once upon a time…

Staying forever young may be a thing of fairytales, but who needs magic spells when we’ve got modern-day potions on our side? Presenting our annual edit of the best anti-ageing wonders to fight the clock

From new products to scientific breakthroughs, we’ve got the latest in anti-ageing treatments.

gimme glow, now

“The Cosmedix blueberry peel is our most popular treatment for a quick pick-me-up,” says Kaye Scott, co-founder of Sydney’s The Clinic. “It uses gentle acid and blueberry extracts to exfoliate the skin and clear away the dead epidermal layer, giving a youthful glow without irritation.” It suits all skin types, and with minimal peeling and zero downtime, it’s a safe bet for the acid-wary.

tackle stubborn pigmentation

Melasma (hormone-induced pigmentation) is notoriously tricky to treat, but Grant has seen impressive results with the Cosmelan peel, which combines skincare heroes such as retinol, vitamin C and melanin inhibitors to break up existing pigment and prevent new spots. “It’s safe for all skin types and tones so it doesn’t carry the risk of heatinduced pigment, which can be a side effect of laser,” Grant says. “But it’s a commitment: up to a week of downtime and half the results lie in the subsequent home-care regimen.” Four months of twice-daily cream application will maintain the skin-clarifying results.

improve texture and tone

The Obagi Blue Peel Radiance is a salicylic acid-based chemical peel that exfoliates the uppermost skin layers, targeting photo damage, pigmentation and acne scarring for improved texture. “The tiny sal acid molecules also dive deep into pores, so it’s particularly great for oily, congested skin,” says Sarah Knight, aesthetician at Sydney’s Dr Saras & Co. Application is tingly and there may be some flaking for a week after, but skin is noticeably smoother, glowier and more eventoned in just a few days.