations of silicones in Tiege Hanley skin care products. Silicones improve a product’s spreadability while imparting a silky, smooth skin feel.
In addition, silicones form a protective covering on the skin that provides both water-binding and water-resistant properties. The water-binding portion of the molecule is the highly flexible and mobile siloxane backbone, which binds to moisture in the air and holds it to the skin. This backbone also allows the water-repelling methyl groups to orient themselves toward the surface, creating a waterproof “umbrella” that prevents trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).
As you can see, silicones can provide several benefits to the skin. What we don’t like is that the brand tries to make it seem as though botanical extracts are the key ingredients in the Tiege Hanley skin care products, when in reality most of the formula is composed of silicones.
The one Tiege Hanley skin care product that actually contains a decent amount of beneficial ingredients is the Super Serum. Two of the key anti-aging ingredients in this serum include acetyl hexapeptide-8 and retinyl palmitate. Let’s take a closer look at how these ingredients will benefit your skin.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
It’s great that the brand includes acetyl hexapeptide-8 in the Tiege Hanley Super Serum because this is an excellent anti-aging ingredient.
Also known as Argireline, acetyl hexapeptide-8 is a six amino acid peptide that is a fragment of SNAP-25 (a substrate of botulinum toxin).
It works by limiting the ability of neurotransmitters to activate movement in your facial muscles, for example, when forming facial expressions such as smiling or frowning. By inhibiting the nerves that cause facial muscles to contract, subtle facial expressions are limited and wrinkles are subsequently reduced.
We recommend Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum. It contains 7 plant-based peptides to promote plumper and smoother-looking skin.
Retinyl Palmitate
The brand uses a low concentration of retinyl palmitate in the Tiege Hanley Super Serum, but with retinoids that’s totally fine. In fact, concentrations as low as 0.01% have been proven to be effective for daily use.
Retinoic acid works deep within the skin where it boosts collagen synthesis, increases elasticity, and repairs connective tissue. It also increases cellular turnover, which helps to prevent clogged pores and also promotes smoother, healthier skin.
According to a publication in the journal Clinical Interventions in Aging, retinoic acid can minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve uneven skin tone, restore skin firmness, and shrink the appearance of enlarged pores.
Use retinoids at night. We recommend this retinoid oil serum. It contains Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, an ingredient that provides similar benefits with less irritation.
What Are The Tiege Hanley Skin Care Products?
The goal of the Tiege Hanley founders was to create simple skin care regimens that tackle multiple skin concerns at once. That’s why the brand offers three skin care systems: Level 1 is the most basic, Level 2 adds in an extra step, and Level 3 is a full fledged regimen. Here’s a breakdown of each of these systems:
Tiege Hanley Level 1 Skin Care System
Level 1 is the most streamlined, as well as the most cost effective. With this system, customers receive four products:
Tiege Hanley Daily Face Wash
- A foaming, creamy cleanser that is suitable for both your morning and evening skin care routine
- Formulated to effectively cleanse your skin of any impurities as well as excess oil to reveal clearer skin
- This face wash is said to promote softer and smoother skin, fewer breakouts, a better pH balance of your skin, and less dry skin
- The key ingredients in this face wash are surfactants (Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate, etc)
Tiege Hanley Facial Exfoliating Scrub
- An exfoliating facial scrub that is said to clear pores, even out skin tone, reduce excess oil, and promote softer younger-looking skin
- The key ingredients in this scrub are surfactants, apricot seed powder, and menthol
- Apricot seed powder is a physical exfoliant, which can be too abrasive for the skin and may cause microtears and irritation
- This product is not intended for everyday use; it should be limited to 2 to 3 uses per week
Tiege Hanley Morning Moisturizer
- A morning facial moisturizer with sunscreen that is said to protect the skin from sun damage while promoting a more youthful complexion
- Contains 3 chemical sunscreen ingredients (octinoxate, avobenzone, octocrylene) to provide broad spectrum SPF 20 protection
- Additional key ingredients include glycerin and silicones
Tiege Hanley Nighttime Moisturizer
- A nighttime facial moisturizer that is said to prevent skin from drying out overnight, reduce redness and inflammation, and promote a more youthful complexion
- Key ingredients include glycerin and acetyl hexapeptide-8 (we’ll explain the benefits of this peptide in the next section)
Tiege Hanley Level 2 Skin Care System
Level 2 takes things up a notch by including an eye cream. Since the skin around the eye area is so much more delicate and fragile than the rest of your facial skin, many people choose to include a separate eye cream, along with the rest of their skin care routine. Here’s the details on the eye cream formula:
Tiege Hanley Eye Cream
- An anti-aging eye cream that is said to reduce puffiness, crow’s feet, and wrinkles while promoting stronger more elastic skin
- Can be used both morning and night
- Key ingredients include glycerin, silicones, acetyl hexapeptide-8, and a very small amount of caffeine (less than 1%)
Tiege Hanley Level 3 Skin Care System
The last level in the Tiege Hanley skin care range is designed specifically with anti-aging in mind. Level 3 includes everything from levels 1 and 2, along with the Tiege Hanley Super Serum.
