SKINCARE

Skincare formulations often include vitamins, most typically (although not exclusively) vitamins A to E, with each said to address a particular skin concern or condition

Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels

Six-pack of actives

Danish medical skincare company, Beauté Pacifique, recently launched Symphonique, a patented breakthrough in dermatological research offering unsurpassed and completely new anti-age technology. The entire Symphonique concept provides a six-pack of highly active vitamin A types for maximum anti-age effect and is additionally supported by both botulinum-toxin mimicking and anti-oxidative ingredients.

Says Wayne La Grange of Beauté Pacifique Africa: “This technology has never been seen in skincare before and Crème Symphonique Night-Time is the flagship patented product in the range. It provides an instant collagen rebuilding anti-age effect, while placing a deposit of vitamin A within the skin. This deposit is slowreleased during the night, providing the skin with just the right dosage of vitamin A continuously, while you sleep.

“Due to Beauté Pacifique’ s welldocumented squalane-based nano technology, vitamin A penetrates into the elastic fibre network in the dermis and therefore rebuilds and strengthens – resulting in a real rejuvenation. Together with 65 caring and nourishing active ingredients, they create a symphony that provides optimal care for mature skin.”

Other products in the Crème Symphonique range include Day-Time and the Eye Zone Filler.

Acne attack

The Esse Skincare Clarifying Range for Acne, which is exclusive to skincare professionals, features niacinamide (vitamin B) in two of the four products in the range.

Firstly, the Esse Clarifying Serum is formulated with niacinamide to reduce inflammation, boost barrier function and regulate sebum production. This, alongside ingredients like salicylic acid, probitoics and hyaluronic acid, make it the perfect product to address acne concerns. Used in combination with the Esse Clarifying Oil, the Clarifying Range has been shown to reduce inflamed lesions by 64% in 8 weeks, while being 46% more effective than traditional retinoid (adapalene) treatment over the same period.

A targeted spot treatment, the Esse Spot Corrector is packed with salicylic acid, bakuchiol and niacinamide to ensure spot and inflammation relief to targeted areas. The Spot Treatment can be used alongside the Esse Clarifying Oil and Esse Clarifying Serum to address specific areas.

Concentrated power

The Vitamin C Dermal Concentrate from Derca is an advanced active serum with a high percentage of active ingredients to treat hyperpigmentation, melasma, sun spots, scarring and anti-ageing. This vitamin C concentrate is perfect to treat dermal pigmentation without adverse reactions and must be used with the Derca Triple Retinol Serum.

The product reduces hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, while improving sagging skin, natural peeling, chloasma and melasma.

Also from Derca, the Derca Vitamin C Skin Polish is a lightweight exfoliating gel that cleanses the skin from make-up and debris. This gel is a gentle granular and enzymatic scrub with hydrolyzed jojoba oil, vitamin c and coconut oil to remove dead skin build-up and reduce open pore size.

Benefits include the reduction of dead skin cell build up. In addition, the product aids deep cleansing, stimulates blood circulation, provides anti-oxidants, promotes anti-ageing and treats hyper-pigmentation.

Smooth as satin

Saloncare’s Hydra Satin Range was formulated with luxuriousness in mind for the mature skin. Its day and night moisturisers have a comforting and hydrating, satiny feel.

These products contain anti-ageing ingredients with a boost of vitamin A for repairing and rejuvenation. They are also formulated with vitamin C for a brightening effect and provide an anti-oxidant function.

Nothing but the best

The newly launched Best Repair Cream from Best Skin Care includes niacinamide in its formulation.

Say the experts at Best Skin Care: “Over the past few years, niacinamide has become one of the buzz words associated with skin care. More and more research suggests that it is a ‘must have’ in maintaining and caring for your skin.

“Niacinamide helps your skin in a variety of ways, such as helping it to produce cerimides (lipids) that prevent it from losing moisture. This ingredient has a strong impact in terms of hydrating the skin and is ideal for use on sensitive skins.”

