Bare Renew: A Skincare Horror Story

I’ve made it a habit of mine to read through archived blogs, and other public forums. It’s interesting to see how different the internet was while in it’s infancy. It can be difficult to navigate around broken links, and abandoned domains but I’ve come across something recently that is actually incredibly… strange. It’s a site that is meant for discussion on skin products and It looks like many people got their skin care recommendations from this site. It was a nice, wholesome site.

Digging a little deeper with way back machine though revealed that before the rebrand, it was a forum site specifically for something called Bare Renew!, a skin care product that promised results faster than anyone else on the market and only used ingredients that were ethically sourced; something you didn’t hear very often back them. People are much more aware of what they’re using now-a-days. Nevertheless, this brand has been defunct for over 15 years now, and I think I may have found part of the reason, hidden in the depths of this site. It’s a long post about this guy’s experience with the product and… well, just listen.

Archived Forum Submission - February 2, 2002. 12:37 PM

As a guy, skin care took a back seat for me most of my life. Despite the fact that I was covered in acne for nearly all of my middle and high school years, you’d never see me with a bottle of face wash. I grew up in a very country town where anything on your face other than dirt or motor oil was seen as ‘not manly enough’. Yes… not being clean was seen as not manly. I can’t tell you how many kids came to school smelling like absolute death because of this unspoken role among the boys.

Unfortunately for me, that’s who I wanted to fit in with so to avoid being called gay or a pussy I left the pimples on my face to fester. Looking back I think it would have been better in the long run to just deal with the insults from the kids who smelled like old cheese than deal with a lifetime worth of acne scars but… here we are. I’m now well into my thirties, and I’m still living alone because I’m too afraid to put myself out there and try to find a partner. It’s difficult to date when you don’t feel pretty, or presentable. 2 weeks ago though, something came into my life that I thought was my answer to everything. “Make Bare Renew part of your daily morning ritual and see more youthful skin in just weeks!”

It was pretty late when I was woken up by the infomercial blasting from my television. Now, I’m not one to fall for things like this, I like to think I’m pretty smart, but this one… This one was catching my attention. I’d never heard of this Bare Renew! brand so I Kept watching. “Bare Renew is unlike any other skin care product you’ve used before!”, a way too bubbly voice yelled out from the TV, “Bare Renew has a unique formulation that is different than any of our competitors. No harmful chemicals, and no side effects! Just clearer skin in 30 days, or your money back!” There it is, I thought. It was always a money-back guarantee, and a new formula that was different than the rest. They made sure to hit all the buzzwords. By the end of it, they were offering a 3 month supply of face wash, lotion, and the actual cream itself along with a soft bristled face scrubber for $29.99 plus shipping and handling. It was one of the cheapest sets I’d seen in a long time, and believe me, I’d done the research. With the guarantee that I’d get my money back if I hated it I bit the bullet and called to order at 4 in the morning.

It took about two weeks for the product to show up, and when it did my hope and optimism was quickly replaced with despair and regret. The box sitting on my stoop was severely damaged. Two of the four corners had been totally pushed in, and I could tell it had been re-taped at least 3 times and there was even a footprint on one side of it. “Wonderful,” I said to myself, “I guess that’s what I get for ordering something off television.” Trying to hold on to the slightest bit of hope, I picked up the box and brought it into my living room, plopping it down on the coffee table. Inside where the contents I expected; the face wash, the cream, lotion and face scrubber. There was also one more thing that I wasn’t expecting; a small journal.

It was made of a soft leather, and the front had golden embossed text that read, Track Your Journey. Inside were lined pages not dissimilar to a notebook. At the top of each page was a place for a date. MM/DD - MM/DD(Week 1). I tried to remember if the infomercial had said something about a free gift or not, and when I couldn’t I just chalked it up to my bad memory. It would be interesting to track my progress this way, though. I loved writing as a kid and I hoped that this would keep my motivated to continue using the product, even if I didn’t see the results I wanted immediately.

I then inspected the other items a little closer. When I popped the top to the face wash, I was less than pleased. I knew it was supposed to be pretty intense stuff but it smelled so medicinal and was really off putting. The lotion made up for it, though. That was a mixture of hibiscus and honey and smelled absolutely heavenly. I gathered it all up after my thorough inspection and took it to the bathroom. I didn’t need a shower, really, but I’d heard the best time to wash your face was in a warm shower. It opens the pores or something like that. So, I turned on the water, waited for the steam to fill the bathroom and then hopped in, hoping this time would be different.

