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WORDS BY FIONA EMBLETON. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JASON HETHERINGTON. STILL LIFES BY PIXELEYESSkinnovationsISYOURSKIN GETTING
ENOUGH SLEEP?
Beauty-wise, the real fairy tale
happens while you snooze. ‘That’s
when skin naturally regenerates,’
says José Ginestar, scientific director
at Sisley. ‘There is a reduction in sebum secretion, so it’s more
receptive to absorbing active ingredients, while an increase in
circulation gives it the energy to repair.’ Conversely, a bad
night’s sleep results in the rise of the stress hormone cortisol.
Read: inflammation and dullness as blood flow is redirected
by the brain away from the skin towards other major organs.
So, it’s no surprise tech to improve sleep is launching at a fast
pace. Take Dyson’s Lightcycle Task Light, £449.99. Our
bodies are tuned to the sun, and exposure to artificial light can
throw off sleep schedules. This smart LED lamp aims to
replicate daylight; starting with warm light in the morning,
getting brighter during the day, and becoming warm again in
the evening to mirror your body’s circadian rhythm. Night
creams are also upping the ante to ensure you wake up with
a renewed glow. Sisley’s Velvet Sleeping Mask, £93,
replenishes lost lipids, while silicon in L’Occitane’s Precious
Dynamic Youthcare Cream, £ 55 (Fabled.com), acts as a carrier
for moisturising hyaluronic acid, so it dives in a few notches
deeper. If slack skin is a worry, try Guerlain Abeille Royale
Night Cream, £112 (Johnlewis.com), as it stimulates a gene
that defends against elastin-destroying enzymes. And when
your face is in need of some extra brightening, apply Elizabeth
Arden’s Vitamin C Ceramide Capsules Radiance Renewal
Serum, £42 for 30 capsules. A single serving contains
L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in oil-soluable form, so it absorbs
even better. One word: genius.■WHAT’SHAPPENINGON YOUR
SKIN?
The idea may make
us itch, but there are
more than one trillion
bacteria living, crawling
and snacking on the
skin as part of
your microbiome. ‘They
repair environmental
damage, thwart viruses,
and keep a low pH to
avoid irritation,’ says
Moreau. That is until
everything from unclean
air to diet and hormones
throws the microbiome
out of whack. Enter
Lancôme’s new Advanced Génifique
Youth Activating Concentrate,
£82.50, the first serum proven to
work on the microbiome, thanks
to pre- and probiotics including
bifidus. ‘The idea is not to add more
bacteria to the skin, so we used
non-living “fractionated” pieces of
bacteria,’ says Moreau. ‘These are broken-down peptides and
sugar from the cell walls that feed the bacteria you already
have, helping them to stay balanced.’ Also good: Ren’s Clean
Skincare Clearcalm Non-Drying Spot Treatment, £15, with
prebiotic chlorella extract to keep spot-forming P. acnes at bay.
Diversityis critical for the microbiome, too. ‘The greater the
varietyof bacteria on the skin, the healthier its barrier,’ adds
Moreau. Now that overcleansing has stripped skin of this
diversity,try Mother Dirt’s AO+ Mist, £49.99 (Harveynichols.
com). It’s the only skincare product containing living
microorganisms and reintroduces the Nitrosomonas
eutropha strain,which converts ammonia in sweat into
anti-inflammatory molecules. Within four weeks, testers saw
a 35 per cent improvement in complexion clarity.‘Thegreaterthe varietyof bacteriaon the Skin,the healthieritS barrier’2.3.