Not all stem cells are created equal.
Pluripotent stem cells possess the unique ability to transform into any tissue within your body. Many cells that are currently advertised as stem cells, such as those isolated from umbilical cord blood or liposuction, or cells in beauty and anti-aging products claiming to use stem cell technology, are not pluripotent. Your body originates in the womb from pluripotent stem cells that can multiply indefinitely and eventually form what makes you uniquely you.
In 2006, Professor Shinya Yamanaka of the University of California, San Francisco and Kyoto University, Japan, developed a method to turn back the clock on adult tissues, converting them to an embryo-like state called induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Unlike embryonic stem cells, iPSCs are generated from an adult skin sample and are free from ethical issues. This groundbreaking discovery was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2012 for its phenomenal promise to transform modern medicine.