Tiege Hanley Super Serum
- An anti-aging serum that is said to help smooth your skin, make your wrinkles less prominent, and give you a healthier, more youthful complexion
- Can be used both morning and night
- Key ingredients include glycerin, acetyl hexapeptide-8, pentapeptide-18, jojoba seed oil, green tea leaf extract, apricot fruit extract, and retinyl palmitate
Where Are Tiege Hanley Skin Care Products Sold?
Tiege Hanley skin care products are only sold on the brand’s website since this is a subscription service.
What is The Tiege Hanley Return Policy?
The Tiege Hanley return policy states, “All Sales are final. If you are dissatisfied with the Product please contact us. Refund requests must be made directly to Tiege Hanley at [email protected]. All refund requests must be made within thirty (30) days of the date of delivery by Tiege Hanley. We may refund 50% of the amount paid for your most recent month of service (less any shipping and handling costs and fees related to the original purchase, which are non-refundable) to the credit card or Paypal account you used to make the original purchase and provide you instructions on returning the product.”
Is Tiege Hanley Cruelty Free?
Tiege Hangley is cruelty free. The brand’s animal testing statement says, “Our products are not tested on animals. We conduct all of our trials with human volunteers.”
Tiege Hanley Reviews
The majority of the Tiege Hanley reviews on the brand’s website have been positive so far. The overall consensus is that these products are an excellent value, easy to use, and particularly helpful for those with anti-aging in mind.
For example, one very positive Tiege Hanley review says, “I recommend this product to any man trying to get that clear skin. I received my shipment about 3 weeks ago and man will I tell you, best decision I’ve ever made, I followed the instructions on each tube and I started to see results in a matter of days. My face started to get clearer and clearer now my face looks the best it has ever looked. I chose Tiége Hanley because most of the reviews were positive and I’m glad I chose this product and for the price you can’t beat it.”
And another very positive Tiege Hanley review says, “My skin definitely looks and feels better. I look forward to the morning and evenings when I get to use products.”
While there aren’t many negative Tiege Hanely reviews, we did find a few from customers who were disappointed that they weren’t seeing the results they had hoped for. One Tiege Hanley review says, “Good curation, however, the serum and eye creams in particular don’t tighten the skin as much as other brands do.” There are also quite a few negative reviews from men who disliked the smell of the Tiege Hanley skin care products.
Our Verdict
Overall, we aren’t very impressed with the Tiege Hanley skin care products. We don’t like that the brand misleads their customers by pointing out “key” ingredients in the product, when in reality these ingredients are used in extremely low concentrations. The one exception to this is the Tiege Hanley Super Serum, which does contain high concentrations of a few beneficial ingredients.
Pros
- Tiege Hanley serum contains beneficial anti-aging ingredients
- Many positive Tiege Hanley reviews
- Tiege Hanley is cruelty free
Cons
- The brand uses low concentrations of “key” ingredients in most products
What Are Some Alternatives to Tiege Hanley Skin Care?
If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin. We recommend The Repair Serum, followed by The Moisturizer.
References:
1. Sci Rep. 2018; 8: 1596.
2 Clin Interv Aging. 2006 Dec; 1(4): 327–348.
