The anti-ageing movement you need to know about

"Ageing is natural, and that’s going to happen to all of us… I just want to always look like myself, even if that’s an older version of myself." So said Halle Berry in a 2015 interview.

She probably didn’t know it at the time, but that sums up a growing movement in the beauty industry, where the focus is not so much on anti-ageing, but on ageing well. No more obsessively fighting the signs of age – it’s about keeping your skin in healthy, tip-top condition at any age.

What led to this new approach of prioritising skin health over wrinkle count? Well, for one, there’s the larger wellness trend of recent years. The shifting attention to things like fitness, holistic living and clean beauty has also changed attitudes on how to look after one’s skin. Much like how fad diets whose sole function is to shed kilos have been rejected in favour of more sustained wholesome lifestyles.

Another likely factor: the rise of numerous indie or “millennial” brands like Drunk Elephant, Sunday Riley and Saturday Skin, which generally target younger women for whom traditional anti-ageing lingo like “fighting wrinkles” and “firming skin” aren’t very relevant or appealing. Instead, these brands put a more positive and fresh spin on skincare, using upbeat words that run along the lines (pardon the pun) of “radiance”, “glow”, “vitality” and “renewal”.

“The term ‘anti-ageing’ just feels a little backwards, disingenuous and marketing-driven. You never hear people worrying about how their liver or stomach is ageing – they just know that if they don’t take care of themselves, they won’t be in good health for long,” says Tiffany Masterson, founder of Drunk Elephant.

“It’s the same with our skin, our largest organ. We need to respect its basic needs, give it more of the things that keep it healthy, while avoiding those that cause it stress. By doing this, you’re going to have skin that ages more gracefully with time,” she says.

Even the UK’s Royal Society for Public Health has weighed in on this issue. In a June 2018 report that surveyed 2,000 people on their attitudes towards ageing, the health education body found that three in five respondents believed they would become less attractive as they aged. Half the women say they feel pressured to look young.

The findings were worrying enough for the Royal Society to urge major retailers and beauty magazines to ditch the term “anti-ageing”, and rethink their narratives about ageing.

“All human beings – at all stages of life – are ageing in their own way, as a natural consequence of being alive. To be ‘anti-ageing’ makes no more sense than being ‘anti-life’,” said the report’s authors.

Of course, this doesn’t spell the end for anti-ageing skincare per se. Not when the global market in 2020 is said to be worth US$42.51 billion (S$57.5 billion) and is expected to hit US$55 billion by 2025, according to market research firm Market Data Forecast. On top of that, a United Nations report says that almost every country in the world is seeing an increase in the size and proportion of older people in their population. Do the math – the customer pool is only going to get bigger.

What the new tack in anti-ageing has brought on is a boom in products that work towards skin’s long-term health, rather than specifically fighting wrinkles or sagging. Some are premised on supporting skin’s natural abilities so it can continue to function smoothly. Others still use conventional anti-ageing ingredients, like retinol, AHAs and antioxidants, but couch the benefits in more age-inclusive terms such as “luminosity”, “freshness” and “energising”.

Take Estee Lauder’s new Advanced Night Repair serum, for instance, first launched in 1982 and a forerunner of the current wave of health-skewed skincare. Angie Leng, Estee Lauder Singapore’s education manager, says the serum came about when Estee Lauder scientists discovered that skin has a natural repair mechanism that peaks at night.

“The original formula was the first product developed to help skin repair and recover from the visible effects of UV light exposure. Working in sync with the skin’s own natural processes, it boosted skin’s renewal process and repaired the visible signs of ageing during the restorative hours of sleep,” she says.

Since then, other players have launched their version of “universal” products said to help users of all ages improve skin health and resilience – without explicitly calling them “anti-ageing”.

Lancome’s Advanced Genifique serum, for one thing, works like a probiotic supplement to balance skin’s microflora; SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence and Albion’s Floral Drip are nutrient-rich ferments said to improve various aspects of skin; and Chanel’s Blue Serum promises to keep skin healthy, using botanical ingredients drawn from the world’s Blue Zones – places where people have extraordinary longevity. Underlying these products is the assumption that healthy skin that can properly carry out all its natural processes will then look radiant, smooth and, yes, youthful.

“I’m not sure notions of skin ageing have changed as much as the preferred method of getting there. Never before have we had as many options – including lasers, Botox and fillers – to make the skin look younger,” says Masterson. “[The anti-ageing market] has also gotten younger, thanks to social media and reality TV. Now, everyone is obsessed. I think the industry is targeting all ages,” she says.

