Most things from 2009 have not aged well. A quick list includes: Grindr, Modern Family, Farmville, Glee, Chris Pratt and Anna Faris’s marriage, Taylor Swift’s shocked face at the VMAs, “Boom Boom Pow,” and James Cameron’s Avatar. Strangely enough, however, DJ Pauly D’s skin has maintained its youthful elasticity and dewy, perpetually 20-something glow.
This is despite the years of suntanning, alcohol consumption, Jersey-based partying, and the permanent smog that hangs along his favorite strip of the Eastern seaboard. We decided to investigate: Is DJ Pauly D a fan of the rapidly growing skincare trend, hyaluronic acid?
In October of last year, DJ Pauly D responded to an official inquiry form the Jersey Shore twitter account:
Researchers have yet to study the body liquids of DJ Pauly D. The science on “Natural Guido Grease,” in fact, has gone completely unrecorded by the scientific community. Have we caught you in a lie, DJ Pauly D? In speaking to Men’s Journal on the “DJ Pauly D Body,” he revealed that he provides his body with equal parts nightlife sweat and gym sweat. Is this the secret recipe? He also claims that he avoids Chinese food on the weekdays. It’s certainly a choice!
We can also back up that he stopped using tanning beds sometime in 2011, opting for “sunless tanners and tanning lotions.” At the time, Cosmopolitan praised his switch to “product that won’t increase his fans risk of skin cancer by 75 percent (like UV tanning beds) and isn’t classified as a carcinogen (yep, UV tanning beds again).” The sunless tanners, from a company called Devoted Creations, have exactly 84 reviews (and are rated at 3 1/2 stars.) They advertise themselves as being composed of the following ingredients:
- Black Tea Extract
- MelanoBronze Technology
- Silk Extracts
- RevitaFit
- Natural Bronzer
I’ve never heard of MelanoBronze technology, but can verify that Eva Longoria is currently promoting L’Oreal’s “RevitaLIFT” technology.
Is Revitafit a misspelling of L’Oreal’s RevitaLift? Or is it a DJ Pauly D-sponsored knockoff? An incredibly shallow Google search yielded little answers. Nonetheless, the description for “Devoted Creations Pauly D’s Sexy Swagg Seductively Sexy Black Bronzer Tanning Lotion 12.25 oz” further explains the benefits of Revitafit, purporting it “tones and tightens the skin.” (RevitaLift claims to provide the same benefit.) Some of his tanners also list Vitamin C as a key ingredient (which I use myself), but the FDA hasn’t bothered to conduct a followup analysis. They’re too busy not checking the ingredients in gummy vitamins and Goop-sponsored wellness products!Other components include:
- Matrixyl – targeted anti-aging complex that reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for long-lasting results.
- MelanoBronze Technology – enhances the skin’s natural pigmentation to help build a natural and healthy looking tan. This technology continues to work long after UV exposure to protect the skin and stimulate melanin in the melanocytes for a faster, darker tan.
- Subliskin – provides and anti-aging and skin tightening moisture barrier.
- FreshTek – proprietary blend of deodorizing and skin freshening ingredients.
My biggest takeaway from the Amazon listings is customer Kenny-Mo’s bid for the spot of Sunless Tanner Wife Guy in his review:
Jezebel’s Managing Editor, Megan Reynolds, suggested that he might be wearing Glossier’s Cloud Paint in a combination of Dawn and Beam. We didn’t reach out to Glossier for comment directly, but I’m sure we could collectively close our eyes and imagine their twee, sticker-filled response. It’s also unclear if the disparity between the color of his neck and the color of his face are the product of sunless tanning or makeup. She also suggested the utilization of a filter, which—in combination with direct sunlight and Facetune—could result in the appearance of perfectly smooth skin. There’s something in the eyes that tell me a Snapchat filter has digitally altered his bone structure.
Jezebel’s final conclusion on the status of his hyaluronic acid use? Who could have foreseen that the lack of a basic understanding about currently popular Snapchat filters among b-list reality television stars would hinder our abilities as reporters and journalists?!