They point out that niacinamide significantly decreases hyperpigmentation and increases skin lightness by blocking the transfer of melanosome, ensuring that the skin looks smoother and perfect for use on all skin tones. As niacinamide regulates the amount of oil the sebaceous glands produce, it is suitable for use on oily skin and ideal to treat acne. This vitamin also acts as an everyday use anti-oxidant.

Right on cue

RégimA’s “On Q” Quenching Facial Oil contains powerful oil-soluble vitamin C and provides multiple anti-ageing benefits. This product penetrates quickly, protects cells from UV damage and improves skin tone, whilst promoting healthy collagen synthesis, resulting in a stronger, resilient, clearer, brighter, more even-toned, smoother complexion.

Says RégimA’s Jacqui Faucitt: “An increase in oxidative stress wreaks havoc on skin health, hindering collagen synthesis and speeding up collagen breakdown, higher photo-damage, resulting in increased melanin production. As a result, skin visibly ages, with wrinkles, roughness, ‘age spots’ uneven pigmentation, reduced skin brightness and a decline in skin hydration. Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Vit C acts at a cellular level increasing cell survival, collagen synthesis, ensuring skin hydration.

“In addition, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate UV Protector, achieves excellent penetration within the skin keratinocytes, fighting harmful effects of UV radiation. Cells treated with Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate have a better survival rate.”

Faucitt notes that the “On Q” Quenching Facial Oil is also formulated with prickly pear – aCertified Ecocert ‘Cosmetofood’. This is extremely rich in antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, K, Phytosterols, and Essential Fatty Acids, Omega-6, linoleic Oleic, Palmitic, Stearic, Linolenic and Palmitoleic acids.

Originally found in Mexico, showing remarkable adaptation to arid climates, thus a source of hydration in the desert, this cactus is now cultivated all around the Mediterranean basin.

Faucitt continues: “These active molecules within the seed oil, which is a natural humectant, are powerfully anti-ageing, regenerating and provide proven anti-wrinkle, antioxidant, anti-bacterial and healing properties, with visible anti-redness, anti-irritant, deep moisturisation, soothing and smoothing. There is stimulation of new cell growth, restoring elasticity, calming inflammation, brightening skin, improving pores and promoting a more flawless complexion.”

Photo by Lucas Macario from Pexels

Big fix

Every product in the DermaFix MD Prescriptives range is formulated with its own unique formulation and high levels of actives. Niacinamide features prominently in this range due to its versatility in treating ageing, acne concerns as well as pigmentation.

MD Vitamin A Propionate is extremely popular, indicated for use by clients concerned with wrinkling, actinic lentigines, photo-aged skin and acne, as well as post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation.

This formulation offers the benefits of both niacinamide and Retinyl Propionate in clinical strength, alleviating skin wrinkling, acne and hyperpigmentation without retinoid induced irritation. Niacinamide in this formulation improves skin moisturisation and has anti-wrinkle, anti-acne and skin barrier strengthening properties, brightening the skin whilst also reducing the formation of melanin in the skin.

Big boost

The Vitality Booster Masque from Vitaderm is a nutriceutical-driven booster treatment that contains powerful vitamins that act as super anti-oxidants. This formulation offers outstanding anti-ageing benefits, while its breakthrough vitamin C derivative not only offers incredible anti-free radical benefits but also assists in the prevention of solar damage. The Ubiquinol, together with the extract of ginger, helps to energise the skin at a cellular level. This rich, creamy clay formulation is highly recommended for dry, very dry and mature, environmentally damaged complexions.

Vitaderm’s Nutrient Complex also contains powerful vitamins to neutralise the damaging effects of free radicals. The advanced nutriceuticals that have been incorporated into this formulation include a revolutionary vitamin C compound that is oil-soluble and therefore very stable against oxidation. The addition of ferulic acid and ubiquinol ensures unsurpassed anti-oxidant benefits.

