Anti-ageing skincare

Technology, science and beauty have combined, resulting in creams and lotions that really can make a visible difference to the signs of ageing. Jenna Moore investigates.

We used to believe ageing was down to genetics or fate, but now we know better. And some of the most exciting anti-ageing solutions don’t involve a hospital stay, but merely a visit to the cosmetics counter. Cosmeceuticals – the new breed of skincare products – treat and heal the skin from the inside out, providing results like never before.

The search for an elixir of youth is one of the greatest quests of all time. Cleopatra famously bathed herself in donkey’s milk, believing it would help her retain her youthful complexion. She was ahead of her time as we now know lactic acid, a derivative of milk, is one of the alpha and beta hydroxy acids, renowned for its skincare properties. Almost every culture on earth has its own version of anti-ageing science. The ancient Chinese sipped on green tea to ward off ageing, while the Japanese believed alternating hot and cold baths would keep the skin youthful and the nerves rejuvenated.

Since ancient times humans have sought a multitude of wild and sometimes wacky ways to hold back the clock. Many of the avenues supposedly paved with gold and leading to eternal youth turned out to be blind alleys. That is, until now. Fast forward to 2007 – the age of injectable fillers and muscle relaxants to delay wrinkles – and what we discover is that we really do have the technology to hold back the appearance
of ageing.

“We’re witnessing a revolution in skincare,” says Richard Parker, cosmetic scientist and co-creator of Rationale Skincare. “People are hungry for information and willing to spend money for good results whether that be from a topical serum or an injection. I call it the ‘WIT’ (whatever it takes) approach,” he says.

“No longer do we have to meekly accept what nature gave us. We have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves,” say cosmetic surgeons, Dr Roberto and Dr Maurizio Viel, in their book The Viels’ Beauty Bible (Hodder & Stoughton, 2006). “Yet as surgeons we don’t always reach for the scalpel,” they say. Most cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists supplement what they do in their clinics with a regimen of highly effective skincare to maintain results.

“If you look at the evolution of products over the past 10 years we are seeing more effective formulations with faster results,” says Dr Tom Mammone, head of Clinique’s Global Research and Development. “I think cosmetic products will continue to evolve and we will be able to obtain results similar to what you would see in cosmetic procedures – but nowhere near as invasive,” he says.

As skincare has become more active and efficacious, it’s grown into a new cosmetic category, known as cosmeceuticals – essentially skincare products that sit between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. (Cosmetics work on the skin’s surface, covering, softening, nurturing and protecting the epidermis; pharmaceuticals treat and heal and can alter physiological function.) Cosmeceuticals improve the functioning of the skin, boost its health and appearance as well as minimising and even reversing fine lines, age spots and sun damage.

Ingredients such as Retinol (vitamin A), vitamins C and E, alpha and beta hydroxy acids such as glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids, alpha lipoic acid, dimethyl amino ethanol (DMAE), acetyle hexapeptide-3, copper peptides, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and sodium hyaluronate are just some of the substances that fall under the cosmeceutical banner. Generally speaking, cosmeceuticals have higher percentages of more active ingredients.

Rationale Skincare’s Richard Parker says that as a young make-up artist with problem skin he had a vision that the future would be all about radiant, glowing complexions, so he set out to learn how to create it. His investigations took him to the medical world. “Pioneering research carried out by dermatologists and plastic surgeons has given us the next generation of safe, effective cosmeceuticals. We call this ‘evidence-based cosmetic medicine’,” he says. “For example, we now know the correct dosage of alpha and beta hydroxy acids to optimise cellular renewal; we have safe and non-irritating forms of vitamin A such as retinaldehyde to repair DNA. And new developments such as niacinamide (vitamin B3) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are being incorporated into topical products to strengthen the skin’s immune responses to UV light and other sources of free-radical damage.”

Richard warns, however, that like all therapeutic agents, cosmeceuticals can have side effects. “They need to be prescribed by a specifically trained professional, because to effectively strengthen and repair without irritation they must be introduced gradually in the correct sequence,” he says. But the results are well worth it, he maintains. “We’re now looking at a generation that radiates healthy and vital skin, literally from every pore.”


A rosy future

“For those of us who don’t fancy painful or invasive procedures to allay the passage of time, cosmetics are getting smarter every day. Take Bremenn Research Labs’ new Lumedia Facial Brightener: it won’t eliminate the need for laser treatments where there is severe sun damage, but will help reduce the appearance of pigmentation. I was initially sceptical as almost all fading creams I’ve tried have done little or nothing to reduce the two brown marks on my face. I used this religiously for six weeks and it did reduce the brownness of the marks and smoothed their surface considerably. It also brought a ‘pink’ freshness to my complexion. I’m not keen on suffering for beauty, so was happy the only thing I had to do to improve the colour of my skin was rub in a cream.” - Nikki Goldstein


Photography: Corrie Bond. Make-up: Chris Coonrod. Hair: Kimberley Forbes. Styling: Magda Ching.