March 08, 2012

scientifically-smart skincare


Prepare to be introduced to a new wave of beauty products with individualist elements and extraordinary ingredients designed by doctors and derms to make a difference and offer an alternative to going under the knife. From pills and primers to serums and sculpting gels, the all-new anti-ageing options are endless.

Considering counter-acting the ageing process? You wouldn’t be alone - Britons are spending 2.3billion a year on cosmetic procedures, including Botox, chemical peels and anti-ageing laser treatments in a quest for perfection, with women on average amassing a bill of £133,575 spent on their appearance in a lifetime.

With a backlash against looking plastic fantastic, the latest trend in cosmetic medicine is to simply refine and refresh facial features – less is most definitely more. Cheaper, easier and less invasive than a needle, skincare super-brands such as Ren, Rodial and the original skin doctor Dr Murad have collaborated with experts in the science world to combine make-up and skincare hybrids that not only instantly improve the look of the skin, but also tout bespoke benefits that work from within.

Claiming to provide the same performance without the irritants and injections, the latest perfecting products use naturally derived versions of plumpers such as Retinol, Restylane and Collagen to define and contour the face. Combined with innovative cosmetic ingredients ranging from adaptable colour pigments in Dr Murad’s new Hybrids make-up collection, sun protection and skin plumping glycans, to the decadently different Dragon’s blood good enough for Lady Gaga, these problem solvers simultaneously treat and mask skin concerns.

Sounds great in theory, but do they work? Dubbed, “the liquid facelift” Rodial’s Dragon Blood Sculpting Gel boasts a 92% success rate of regular users experiencing an increase in elasticity, reduction in sagging and dramatically different definition over 3 months, whilst YSL’s Forever Youth Liberator Serum scored highly for luminosity and less visible lines during daily use in clinical trials.

No longer limited to high-end price points, the high street is also in on the anti-ageing act. Global cosmetics company L’Oreal launches its BB cream next month. One of the new buzzwords in beauty for multi-tasking make-up, blemish balm cream boasts benefits of priming, lightweight tinted coverage, SPF and anti-ageing ingredients which all adapt to the individuals skin tone.

With a refreshingly different approach to radiant youthfulness using advances in technology, the industry appears to be getting closer to achieving the ultimate elixir of eternal youth.

Still-life shoot from the new issue(6) of Phoenix Magazine, available now at independent newsstands - Photography: Leigh Keily, Research: Ami Streets - www.phoenixmag.co.uk

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