Gauging healthy skin against the face of a child

01-Jun-2015 - Last updated on 02-Jun-2015 at 15:34 GMT

One independent skin care company is out to raise the bar in the anti-aging category by lowering the customary age of youthful beauty.

Researchers at StriVectin ventured to discover, “How much closer will an anti-aging product bring skin to its healthiest state?” Not surprisingly, the products tested were from the StriVectin line. Nonetheless, the notion of measuring product results against the state of children’s skin is somewhat novel.

To be like children

Common notions of healthy, youthful skin conjure vibrant women in their 20s. The StriVectin study worked from another perspective. “Using the results of a non-invasive pediatric skin study, StriVectin put their products to the test,” boasts the press statement announcing the results.

“The brand compared adult clinical test results from their core lineup against the study's findings of pediatric skin elasticity and skin barrier strength,” the statement explains.

In-house test results were favorable. The company has not, however, cornered the market on the fountain of youth. The top result shared came from a product called SD Advanced Intensive Concentrate for Wrinkles & Stretch Marks. After 4 weeks of testing, the adult skin barrier was 36% closer to that of pediatric skin, according to the statement.

A flair for the dramatic

StriVectin retails its skin care products in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia. And the brand relies on NIA 114, a patented molecule.

Products formulated with that ingredient were checked during this latest company research initiative. "We wanted to understand the fundamentals behind achieving healthy ageless skin and, for that, we took the bold stance of comparing against something so profound as skin at its very best," explains JuE Wong, CEO.

The company plans to use pediatric indicators for its product testing in the future too: "A commitment to efficacy is what drives us to develop products, so these pediatric benchmarks are certainly a standard that we will hold ourselves to going forward," she affirms.

Flat-age society

“Consumer behavior is adjusting to correspond more closely with lengthier life expectancies, flat-age demographics and the wellness that’s expected to come with longevity,” reported Cosmetics Design in a recent series on mega trends impacting the personal care industry.

Consumers who once would have thought of themselves as middle aged are now fully expecting to not age noticeably in terms of appearance, physical capacity and mental acuity for several decades.

How brands market “anti-aging” products—in fact, that term itself—is changing fast. “We are seeing a global shift in the way consumers view overall health, beauty and wellness and that has a big impact on the beauty industry,” confirms Carlotta Jacobson, president of the CEW.

StriVectin’s new testing strategy may seem overreaching today. But it’s just as likely that the company is ahead of the curve.

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