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The Serum That Uses Sugar to Keep Skin Dewy
Cost: $205 for 1.7 ounces
Why: To understand how this product works, you need a little background on glycans, the sugar molecules that are found naturally in the body. You've heard that sugar is practically the devil in regards to skin health -- but these molecules don't come from cake, and they have nothing to do with raising your blood sugar. Glycans help skin cells communicate -- they sit on the surface of cells and act like antennae for skin cells. As we age, glycans (which also keep cells plump by attracting water) diminish, halting the skin's regeneration process. Enter: Glycanactif, a lab-formulated, patented complex created by L'Oréal (YSL's parent company), intended to replace some of the common glycans lost during the aging process.
Glycobiology research has been recognized by seven Nobel Prizes -- it's clearly regarded as an important issue when it comes to skin health. Glycanactif not only replaces glycans, it also encourages glycan production from the cell itself. Does it work? Clinical studies say that participants experienced a ten percent increase in epidermal thickness and skin was visibly less lined and plumper after one month.
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The Plumping Product That Rebuilds Skin
Cost: $214 for 1.69 ounces
Why: Like the Kate Somerville line, the Rose Infinity products work under the theory that the shortening of telomeres is the cause behind skin aging. This serum relies on hydrolyzed soy and yeast proteins, which help protect and rebuild telomeres. The soy isoflavones in this serum have been shown to significantly increase skin thickness -- a study of 20 postmenopausal women showed that skin volume increased by 11.2 percent over three months. Hydrolyzed yeast proteins, one of the active ingredients, delay the shortening of telomeres, as proved by three researchers (two of whom are women, natch) awarded the Nobel Prize in 2009.
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The Skin-Healing Serum Inspired by Burn Victims
Cost: $600 for 1 ounce
Why: Creator Gregory Bays Brown, MD, is a Harvard-educated plastic surgeon who started the RéVive line because he noticed that his patients, more than anything, wanted smooth, youthful skin -- the kind of skin that can't be achieved with surgery. The RéVive line is formulated with Renewal Epidermal Science (RES) technology, inspired by the Nobel Prize-winning Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) technology, a molecule used to create healthy skin in burn victims.
According to Ronald Moy, MD, senior vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation and founder of DNAEGF Renewal, ingredients based on EGF skincare technology can actually reverse UV-related damage. "There is good scientific evidence that DNA Repair enzymes are the best ingredients to prevent skin aging and skin cancer development," says Moy.
The RES technology found in the RéVive line works to turns skin cells over eight times faster, while keeping them healthier by halting DNA fragmentation. EGF technology has an almost cult-like following for its Benjamin Button effect, so almost any skincare product that includes it is going to cost some big bank. Considering the science behind it, we recommend stopping by a Nordstrom counter to snag a free sample at the very least.
