[Fredricka Whitfield, Cnn Anchor:] Well, just in time for the holidays, but would you shell out $250 for a jar of skin cream, something to stuff into the stocking? It's a new trend in customized skin care. And CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen provides the details for us.
[Elizabeth Cohen, Cnn Correspondent:] Here's how this so-called DNA skin care cream works. You walk into the cosmetic counter at the department store, they swab the inside of your cheek with a swab like this, they then send those swabs to a genetics lab in New York and in 10 days you get a skin care cream that supposedly is geared specifically to your DNA. They look at DNA that has to do with, for example, how sensitive your skin is to the sun and they add ingredients that are specific to your genetic makeup. Now, what you get after you've done that testing is a jar like this. This costs $250. Now, you'll notice that on the back it's customized to each individual person. It has the person's name right there. Now, the scientists who we invested from outside this company, some of them said that this is simply snake oil. They said yes, there are genes that have to do with skin and skin appearance, but that doesn't mean you can make a treatment based on those genes. They drew a parallel. They said there are genes for breast cancer that we've known about for years, but that doesn't mean that we've been able to cure breast cancer. So if there are genes for wrinkles, that doesn't mean that we can help get rid of your wrinkles. They say the science simply isn't there yet back to you.
[Whitfield:] Oh, poor Elizabeth. Time for a little hot lemon and honey, and hot water, I should say.