Skin is the biggest organ of our body and its purpose is to protect—forming a barrier to keep bacteria and other environmental aggressors from attacking the body. Because of the skin's ability to protect, this also means that a lot of skincare ingredients don't penetrate skin as easily.
Over the years, we've heard of how skincare products are constantly innovating to make molecules smaller so that they are able to penetrate the upper epidermis layer to the deeper dermis where collagen, elastin and fibroblasts reside. These three components, often referred to as the Holy Trinity of youthful skin structure, are what affect skin firmness, texture, bounce and whether you have wrinkles or not.
Five weeks ago, I was asked to test out a new range of skincare from homegrown brand HEURE (It's French for "hour" and is pronounced "her"). With little information on what it actually contains, I went in blind and hoped for the best. What I didn't expect was how quickly it took for me to experience a difference. My first application was at night, so I didn't really have to think about how it would sit underneath makeup. With six products in the range, it was relatively fool-proof when it comes to the order in which you should apply them.
First up is the Ageless Skin Booster, a very fluid lotion that absorbs really quickly—so quickly that I second-guessed whether I applied enough and went on to apply two more pumps of the product just to make sure (double-tap for zombies, double-pump for essences).
Then came the Ageless Serum, another quick-absorbing product, only less fluid and more viscous than the Ageless Skin Booster. What I didn't know then, was that this serum was the star of the range (more on that later).
The Ageless Eye Serum came next, and there's the recurring property of fast absorption for all the products I've applied so far. Très bien!
And for moisturiser, there's the Day Treatment, which comes with SPF 35 (!!!) and the Night Treatment. Both of which, as I am happy to report, have excellent textures that don't feel heavy on the skin.
Finally, on days when you need an added boost of moisture, put on the Facial Treatment Mask. It's made of biocellulose, which sits comfortably on the skin without sliding around even when you're seated upright.
With four products on my skin (Skin Booster, Serum, Eye Serum and Night Treatment), I started my first day on this new routine. What I didn't expect when I woke up the next morning was to actually feel a difference — I did feel something or did I? As many skincare experts will tell you, skin's renewal cycle is approximately 28 days, which means it often takes up to four weeks before you can see a difference in your skin. A difference on the second day? Maybe I'm imagining it, but my skin did feel smoother to the touch, and also more hydrated. Then, five weeks flew by and the results are more apparent—skin is definitely more hydrated and plump. Skin redness, a mild form of rosacea on my nose area, was also not as visible. Overall, my skin felt smoother, healthier and less dry. That's also when I was able to find out what actually goes into the products, and it all made sense from there.
At the heart of HEURE's products is a unique delivery system called SPHR™ Technology (pronounced "sphere"). In simple terms, active ingredients are encapsulated and that helps absorption in a few ways. Firstly, it protects the active ingredients and helps them penetrate homogeneously. Then it releases these active ingredients over time to offer benefits all-day. Lastly, it has the ability to home in elastin and collagen, essentially areas that need these active ingredients the most. The active ingredients are a trio of Acetyl Hexapeptide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 and Pentapeptide-18. If science is not your strong suit, just know that these peptides form the building blocks for proteins such as collagen and elastin. Remember the Holy Trinity of youthful skin structure mentioned earlier? Peptides are great for that.
Back to the Ageless Serum. It contains a high concentration of the peptide trio which are released over the course of the day to strengthen collagen and elastin. Over time, this constant infusion of peptides improves the skin's overall structure so that it's less susceptible to the formation of fine lines. Fortifying the serum are hyaluronic acid, which is known for its hydrating properties, as well as vitamins C and E which are antioxidants that help to protect skin against free radical damage. This potent serum is clinically proven to reduce wrinkle formation, skin roughness, and improve the appearance of existing wrinkles in vivo. Pump 25ml of the serum in a mask, and you get the Ageless Treatment Mask, which sounds all the more precious when you get to treat your skin with this nourishing mask.
As a beauty editor who has the privilege of trying out new products all the time, HEURE's SPHR™ technology genuinely excites me, and I'm honoured and proud that it came from a brand located on this little red dot.
HEURE Ageless range is available at heurebeauty.com.