Skincare special: Unlocking the secrets of youthful skin

Achieve luminosity and firmness

Inspired by the journey of light through Swiss nature, La Prairie wanted to bring that same ethereal luminosity to the skin, so, after 15 years of studying the science of light, La Prairie scientists developed White Caviar Pearl Infusion, which reduces what they call “chromatic disturbances” such as age spots, grayness and yellowness in the skin. It also stimulates collagen formation, increasing skin density and firmness.

La Prairie scientists found that skin luminosity is one of the key parameters to the perception of young and healthy skin, so they developed a three-pronged approach. First is to address pigments, which are responsible for chromatic disturbances like brown “age” spots.

Second is redness from dilated skin capillaries and inflammation, grayness from accumulated dust on the skin surface, and sallowness or yellowness from glycation, or the meeting of sugar and protein that contributes to aging and wrinkling.

Third is to improve skin texture and density.

White Caviar Pearl Infusion has key ingredients to address all these issues. One is encapsulated Lumidose, one of the most potent molecules to combat tyrosinase, an enzyme that contributes to dark-spot formation.

Second is Swiss Golden Caviar minerals, with antioxidant copper, iron and magnesium to combat the oxidative stresses on our skin.

Third is Swiss Golden Caviar Extract, made of Omega three and Omega six to promote collagen formation, hence increasing skin density and firmness.

Lastly, La Prairie’s exclusive Cellular Complex promotes new cells or stem cells, bringing back the energy of the skin and stimulating cell renewal.

Regular use enhances skin luminosity while increasing firmness and elasticity, and reducing the color disturbances of the skin.

The bottle of White Caviar Pearl Infusion is also sustainable, made of recyclable glass.

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La Prairie White Caviar Pearl Infusion is available at Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La and Cebu.

This eye serum has a derm’s fave ingredients

I’ve never really found an eye cream that had an effect on my dark circles, so I decided to take a “Drunk break” and try Drunk Elephant’s new and improved A-Shaba Complex Eye Serum, which has added 0.1% vegan retinol, 3% caffeine, and copper peptides.

Brand manager Shey Parafina said that, while Drunk Elephant has three eye serums, this improved formula is biocompatible with a pH of 5.5 and no essential oils or silicones.

Dermatologist Dr. Mara Evangelista-Huber says that retinol increases skin-cell renewal, so it erases fine lines, increases collagen and elasticity, and lightens dark circles. “Too-high concentrations can lead to irritation since the eye area has the thinnest skin,” she says, so A-Shaba’s 0.1% is ideal for beginners. It also has ceramides, niacinamide and copper peptides for anti-aging, sunscreen to protect, vitamin C to brighten, and caffeine to constrict blood vessels. “My fave ingredients — no bias — are retinol and caffeine,” says the derma.

This smoothing, moisturizing eye serum is gentle enough to use daily. Pat one pump under eyes and even on eyelids; you can even make an eye cocktail by mixing with C-Tango eye cream in true Drunk fashion.

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Drunk Elephant is available at SM Aura and Mall of Asia.

Retinol vs. Retinal

Murad just released its Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment, and I thought I was seeing a typo. Shouldn’t that be “retinol,” not “retinal”?

Michelle Mallari, education manager of Murad Philippines, clarifies that there are 4,000 types of retinoids, an umbrella of vitamin A, and retinal is more potent than retinol.

“Did you know that we start aging at age 25?” Mallari asked. “When we’re young our skin is very plump, healthy, smooth, and the dermis, or second under-layer of the skin, is thicker. But when we get older we lose at least one percent of collagen every year, the dermis becomes thinner so our skin becomes dry, dehydrated, loses volume and wrinkles.”

So in our late 20s we should start using retinol products to prevent visible signs of aging. Murad’s Retinol Youth Renewal serum addresses such signs like expression lines, skin tone and rough texture.

But for older women, as their hormones change, they lose 30% of collagen in the first five years of menopause and every year for the next 20 years they lose two percent of collagen.

Yikes. So this is where retinal comes in. Retinal is a more potent form of anti-aging vitamin A and is a corrective solution for advanced sagging of the skin at the jowl and neck area, deep-set wrinkles, crepey skin and loss of elasticity.

The most important ingredient of Murad ReSculpt Overnight Treatment is encapsulated 2.5% retinal. “Since it's encapsulated it's very stable,” notes Mallari. “It's also very potent, gentle and effective for the skin.”

Other actives like kangaroo paw flower from southwestern Australia lifts the skin and has a rapid cleansing effect, while olive leaf extract and alpha glucan stimulate ceramides to give resilience and boost your skin.

Clinically proven dramatic results in just four weeks include dramatic lifting of sagging skin, and visible smoothening of deep-set wrinkles and crepey skin.

And that’s the difference between retinol and retinal.

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Murad is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source and the Murad Spa, where you an also get facials.

Reveal radiance in 3 steps

Clé de Peau Beauté has developed its Key Radiance Care regimen, a daily advanced routine designed to maximize your skin’s radiant potential in just three steps.

Step 1 is The Serum, created with a potent blend of marine ingredients and Cle de Peau’s Skin-Empowering Illuminator, an exclusive ingredient that helps enhance the skin’s ability to repair and defend itself. Platinum Golden Silk extract, Japanese Pearl Shell extract and Theanine address external stressors such as damage from UV rays; Perilla extract enhances resilience, and Angelica Acutiloba extract helps boost cellular energy and keep it high within skin cells. (FYI, for every purchase of The Serum, US$3 will be donated to UNICEF.)

