As luck would have it, I got a great little GWP that included a sample of Lancome’s Renergie Microlift cream with R.A.R.E. technology – Re-bundling and Repositioning Effect, and an eyeshadow quartet with matte shadow in Daylight, sheen finish shadows in Optic and Spontaneous, and metallic shadow in The New Black. Happy Makeup Monday!
A bit of online research tells me that the oil from the
seeds and fruit of the sea buckthorn bush has a long history of use in
traditional herbal medicine for healing wounds and soothing the skin. It is
known to have high levels of vitamins A and E and other skin-benefiting
components, so it is not surprising that it has found its way into modern skin
care formulas.
Weleda has introduced a line of body care products that
contain its own biodynamically farmed sea buckthorn oil and juice to revitalize
the skin and stimulate the senses. The company tells us that sea buckthorn is
ideal for soothing and regenerating dry skin damaged by environmental factors
such as sun exposure. The products also were designed to let the skin’s natural
radiance shine through.
The line includes body wash, hand cream, body lotion and body oil, priced from $10 to $22. Weleda products are available online at usa.weleda.com and at Target, Whole Foods Market and select health food stores and specialty retailers throughout the U.S. and around the world.
In my student days, I was always more interested in
language and literature than math and science courses. Today, despite my
avoidance and probably because of it I have a deep regard for those disciplines.
Science and its practical offspring, technology, bring many welcome, necessary
and even exciting things to our lives. New research builds on past discoveries
and achievements, bringing improvements perhaps only imagined in earlier iterations.
Lifesaving medicines and medical devices, health and safety improving systems,
materials and processes, even photo-sharing and community building computer applications
are among the many critical and life-enriching results of scientific research
and practical development.
In the cosmetics industry, work goes on every day around the
world to improve our understanding of the skin, for just one example, as well as how
the activities of materials drawn from plants and minerals and more can be
harnessed and adapted for use in skin care products. Scientists investigate how
ingredients can be improved upon to work even better and faster, and how they
can be paired with other materials to get where they are needed more
efficiently or to last longer on the skin. I find it all very exciting, and it
often results in interesting new products for us to try!
Lancaster will bring its newest anti-aging skin care
solution, Retinology, to the U.S. beginning in September. The product combines two of Lancaster’s own technologies, Intra-Cellular
SystemTM for propelling
an active ingredient into the skin, and
the active ingredient Active-Retinol.
Imperata
cylindrica hydroglycolic extract to help
ensure hydration of the superficial layers of the skin;
Australian
Imperata cylindrical, a
potassium-rich plant containing a unique water capture and protection system
that enables it to withstand particularly hostile environments including severe
dryness;
The
RPF complex, a combination of
plant and fruit extracts with anti-free radical properties to prevent the oxidation
that leads to wrinkles and sagging; and
Pigments
and micro rock crystals with
optical properties including color intensification and light reflection to
visibly minimize skin imperfections, restore the skin’s radiance and illuminate
the complexion.
Lancaster Retinology, with a suggested retail
price of $135.00, will debut on
HSN.com in September.
Remember to take advantage of the resources available to learn more about cosmetic ingredients and their specific uses in cosmetics. And share your experience with us if you have used products from the Dr. Grandel Hydro Active line.
I had heard the name but knew very little about Erno Laszlo products
when I received press information recently regarding some soaps and a
pre-cleansing treatment. As I understand it, these are not new items, but they invite a little
exploration into the brand.
Hungarian dermatologist Erno Laszlo introduced his skin care system
to Hollywood in 1937, where it was used by film legends Greta Garbo, Audrey
Hepburn and others, and then opened his first U.S. skin care institute in New
York City in 1939. Today, brand devotees learn to identify their skin types and
follow carefully personalized and detailed regimens, called Rituals.