Another Vitaderm product is the Multi-Vitamin Treatment, a nourishing, vitaminenriched formulation intended for night-time use. It is formulated with multi-vitamins, including vitamin A, B3, B5, C and E, which help improve skin texture and suppleness and restore skin health. It is recommended for very dry and/or mature skin types in need of cellular regeneration and nourishment but not suited to ultra-sensitive complexions.

Alphabetical solutions

From pHformla, the VITA A cream contains a 1.5% retinol complex consisting of pure retinol and should be used as an advanced treatment product for ageing skin. Retinol helps to stimulate cell regeneration thereby diminishing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots from both sun damage (photoageing) and intrinsic ageing.

Next in the pHformula range of vitamin-rich products is the VITA B3 cream, which reverses visible signs of redness, pigment changes and skin ageing. It contains 5% prescription strength niacinamide to improve the skin barrier function, ensuring optimal protection against external pathogens. Niacinamide will increase epidermal lipids, which will contribute to proper skin barrier function as well as assist in reducing trans epidermal water loss. It is a potent anti-inflammatory that will reduce skin redness.

VITA C cream is a brightening vitamin cream to moisturise, protect and reduce the appearance of dark spots. pHformula has developed this highly concentrated vitamin C cream with 24-hour moisturising properties to offer immediate and intense hydration. It contains Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate at prescription strength, which results in superior anti-ageing benefits, ideal for daily and year-long application.

Finally, the VITA D cream is formulated to boost vitamin D absorption, soften the skin and protect against dryness for a natural healthy-looking glow. The VITA D cream contains VITA D booster complex to address short- and long-term hydration as well as stimulate the expression and activation of the vitamin D receptors (VDRs), thereby assisting with skin cell growth, repair, and metabolism to slow down skin ageing. The Prebiotic complex significantly increases the stability and efficiency of the skin microbiome.

Active oil

The Six Vitamin Booster Oil prevents the signs of fatigue and activates microcirculation, allowing the skin to regenerate, re-energise and restructure. In addition, it includes softening, soothing, healing and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as protects and strengthens the skin barrier.

Also from Six, the Vitamin C Brightening Moisturiser is a powerful formulation that reduces levels of damaging free radicals, increases skin firmness, brightens skin tone and effective wrinkle reduction.

Metabolic processes

The ground-breaking research of Dr Des Fernandes, Environ founder and scientific director, revealed that vitamin A is the one molecule that plays a vital role in our metabolic processes. As it works on the DNA, it can determine the behaviour of stem cells. By normalising how cells function, vitamin A is able to then influence cells to behave in a younger, healthier way. This leads to skin functioning normally and looking more youthful and radiant.

Every skin cell acts as a factory that converts cosmetic forms of vitamin A into Retinoic Acid (the medical grade of vitamin A). This means that skin can not only absorb Retinyl Palmitate (as a cosmetic ingredient), but by using cellular enzymes, it can convert it into Retinoic Acid that works on DNA.

Vitamin A is an essential skincare ingredient which assists to normalise the appearance of pigmentation and promote healthy collagen and elastin formation, to leave the skin looking firmer and more youthfully radiant. Furthermore, it speeds up healing, prevents breakouts, supports the skin’s immune system and promotes the skin’s natural moisturising properties.

This is why vitamin A is Environ’s cornerstone ingredient. Environ’s philosophy behind the unique Vitamin STEP-UP SYSTEM™ is to start low and go slow. This helps your skin slowly become accustomed to increasing levels of vitamin A by stepping up from one level to the next.

Environ’s range of moisturisers contain the vitamin A complex. This is a combination of vitamin A, other vitamins and antioxidants. In addition to the daily replenishment of vitamin A, you can target specific skin concerns such as dehydration, sensitivity and breakouts with Environ’s Focus Care ranges.