Step 2 is Hydro-Clarifying or Hydro-Softening Lotion, to polish and plump or revive and re-texturize skin, respectively. I put three pumps of the latter onto Cle de Peau’s cotton pads, which are so high-quality they’ve become bestsellers as well.

Step 3 is Cle de Peau’s iconic, award-winning La Crème, an intensive nighttime cream that contains no less than 60 beautifying ingredients, including retinol ACE to improve the appearance of wrinkles, 4MSK for intensive brightening, and a high concentration of Skin-Empowering Illuminator to enhance “Skin Intelligence,” our largest organ’s capacity to discern between good and bad stimuli to maintain its optimal condition.

Come morning, skin feels rejuvenated, smooth and firm. With continued use, your skin will achieve resilience, density and that promised youthful radiance.

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Galerie Clé de Peau Beauté is on the first level of Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City.

This K-beauty cream has sold over 1.5 million worldwide

The hero product of SkinRx Lab, a Korean skincare brand backed by a team of experienced dermatologists, is MadeCera Cream (P785), with over 1.5 million tubes sold worldwide. This multi-tasking product is made with a highly concentrated ceramide complex to brighten, hydrate, and combat the nine signs of skin aging: dryness, blemishes, wrinkles, looseness, sensitivity, dullness, dead skin, large pores and acne. No wonder it’s a bestseller.

SkinRx Lab differs from other Korean brands in that it edits the 12-step K-beauty routine down to the most basic, based on your skin goals. “No frills, no fads, just uncomplicated skincare that actually works” is their philosophy.

The most popular MadeCera line includes masks to refine, refresh or “re-turn” skin, a Moisture Barrier Ampoule formulated with 10% fermented ceramide to strengthen the skin barrier and replenish moisture, and Waterful Sun Up Plus SPF 50+ PA++++, a lightweight, moisure-absorbing sunscreen that softens skin while it protects.

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SkinRx Lab is available at Shopee and Lazada.

A sunscreen that converts UV rays into ‘beauty beams’

Anessa Philippines recently launched the Japanese brand’s Sun Dual Care Day Serum SPF50+ PA++++, which converts sunlight into “beauty beams” to prevent photoaging! When skin-damaging UV rays hit the serum’s Spirulina Energy Essence, a botanical extract from blue-green algae, it converts it into green-red light, which has been used as therapy in beauty salons (green to reduce redness and impove skin texture and tone; red to improve firmness and rejuvenate skin).

Sweat- and waterproof, it also contains hyaluronic acid and collagen to moisturize skin for 12 hours, and its unique pink finish creates a clear, translucent complexion. Clinically tested on 25 Asian women, the serum improves firmness, visibly reduces fine lines, fortifies the skin barrier (increasing skin moisture by 35.4% in four weeks), evens tone and can be used as a primer under makeup. No wonder it’s won so many beauty awards.

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Anessa is available at the official Anessa Lazada store, Rustan’s, and Look At Me Ph.

Diminish dark spots in 15 days

Sisley Paris’ Targeted Dark Spot Corrector has a patented complex to visibly diminish the size and intensity of all dark spots after 15 days, making skin more even and uniform, and revealing renewed radiance. Meant to be applied with a precision brush on dark spots, those with sensitive skin can also use it.

The Dark Spot Corrector is most effective when used with Sisley’s range of Phyto-Blanc skincare products: Brightening Cleansing Foam-in-Cream sweeps away pollution, impurities and sebum in a single step, revealing a more luminous complexion.

Brightening Hydrating Lotion, enriched with moisturizing and exfoliating key ingredients, prepares the skin for subsequent skincare products.

Sisley’s famed Ecological Compound balances the skin’s ecosystem and stimulates its natural defenses for it to function and defend itself effectively. Day after day, skin is revitalized, balanced and better supported, making it more resilient and beautiful-looking.

Correcting Brightening Moisturizer Multi-Defense Shield SPF 50+ PA+++ has patented mineral moisturizing, brightening and anti-dark spot skincare that aims to rebalance the natural color harmony of the complexion and provides global urban protection from UV, free radicals and pollution.

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Sisley is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.

Reco routine for cloud skin

Want the K-beauty trend of cloud skin? You can get it from Korean skincare brand Aera, which recommends day and night routines to achieve soft-focus, luminous skin.

In the morning, cleanse your face with Calming Gel Wash to soothe and brighten dull-looking skin, or Pore Clear Foam Wash, which removes pore-blocking dirt and excess oil.  Follow with BB Sun Tint SPF 30 in Natural or Light, infused with skin-caring ingredients that deliver hydration, protection, and natural coverage for a fresh and healthy glow.

In the evening, cleanse again, followed by Pore Blur Whitening Moisturizer, with probiotic complex and niacinamide to hydrate while improving your complexion, then All Night Whitening Repair Cream, with Aera’s Youth Restore Complex to slow down signs of aging, correct dark spots, even out skin tone, smoothen texture and moisturize dehydrated skin.

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Aera is available at Watsons, Lazada, Shopee, and the TikTok shop.

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