Erno Laszlo Active pHelityl Oil, a pre-cleansing facial treatment
for dry to slightly oily skin, incorporates anti-inflammatory botanical extracts
in a non-comedogenic essential oil. It is a first step in the cleansing process
to dissolve trapped impurities, according to the company, promoting cleaner,
healthier-looking skin.
Features and Benefits:
After pre-cleansing with Active pHelityl
Oil, use of one of several bar soaps is recommended. The bar soaps are
HydrapHel Cleansing Bar for extremely dry skin, Active pHelityl Soap for dry
and slightly dry skin, Special Skin Soap for oily and extremely oily skin, and
a great looking black soap bar called Sea Mud Soap for normal/combination to
oily skin.
Active pHelityl Oil is available at the Erno Laszlo Institute,
www.ernolaszlo.com, and Erno Laszlo counters at fine specialty stores
including: Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew.
I was in touch recently with Christina Hane, who directs the communication effort for Yves Rocher North America, to find out what’s new with the 50-year-old French brand. My own first encounter with the brand came last year, with its Rose Absolute eau de parfum, part of its Secrets D’Essences line.
Earlier this year Yves Rocher launched its Couleurs Nature cosmetics line in the U.S., and from the sound of things have been pretty busy ever since. On the corporate side, the company officially launched a new visual identity, as well as a new Atelier of Botanical Beauty store concept in Canada. Yves Rocher also opened its own eco-hotel, La Grée des Landes, near La Gacilly, France, where the company has its botanical gardens.
The biggest question I had for Christina was about what the company offers women over 50. “We have a lot to offer women 50+,” came her reply. “We have the Lift Effect line from Sérum Végétal with galactosides from the Tara seed.” She says it is a high performing line that includes a contour definition cream for the face and throat and a radiant eyelid cream. On its Web site, the company helps consumers choose products by defining its lines by age group. While that may not tell you much about the products themselves, it seems like a good way to become acquainted with the various lines.
Christina also told me about the Riche Crème line. “It is made with 30 botanical oils rich in fatty acids, pro-vitamin A and E, as well as squalene.” She says these ingredients are “all important in mature skin which tends to be dry and less nourished with more pronounced wrinkles.” The company has added a complement to that line, the Riche Crème Omega Concentrated Compensating Treatment with omega 3-6-9 from soya oil.
From galactosides and botanical oils, to omega 3-6-9 and soya oil, and much more, there are a lot of interesting ingredients being used in skin care today. I encourage you to learn what you can about them to make informed choices. Researchers around the world are discovering new benefits from plants and are gaining a better understanding of how these benefits can be put to work in products for our skin.
As for Yves Rocher, I have personally tried the night cream from its Culture Bio line. I like the non-greasy feel and light orange scent for warm-weather nights.
Happy discovering.
While I do not personally seek out strictly natural or organic beauty products, I know that many people do, and so this post is about a line of face and body care products with a focus on natural and organic ingredients. It is, of course, one of many that have been brought to market in recent years.
BABOR, which launched it signature product, HY-OL in 1956, has expressed its intention to place more emphasis on the natural aspect of its products, and introduced earlier this year what it calls its most natural brand to date: Baborganic.
If you choose your personal care products for what is not in them - and many people do - the Baborganic products are marketed as free of dyes and scents, animal proteins, parabens, petroleum-based products, irradiated ingredients and genetically modified raw materials.
For those of you who buy products for what they DO contain, Baborganics are said to include natural extracts from certified bioproduce, plant-based emulsifiers and raw materials certified by Ecocert, a well-established reference in organic certification.
The line is available in fine resort and destination spas, specialty stores, as well as at day spas and salons as well as online. It includes Biological Enzyme Cleanser and Pure Age Preventing Cream for the face, and Wake Up Shower Gel and Revitalizing Body lotion for the body. In addition, there is a Wellness Candle, the wax of which can be used as a massage balm or as an intensive body moisturizer.
If you've tried these products from Babor, I'd love to hear how you liked them.
