BOTTLE SERVICE
In a radical move, Estée Lauder has reimagined its beloved Advanced Night Repair serum, which 38 years on, is as pioneering as the original. By Remy Rippon.
WHAT TRULY MAKES a beauty product iconic? Is it the ability to withstand all manner of beauty trends and still hold relevance? Is it being loved and recommended by beauty editors and influencers, or having a permanent place in the beauty cabinets of millions of loyal fans? In an industry that prides itself on innovation, true icons are few and far between. Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair is one of those few.
Launched in 1982, Advanced Night Repair is the reason your beauty cabinet is stocked with night serums. Affectionately dubbed ‘the little brown bottle’, researchers behind the formula identified that our skin regenerates overnight, and were the first to supercharge this process with what we slather on in the evening. Love hyaluronic acid for its juicy hydrating properties? You can thank Advanced Night Repair for that too; the OG formula was the earliest skincare product globally to include the now-popular ingredient.
Radical innovations and cutting-edge technology are the reason that in 2019, Estée Lauder sold approximately 22 amber bottles per minute. With results like these, even the most successful brands can find themselves in a beauty conundrum: do you continue to renovate your beloved formula and risk alienating some of the loyalists who have made Advanced Night Repair a resounding success?
Ultimately, innovation has trumped hesitation. “The research for Advanced Night Repair never stops,” explains Dr Nadine Pernodet, vice president of skin biology and bioactives at Estée Lauder Companies. To be sure, the brand has only reformulated its star pupil a handful of times since its inception. “The formula has been updated only four times in its 38 years, with each launch debuting an unprecedented first in innovative skincare research,” adds Pernodet.
For its next-gen update, Lauder’s team of researchers zeroed in on a field known as epigenetics – the science of understanding how external aggressors like UV exposure, pollution and climate, as well as lifestyle factors like sleep and diet, can influence how our genes are expressed. In other words, if you alter your exposure to certain elements as well as the way you live, you can change your skin for the better. “Scientists believe that only 25 per cent of ageing is pre-determined and the remaining 75 per cent or so is influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors,” notes Pernodet.
The idea that our gene expression can be switched on and off depending on our lifestyle habits isn’t revolutionary, but what sets Estée Lauder’s research apart is the rare discovery of what they’ve dubbed a ‘micro signaling molecule’. While it might sound high-tech, its function is surprisingly simple: these clever messenger molecules communicate responses to environmental changes, and can be supercharged to boost the skin’s natural renewal process.
“The formula now contains a new signal ingredient, adansonia digitata seed extract, shown in in-vitro testing to boost the level of the micro signaling molecule we identified as critical to supporting skin’s natural repair,” explains Pernodet of Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex, which has been seven years in the making.
What does all of this mean for your face? The latest formula works to improve the skin’s barrier, increase hydration stores (read: add glow), refine the look of pores, and satisfyingly plump out fine lines. In clinical testing, the immediate effect was obvious: after just one application, 90 per cent of respondents noted a softer and smoother complexion, while the serum itself absorbed quickly, leaving no sticky residue.
As revolutionary as the spiffy new formulation is, there are hallmarks of the original Advanced Night Repair. The signature silhouette of the amber flacon remains unchanged, although the 2020 version is made from recyclable glass. Moreover, the silkysmooth serum is still dispensed via its trademark dropper, issuing the perfect portion of formula on every application. But perhaps most importantly, the latest Advanced Night Repair remains true to its predecessor’s modus operandi: it delivers a more youthful, radiant complexion, all while you sleep.