The young and the ageless

MANILA, Philippines - “Age is an issue of mind over matter,” Mark Twain once said. “If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” But to most people, it apparently does. For a couple of years now, the fight against aging has quickly been gaining momentum. Anti-aging products are cropping up left and right, all with the promise of turning back the hands of time. Now, at my age, I may be a tad young to be worrying about these things as I still have my quarter-life crisis to go through. But I figured, I might as well see what the fuss was about. After all, as some dermatologists put it, the earlier the prevention, the better. With this in mind, I decided to give the Nu Skin AgeLoc line a try.

At the Nu Skin private pre-launch, I was greeted by Maureen Fernandez, Nu Skin’s product trainer, who quickly introduced the company and its newest product. Nu Skin, as it turns out, is a direct-selling company that specializes in anti-aging, personal care and nutritional supplements. Its newest offering is its Age Loc line which features the Age Loc Transformation Set and the Age Loc Galvanic Spa II. The system is unique because it targets the Ar Supermarkers – the ultimate source of aging. The term Ar Supermarkers or Age-related Supermarkers was coined by Nu Skin to describe body chemistry components that influence how we age. “Basically, the Age Loc line goes straight to your genes to minimize aging,” Fernandez explains.

She then went into the details of each aspect of the Age Loc line, starting with the Age Loc Transformation Set — a four-step skincare system designed for daily use. It promises to improve skin in eight ways: promote youthful skin structure, smooth texture, even skin tone, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, increase skin radiance, reduce the appearance of pores, reduce discoloration and increase hydration. First in the process is the Gentle Cleanse and Tone that combines the effects of a facial cleanser and toner in one product. It prepares your skin for the next step in this anti-aging transformation. The Future Serum is the second step. It delivers the maximum effect of the Age Loc system deep into the skin. This is, essentially, the most important step in the Transformation Set. This is then followed by either the Radiant Day SPF 22 or the Transforming Night depending on the time of application. “The Radiant Day has a higher SPF content than most day creams available in the market,” Fernandez emphasizes, “rather than the usual 15, we amped it up to 22.” The Transforming Night, on the other hand, is a powerful night cream that actively repairs your skin as you sleep. These four combined are potent enough but Nu Skin takes its battle against aging up a notch with its Age Loc Galvanic Spa II.

The Age Loc Galvanic Spa II is a re-launch of the previous Nu Skin Galvanic Spa that has enjoyed much success. The new offering is now specifically geared to battle aging by combining it with the Galvanic Spa Face Gels with Age Loc. Its patented self-adjusting currents allow for the deeper absorption of the face gels. Design-wise, it now includes a brighter display, enhanced ergonomics (it fits in your palm), and intuitive usability (four interchangeable heads and five settings that feature their own timers). 

After our discussion, I was treated to a quick spa experience using the Age Loc line.

Hands-on treatment: The Galvanic Spa II and the Face Gels with Age Loc can give you a spa treatment when you want it, where you want it.

Setting the Age Loc Galvanic Spa II to level one, the technician rubbed the Pre-treat Face Gel all-over my face to cleanse it. This face gel has marigold, sea kelp and vanilla extracts in it to collect all the dirt from my face. I learned that both the galvanic spa unit at level one and the Pre-treat face gel are negatively charged. “Like charges repel,” Fernandez explained, “so the gel is pushed deeper into the pores to collect impurities.” This prepares my face for the next face gel – the Treatment Gel with Age Loc. At this stage, the galvanic spa unit is set to level two. This time both the unit and the Treatment Gel are positively charged. “So as the Treatment Gel is repelled and pushed into the skin,” Fernandez expounded, “the Pre-treat Gel with all the impurities is attracted out.” This means that the Treatment Gel with all its anti-aging and hydrating benefits are left to do its magic deep in my skin.

After my session with the face gels, my skin was simultaneously cleansed and toned with the Gentle Cleanse and Tone. It was after this step that I felt my skin really tighten up. It was squeaky clean. And that is saying something as I have really oily skin. However, the ultra-clean feeling was a bit uncomfortable as it left my skin almost too dry. To my relief, the fragrant Future Serum was applied all over my face, leaving it soft to the touch. Finally, the Radiant Day SPF 22 was gently massaged onto my face. However, it left my skin a bit too oily for my liking so I wiped some of it off. And with that, my impromptu spa treatment was done.

The overall result was amazing. My skin felt really clean yet extremely soft at the same time. Plus, I couldn’t help but notice that my skin was more supple and dewy than usual, definitely making me feel younger. However, as wrinkles and fine lines have yet to make their unwanted appearance on my face, I can’t determine how effective the Age Loc line would be on them. Fernandez assures me though, that it is sure to do wonders for me when the time comes.

Aging gracefully is a skill that not all people are able to master. For those who feel like reaching for some helping hands, try the Nu Skin Age Loc system. If you’re aged 30 and up, you’re in luck as this system is geared specifically to you. But for those like me who are still in their 20s, don’t feel left out as the Age Loc line can still work its magic on you. In this case, prevention is our catch phrase. So do your own time traveling with the Nu Skin Age Loc system and watch how the years fade away from your skin.

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The Age Loc Transformation Set is retailed at P24,000. The Age Loc Galvanic Spa II is retailed at P21,000. Nu Skin Enterprises Philippines, Inc. is located at 15/F Octagon Center, 41 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City (tel. 689-0326).