Why you should swap Botox for HIBISCUS
And other natural anti-ageing alternatives — from the pioneer of organic skincare
On the run up to her 50th birthday, Charlotte Vøhtz noticed her skin was changing. ‘When you’re a child, skin renewal takes place every three to five days,’ she says. ‘But when you get into your 50s, it takes two to three months. even if you apply the most amazing expensive cream, it’s going on top of dead skin cells. It can’t penetrate, so it won’t work.’
An organic beauty pioneer, Charlotte didn’t want to use chemical ‘tweakments’, so she started researching cutting-edge, scientifically proven botanicals that could delay ageing.
‘I knew I needed to find a way to exfoliate the skin without being too harsh. I love wrinkles, but I don’t like dry, sagging skin.’
A former nurse, Charlotte has a background in pharmaceuticals and is fascinated by science. But she also believes passionately in the power of nature.
After six years of research, Charlotte, now 60, has just launched her signature range, Age Defy+ by Cha Vøhtz, a natural skincare regime that uses a blend of innovative plantbased alternatives aimed at skin aged 30, 40, 50 and beyond.
She believes that, while genetic ageing cannot be halted, women should not have to simply accept all this means for their skin. In her products she has combined botanicals, plant stem cells and scientifically proven phytoactives and she argues that women don’t need Botox or other anti-ageing treatments — these blends of ingredients work in synergy to delay ageing and deliver just what the skin needs.
She has a track record in skincare. When her young daughter Sandra was battling multiple skin allergies and eczema, Charlotte founded the organic, plant-based skincare range Green People. She says: ‘As any parent of a child with severe skin problems will know, it can be a long and frustrating battle to find treatments that work.’
Back in the early nineties, the dermatologists she saw suggested treating Sandra with steroids. ‘But I knew that was only a temporary fix.’
She consulted a herbalist and biochemist and, once she started applying a potion containing 16 herbs, Sandra’s skin began to clear up. By the time she started school, aged four, it was completely clear.
Charlotte began developing tailored skin creams from her home, a converted barn in Sussex. And, in 1997, she launched Green People with a range of 30 organic products, including baby salves and shower gel.
It became the first cosmetic company to gain ethical status from the Good Shopping Guide. Since then, the range has expanded to 150 products.
having tackled aggressive ingredients and synthetic chemicals, parabens and petrochemicals with Green People, it’s no surprise she has no love for chemical alternatives.
Instead, she prefers to work with youth-boosting botanicals and plant actives to boost collagen, target uneven pigmentation, reduce cell breakdown and diminish wrinkles.
here, she explains how antiageing plant extracts, among them pomegranate, hibiscus, neroli and sea holly, can be just as effective.
SKIN-PLUMPER
SWAP: Botox for hibiscus. With its magical reputation for increasing skin elasticity, it’s no wonder hibiscus is called the Botox plant.
It has an incredible ability to inhibit the activity of the enzyme elastase, which is responsible for breaking down our skin’s precious elastin.
hibiscus actively combats the ageing process by firming and lifting your skin, allowing it to ‘snap back’.
Because of the slightly exfoliating effect of the organic acids found in the plant, hibiscus also helps speed up cell turnover, resulting in a more even-looking skin tone.
It can even help to control acne breakouts, bringing your skin back in balance for a gorgeous, glowing complexion.
hibiscus also enhances the skin’s ability to retain moisture, a key factor in keeping a youthful complexion. INSPIRE RECOMMENDS: herbivore Rose hibiscus hydrating Face Mist 120ml, £28, spacenk.com; Kiehl’s Ginger Leaf & hibiscus Firming Mask 100ml, £44, kiehls.co.uk
WRINKLE-BUSTER
SWAP: hyaluronic acid (a muchused additive in anti-ageing creams) for beech bud extract.
Beech bud extract is an exceptional ingredient, rich in a range of substances that boost the metabolism, smooth the skin’s surface and restore hydration.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that the beech is known as the everlasting Youth tree.