Skincare products for healthy, glowing skin

Ranging from moisturisers to serums and treatments, these products are more about being “pro-skin” than “anti-age”. The aim: to keep skin healthy and help it thrive so it stays as youthful and glowing as it can be, for as long as it can be.

Moisturisers and leave-on treatments

1/18

Sulwhasoo Bloomstay Vitalizing Cream, $120-$198

Restores a youthful, supple look to skin with plum blossom extract said have an antioxidant effect, increase collagen production and slow down cell ageing. Yuzu, orange, and germinated fruits and seeds firm skin while giving you an inside-out glow.

2/18

Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask, $75

An ultra creamy formula with encapsulated retinol to retexturise, plus avocado and polyhydroxy acids that gently exfoliate skin’s outer layers.

3/18

Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream, $102

Best for dry skin, this rich but fast- absorbing moisturiser is like a healthy Japanese diet for skin. Antioxidant- rich purple rice, plus green tea and algae, intensely hydrate and replenish ceramides for bouncy, luminous skin.

4/18

Saturday Skin Pretty Pop Probiotic Whipped Cream, $62

Its soft, whipped texture feels a treat, while its encapsulated probiotics give you supple, lustrous skin. Other goodies: niacinamide to hydrate, and hibiscus extract to smooth lines.

5/18

Herbivore Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment, $90

Repairs, moisturises and renews skin, with antioxidants, humectants and exfoliating agents like papaya. Its wow colour comes from powdered indigo root, an anti-inflammatory skin soother.

Lotions

6/18

SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion, $100-$116

Contains SK-II’s signature bio- ingredient, Pitera, to nourish skin with vitamins, minerals and amino acids, plus alpha-hydroxy acids that improve skin’s overall tone and radiance.

7/18

Dior Capture Totale C.E.L.L. Energy High- Performance Treatment Serum-Lotion, $113

Sinks in fast to hydrate, plump and condition skin. It promises more supple and well- balanced skin after seven days.

8/18

Albion Flora Drip, $98-$182

Created using fermentation technology, this all-purpose lotion is packed with 7,800 active substances that address every aspect of skin beauty, from texture and smoothness to hydration, elasticity and luminosity.

Serums and treatments

9/18

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment, $130-$186

Promises instantly fresher, more even- toned and radiant skin by sloughing away dead skin cells with lactic acid – an AHA popularly used to encourage skin renewal and reduce signs of ageing.

10/18

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, $110-$185

Immunise skin against damaging factors with this pre-serum. Plant extracts like reishi mushroom and iris root bolster skin’s ability to defend and balance itself. Expect more resilient, problem-free skin over time.

11/18

Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum, $88

Some 14 per cent of this night serum is made up of AHAs, BHAs and flower acids that gently resurface skin while you sleep, reducing the look of pores and lines. Honey and hyaluronic acid ensure skin doesn’t get stripped of moisture.

12/18

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex, $130-$224

This first-of-its-kind product gave rise to the whole concept of “night repair” skincare. Now into its fifth iteration, the serum promises to help skin recover from daily environmental assaults even better, for fresher, bouncier skin after three weeks.

13/18

Chanel Blue Serum, $216

Inspired by the longevity of people living in the world’s so-called Blue Zones, this serum uses a trio of nutrient-rich plant ingredients from these regions to maintain skin health by boosting its energy, metabolism, cell communication and ability to cope with stress.

14/18

Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream, $105

It balances anti-ageing retinol with skin-soothing peptides and fruit oils to achieve brighter, smoother skin, without redness and irritation.

15/18

Sky & Sand Australian Emu Apple Dreamy Glow Drops, $70

Delivers a brightening shot to lacklustre skin using antioxidant-rich Australian fruits. A mix of five hyaluronic acids plus lightweight plant oils plump skin and leave a healthy sheen.

16/18

Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate, $130-$230

The serum works like a daily dose of prebiotics and probiotics to help balance skin’s microbiome, the eco system of microbes that live on it. The upshot: more resilient skin that can better deal with germs, free radicals and inflammation.

17/18

Edible Beauty No. 3 Exotic Goddess Ageless Serum, $77

It perks up drab skin with a cocktail of antioxidants derived from Australian botanicals. Kakadu plum – a rich source of vitamin C – lends a healthy glow, while hyaluronic acid plumps skin and fills in lines.

18/18

Gallinee Youthful Serum, $98

It features a blend of pre-, pro- and post-biotics that support the good bacteria on skin, thereby improving the barrier so skin can better retain moisture and keep out harmful elements. The probiotics also encourage cell renewal.



This article first appeared in the November issue of Her World.