Archived Forum Submission - February 2, 2002 5:42 PM.

I just stepped out of the shower, and I have to be honest; this stuff feels so much different than pretty much everything I’ve used before. In the past I’ve felt that fresh, cool feeling, but with this new product it was like walking into a freezer. Once I’d dried off I did what it told me and used the moisturizing cream and to my surprise felt immediate effects!It says on the bottle that it ‘helps to close pores and prevent dirt, and debris making it’s way in, thus, preventing acne and redness’ and I’d say that was spot on.

My face felt tighter, more lifted and youthful. I’m the kind of person to need immediate results, or I’m likely to call it quits but I think I may actually keep up with this routine. Further instructions on the box say to only use it 2-3 times a week, so I suppose I’ll write again in a few days. Until then I’ll try to keep my giddiness to myself and see if anyone at work notices. We’re still fresh into the new year so now is the perfect time to show off my new, more radiant skin!

Archived Forum Submission - February 5, 2002 8:56 PM.

They noticed! They actually noticed! Okay, so at this point I’ve decided that I’m most likely going to share my journal online, so I should probably explain a little about my daily life. I work in Customer Support, a call center for a large company. My office is about as bleak as you’d imagine; about 25 cubicles spaced out over a large area, on the 27th floor of a building. The only notable human interaction we get is when we bump into each other in the break room while getting coffee or when we’re actually taking a break. Three separate people in the office today made a comment about how I looked happier. Alice said, “Your face is practically glowing!” Jim told me I looked smoother than a babies ass (he was never good at compliments), but there was only one person’s compliment I really cared about.

I was leaning against the counter with the coffee pot when Jun walked in. He was going on about some customer he’d just dealt with but to be honest, I was keeping my head down and focusing on my coffee. I got nervous around him, and it was no doubt because he was the best looking person in the office.

I’d caught feelings for him about a week into my job here, not just because of his looks but because he seemed to really care about people. He was so incredibly nice and wanted nothing more to make people happy; not just customers either. He was the one who remembered everyone’s birthdays in the office and would always manage to find the perfect gift for them. He was also very talkative so when he paused mid-sentence I was worried something had happened, and looked up.

My face turned bright red when I realized he’d stopped talking because he was looking at me. I tried to move his focus to something else but before I could thing of something to say he blurted out, “Cooper… You look really good. Did you…” he searched around for something, anything that would indicate he didn’t want to come off too strong, “Did you do something to your hair?”

I couldn’t help but laugh, my smile being so big it nearly hurt my face to do it. “No, I just started using a new moisturizer. I think it’s really working!” He nodded so hard his head nearly came off his shoulders.

“You should keep it up.” He was blushing now, even fumbling over his words a little. He turned to leave but stopped in the doorway turned around and called out, “Hey, uh… I get off in an hour, but I know you’ll be here for a few more.” He chuckled nervously, “Text me when you get off. Maybe we can go out for drinks later. It’s the weekend after all.”

I was totally speechless. I just nodded my head in total shock and managed to squeak out a small, “Yeah! Will do.” before Jun smiled back and walked out.

***

I wont go into vivid detail, though we all are adults here, but I’ll just say that tonight was one of the best in my life. I was in complete shock. I was feeling better about myself, people had already noticed a difference and I was now with the man I’d been basically drooling over for months. Life is great right now, and I don’t want that to change. I think I’m going to keep using Bare Renew! for a few more weeks to see if my results get any better, but I can’t image they can. I look practically flawless at the moment. I suppose we’ll see.

Archived Forum Submission - February 8, 2002 10:32 PM.

I forgot to update over the weekend, so I’m writing this after work. I just got out of the shower and used Bare Renew! for the second or third time now. I’m starting to see an even bigger change! Not only has my face cleared up completely it has also smoothed out my face. I looked back over the bottle just now and there are no claims of anti aging, or wrinkle reducing but I look years younger. I used to have pretty noticeable crows feet, and very embarrassing forehead wrinkles but now they’re nearly gone. I don’t think my face has been this smooth since middle school!

