Skin S.O.S.

Irritation is the biggest enemy when it comes to aging. Here’s the latest super-soothing solution.

During the day, our skin cells work hard to protect us from damaging environmental stressors like pollution and UV rays. At night, those same cells focus on repairing any damage. This daily cycle is influenced by our circadian rhythms. When we’re young, the rhythms are as smoothly timed as Jazzmeia Horn’s rendition of “Tight.” As we age, our skin cells lose their beat, which means the damage builds up and we show signs of aging. But sometimes life throws our skin a curve ball in the form of extreme weather, excess pollution or even a long overseas flight and we need an emergency intervention to undo this extra stress-induced irritation. That’s when Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Intense Reset Concentrate, with its Chronolux S.O.S. technology, might come in handy.

As the name suggests, this product is for skin emergencies, explains Nadine Pernodet, vice-president of skin biology

and bioactives at Estée Lauder. “You don’t use it every day,” she says, adding that redness, tightness, dullness and dryness are signs that your skin is inflamed and needs to be “rescued” and “reset.” If this inflammation isn’t addressed, she suggests, it can accelerate the visible signs of aging.

This new concentrate contains the anti-inflammatory ingredients salicylic acid and resveratrol (the antioxidant found in red grapes) as well as fermented yeast, which helps promote autophagy, or the natural removal of damaged cells. Well-hydrated skin is less vulnerable to damage, which is why this S.O.S. product contains 15 times more hyaluronic acid (HA) than the regular Advanced Night Repair (ANR) serum. Apply it after ANR at night or during the day if your skin is irritated. “We are living more stressed lives,” says Pernodet. “This creates inflammation—the biggest enemy when it comes to aging.”