Elle USA - 09.2019

BEAUTY

HIDE PORES

effect makes skin appear

more even without

looking like makeup.

penetrating, and the

skin tightens beneath,”

Stangl explains.

in an hour, according

to the company’s

clinical testing.

Patience is a virtue, but must it apply to

your complexion? Katie Becker finds a new class

of beauty products with a need for speed.

Instant Skin Care

SKINTELLIGENCE

f only skin-care prod-

ucts could promise

same-day delivery on

their results. Alas, pros

say a topical formula

with active ingredi-

ents takes about four weeks for

effects like wrinkle smoothing

and spot fading to be noticeable.

“Twenty-eight days is a good rule

of thumb,” says Australia-based

chemist and writer Michelle

Wong, PhD. “It takes around two

weeks for the upper layer of skin

to turn over, and around 48 days

for the entire epidermis.” Still,

the age-old desire for younger

skin in a snap has inspired treat-

ments that range from yester-

year’s at-home egg white masks

that dry into a shrink-wrap-like

layer (and last until you smile)

to today’s injections that fill sag-

ging skin in a quick office visit

(though a pricey and sometimes

painful one at that). With instant

gratification now available in al-

most every other industry, from

Seamless orders to online talk

therapy, cosmetic chemists are

fine-tuning creams and serums

that fall into that magic zone: of-

fering immediate and noticeable,

albeit temporary, benefits.

“Everyone wants to look 10

years younger in five minutes,”

says Daniel Stangl, PhD, direc-

tor of innovation for La Prairie.

“This is not realistic, but there are

a few immediate effects you can

provide with a cosmetic prod-

uct, such as tightening films and

photo-reflective pigments so

you get the glow.” This month,

La Prairie launches an eye se-

rum that not only improves skin

over time but firms it in minutes

thanks to nonsticky, glue-like

saccharides that flex with move-

ment yet stay taut. Other new

instant tighteners on the market

include Orveda Biotic Full Eyes

Duo ($98), which uses oat pro-

tein, and StriVectin Hyperlift Eye

Instant Eye Fix ($49), which uses

minerals and clay. Also hitting

the shelves are pore-disguising

lotions that trick the eye, and

redness reducers that calm a

flushed face fast. Not yet invent-

ed is skin care that replaces that

aforementioned talk therapy, but

it’s probably just a matter of time.

I

PRODUCT “CLOCK”: FLORIAN SOMMET/TRUNK ARCHIVE; REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS.

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