There is one thing that is worrying me some, though. While my face is very smooth, and my redness and wrinkles are clearing up I’ve noticed my skin has become a bit more tight. Of course, that’s a good thing (and probably why my wrinkles are disappearing) but it’s becoming much more noticeable. It’s most prominent moments after I’ve applied the moisturizer, but that tight feeling wears off after an hour or two. I thought maybe it was a mask and I just never peeled it off, but there is nothing on the bottle to indicate that and, try as I might, I can’t see anything on my face that would indicate that so… I’m probably just looking too much into it.

Archived Forum Submission - February 10, 2002 2:43 PM.

I, uh… I went to the hospital today. I know that’s one hell of a way to start so let me back up a little bit. I had the day off from work so I thought it would be nice to treat myself to a warm shower, a face wash and moisturize, and then some coffee and Netflix. My shower was wonderful as always but when I used the Bare Renew! I got that stiff feeling in my face again… only this time it was much worse. I could barely life my eyebrows, or my lips, and scrunching my nose was totally impossible. Even my eyelids fought against closing. ‘Tight’ wouldn’t even be the right word to describe it anymore. Opening my mouth was like trying to pry apart to coins that had been glued together.

It was very difficult to drink, but I was able to eat by ripping apart my PB toast and dropping pieces into my mouth. Luckily my jaw seemed to work fine, it was only my lips that fought against. It took me far too long to come to the conclusion that I could be having an allergic reaction, that all this tightening I’d been feeling after applying Bare Renew! was because my body was fighting against something in it. I snatched up the bottle, my car keys and sped to the emergency room.

Once I was with a doctor I explained everything that happened over the past few days and lamented to him about how all I wanted was clear skin, and was incredibly upset that this was going to be just like every other time I’ve tried a product. He pressed his hand to my face and pushed in. I recoiled in pain. “Oh!” he said, pulling back, “That was painful?” I nodded. He wore a puzzled look on his face and I could see him working through things in his mind. He reached out an touched my face again, much more gently this time. “You’re burning up. But your face isn’t red… It is quite stiff though.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m here. Do you think you can help me?” It was difficult to speak without control of my lips, but I was sure he understood me.

“I believe the tightness is coming from swelling, and the warmth is from inflammation. We’re gonna send you home with a perception to prevent any more flare ups, and we’ll give you something for the swelling now before you leave. It may take a day or two but you should see improvement in that time. Also, throw this stuff out.” He said, waving the Bare Renew! around. I nodded, thanked him and went about my day.

Archived Forum Submission - February, 13 2002 9:53 PM.

It’s been three days… My face has only gotten worse. I can hardly blink, my lips are completely frozen in place and eating is becoming increasingly difficult. To make things even worse, the stiffness is moving. It’s now going down my neck and even into my chest. Turning my head to one side takes about twenty seconds and a lot of effort. Breathing is becoming difficult as well seeing as my chest isn’t expanding like it should. Typing is taking more time too, I’m noticing. My fingers aren’t moving as quickly as they usually do and the creases on my knuckles have… vanished.

I think this Bare Renew! shit is bad news. My prescription doesn’t seem to be helping either. I’m going to go back to the hospital… I think they can help.

That was the last post from Cooper. It took a lot of digging but I was able to find an article that I believe references his story, at least somewhat. The headline reads, Man Goes Missing, Leaves Behind Strange Doll. In the article they talk about someone names Cooper Maxwell, a customer service rep who, to the best of everyone’s knowledge, just left his home one night and never came back. There are a few issues with that, of course and the article points them out. Cooper’s car was still there, meaning he would have had to have left on foot. The problem is that the CCTV didn’t catch him leaving the complex.

They explain this away saying he could have just gone out his window. Another problem arises with that, though. Cooper lived on the third floor. He would have had to have jumped from his balcony and somehow manage to not break anything, and then what? Walk a few towns over, get a new ID, dye his hair and change his name? It makes no sense. Then comes the bit about the doll. W hen they say doll, they don’t mean a small one like you’d find at the store. It was described as ‘life-size’ and ‘not dissimilar to a wax figurine’. The article never explained what was done with the ‘doll’ and I doubt anyone will ever know. Cooper’s case seemed to fizzle out soon after that. His parents have passed away and despite my digging I can’t find anyone else who may be related to him, or knew him personally.

I don’t think he’s missing though… I don’t think Cooper ever actually left that apartment.