The box I found in the wastebasket says it contained cosmetics "with growth factors from human stem cells". So I was wondering, where do they get these stem cells?

The company website says these are "non-embryonic stem cells derived from human oocytes." Wait, what?

A little biology: Your cells contain 46 chromosomes, two sets of 23, one set from each parent. Except for the reproductive cells. Oocytes contain only one set of 23, from a special precursor that divides without the normal replication of the pairs. At fertilization the sperm adds another 23, making an embryonic cell with the proper 46, which then can divide and divide divide, until you've another mouth to feed.

But these clever scientists have found a way to take an oocyte, which cannot divide, and make it duplicate its set of 23 chromosomes to create the normal 46, and then the cell can divide. This is a parthenogenetic cell, since both sets of 23 chromosomes are identical, coming from one parent, the egg donor. The company is calling these "non-embryonic stem cells", but it is difficult to see why, because it is actually unknown what what would happen if one of these freely dividing stem cells were given the chance to implant in a womb. You might very well end up with a baby girl (it would be a girl because oocytes only contain X chromosomes).

Indeed, one of the papers cited by proponents of this technology admits that these stem cells come from a "blastocyst" which in normal reproduction is a mass of dividing cells that develops into the embryo.

So I'm going to have to have a talk with Mrs. Fusion about whether she really wants to be using this stuff.

The company website:
http://www.lifelineskincare.com/about-us/stem-cell-skin-care-from-lifeline-skin-care/

Here is a bioethics website which appears to have a cozy relationship with the company, and coincidentally happens to think this is all fine and dandy:
http://www.ethicscenter.net/event/human-embryonic-stem-cells-do-unfertilized-human-eggs-offer-another-way

But here is another bioethics website which says "now wait just a minute here...", and provides a more detailed explanation than what I have given above:
https://cbhd.org/content/stem-cell-debate-are-parthenogenic-human-embryos-solution

The "blastocyst" paper:
https://www.bedfordresearch.org/articles/HuParthStemCells07.pdf