NEXT GENERATION
FOR WOKE WOMEN IN THEIR THIRTIES, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF SKINCARE IS EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT GOES IN THE JAR
As we grow up, so does our skincare regimen.
The world is changing fast enough to give Wonder Woman whiplash, and no matter how high-tech our smart-whatevers get, there’s one inalienable truth: time waits for no man. No woman. Not even young women. Until recently, the demand was for beauty products that work with a wait time of exactly 0.00 seconds so we can be perpetually prepared for an impulse selfie. But these days, it’s not just a case of “I need it now” – we’re adding “Plus, I also want more, please” to the demand. Something that merely makes us look better is no longer enough. It should make us look and feel better, and it should work right now, and later, too, thankyouverymuch. Fortunately, scientists have been working overtime to meet, and exceed, those ever-growing expectations, and new skincare is set to deliver.
“Our research showed that women in their thirties felt like their skincare wasn’t working. That was our starting point for product development,” says Dr Kiyoshi Sato, director of Shiseido’s research centre, which this month launches the brand’s highly anticipated Essential Energy, a do-it-all moisturiser aimed at women aged 30 and above that reboots the sensory processes of the skin as much as it nourishes and hydrates.
For one of the most ambitious projects in Shiseido’s near 150-year history, the brand’s labs first looked at the mind-body connection. “The condition of your skin is better when you’re in love and skin-to-skin contact brings out rich emotions. That can be hard to explain with science, but we know it’s true, so we have to look at new ways of examining it,” explains
Sato. Moisturiser that gives you the skin of a woman giddy with heart eyes sounds like something out of a Kubrick sci-fi, but as the arrival of Amazon (finally!) and Google Home reminds us, the future is now. Shiseido’s solution is skincare that activates the senses – the same senses that start to wax and wane from around the age-30 mark. “The nervous system goes all the way to the skin and the nerve cells are sending signals to the brain when there is touch,” says Sato. “In your twenties, the senses of the skin are sharp, but as you get to 30, the skin’s response can slow. We need a way to train the skin to heighten the senses if your skincare is going to be at all effective.”
Like the most modern healthcare plan, even the humble moisturiser is going holistic. The Shiseido formula is designed to target skin from all avenues. “We know that comforting sensations have a positive effect on the regeneration of the skin,” says Sato. And the jar is modelled off one used for a Japanese tea ceremony. “You have to refine the senses for a tea ceremony. It’s an event. It’s treated with preciousness and the texture is enjoyed,” explains Shiseido designer Akira Muraoka. The exact shape of the jar you receive is one of 64 possible combinations – there are eight jar and eight lid designs in existence and the exact combination of the two that you get is pure chance. It’s been created – and yes, measured in the lab, too – to scientifically ensure that it’s going to bring you comfort and joy, before you even crack open the lid. The scent – a mix of rose, jasmine and orange – is equally functional, designed to awaken your mind and bring balance to hormones.
So aside from the in-love glow, what else does a woman in her thirties need to know if she wants to age gracefully? According to Dior, it’s largely about antioxidants – boost them and you, and your skin, can be more resistant to ageing. The French brand even coined the term “anticip’ageing” to refer to women who aren’t trying to turn back the clock and right perceived wrongs, but are anticipating and bolstering the defences of the natural ageing process so they’re less likely to experience damage. The brand’s latest release is Capture Youth, a set of serums and a moisturiser that stimulate the skin’s regulation of antioxidants and strengthens it to battle against free-radical damage.
The psychological aspect of your skincare is as much a part of the solution as the active ingredients. “Being able to feel that the skincare is ‘working’ is more a problem for the modern consumer than any of the skin concerns themselves,” explains Kayoko Nakajima, Shiseido’s director of skincare product development. So the texture of Essential Energy has been crafted to slather the skin, then disappear without a trace. “We’re looking to change the skin through the five senses – it’s a very new concept,” adds Sato.
“Beautiful skin really starts with hydration,” says dermatologist and co-founder of Rodan + Fields, Katie Rodan. “Research shows that dry skin not only looks older, but acts older. With age, skin naturally gets drier, thinner and more sensitive.” Though product formulators have been inspired by high-tech concepts, the takeaways are pretty simple. If you’re in your thirties, fall in love, take your time, find pleasure, get your hydration and your antioxidants sorted and your skin will look its best for longer. “The thirties is the time when you want to be taking better care of your skin. Preventative steps early on can help skin age better,” says Rodan. Looks like it’s now or never. Capture Youth Age-delay Advanced Creme, $162, DIOR, davidjones.com.au
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