Studies suggest beech bud extract increases skin hydration by 30 per cent, while one trial showed a 10 per cent reduction of wrinkles over a fourweek period. INSPIRE RECOMMENDS:
Chantecaille Flower harmonizing Face Cream 50ml, £99, spacenk.com; Cha Vøhtz Age Defy+ Brightening Moisturiser with beech bud extract and cucumber 30ml, £37, greenpeople.co.uk
EXFOLIATOR
SWAP: Alpha hydroxy Acids, or AhA (chemical compounds used in abrasive cosmetic exfoliators) for pineapple extract.
exfoliate dead skin cells by rubbing a thin slice of pineapple or papaya over your face. Leave for five minutes, then rinse off with tepid water.
Pineapple extract is rich in skin-boosting vitamins C and e and bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme.
Applied to the skin, this enzyme breaks down the protein bonds that hold dead skin cells on to the outermost layers of skin, exposing a younger, more vibrant complexion. INSPIRE RECOMMENDS: Kiehl’s Pineapple Papaya Facial Scrub 100ml, £24,
kiehls.co.uk; Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Bright Serum 30ml, £46, cultbeauty.co.uk
REJUVENATOR
SWAP: Butylene Glycol (a type of alcohol used as a solvent in antiageing serums) for sea holly.
A beautiful, purple, thistle-like plant, sea holly is amazing because it has evolved to survive in the harshest conditions.
An extract is obtained from cultured plant stem cells, which contain all the attributes of the whole plant and, as a result, have powerful regenerative and rejuvenating properties.
Sea holly stimulates and protects the skin’s natural elastin and collagen, both of which decrease as you age, resulting in greater skin radiance and luminosity.
In a dermatologist-monitored trial involving 20 volunteers aged 35 to 60, skin tightening increased by 27 per cent, skin smoothness improved by 38 per cent and hydration increased by a remarkable 95 per cent.
this ingredient also has strong antioxidant activity, to protect skin cells from free radicals and inflammatory activity. INSPIRE RECOMMENDS: the Body Shop’s Drops of Youth Concentrate — containing sea holly from the Brittany coast — 100ml, £26, thebodyshop.com; Cha Vøhtz Age Defy+ Line eraser Serum 10ml, £23, greenpeople.co.uk
ANTI-AGER
SWAP: Dermal fillers for extract of the herb baikal skullcap.
Much-used in Chinese medicine, the extract baicalin comes from the roots of baikal skullcap, a herb in the mint and sage family native to east Asia.
It’s an ingredient with remarkable anti-ageing properties in adults aged 30 or over.
At this age, the number of times that a skin cell can divide before eventually dying reduces by an average of 10 per cent per decade, owing to damage to structures within each cell called telomeres.
In infants and children, the telomeres are protected by an enzyme called telomerase, but this ceases to be produced once we reach adulthood.
Baicalin re-stimulates the production of telomerase in adult cells, and restores skin to a more youthful state. INSPIRE RECOMMENDS: Cha Vøhtz Age Defy+ hydrate & Renew Serum containing baicalin and willow bark 30ml, £39, greenpeople.
co.uk; Resveratrol B e, Antioxidant night Concentrate, Skinceuticals, 30ml, £130, skinceuticals.co.uk
HYDRATOR
SWAP: Retinol (a popular chemical skincare ingredient) for squalane.
Squalane is the saturated, or stable, form of the compound squalene, originally obtained for commercial purposes from shark liver oil, but today extracted from olive oil.
Adult skin is lubricated and protected against external aggressors by the sebum our skin produces. In healthy skin, sebum contains 10 per cent to 13 per cent squalene. this level drops as we get older. Low levels of squalene lead to dryness and flaking of the skin, and increase the risk of bacterial and fungal infections (eczema and psoriasis are also linked to low levels of squalene).
Olive squalene conditions and hydrates the skin, making it plumper and silkier. INSPIRE RECOMMENDS: the Ordinary Squalane Cleanser, £11, boots.
com; Facetheory emolliating Olive Squalane,£12.99, amazon.co.uk