The latest beauty trend is measured dose skincare - and we love it. Here are the latest products that allow you to target the changing needs of your skin at any time. By editor Trudi Brewer.
How to use it?
We like how flexible these boosters are, you can add a few drops to your day cream, mask or even your foundation and you will see your skin instantly appear refreshed. The Repair or Detox Booster help with the effects of chlorinated water, travel, the climate and lifestyle stress. The Energy Booster is perfect for anyone juggling a family and busy career. Just as you would take a multivitamin or wheatgrass shot each day to give your body some extra nourishment, these skin tonics work in the same way - genius.
Clarins Boosters, Energy, Repair and Detox, $55.
These three skincare boosters are designed to address the look of tired, dull and breakout-prone skin with dozens of potent plant extracts. Depending on how your skin feels and looks day by day, you can amp up your skincare and give your complexion a special vitamin boost.
How to use it?
Each capsule is a measured dose of serum that leaves skin feeling hydrated and looking smooth. For travel these little capsules are the bomb, we always have a few in our makeup bag for overnight trips away. Just twist and then press the contents of the capsule into your palm, press your hands together and apply the golden goodness onto the face and neck, and backs of the hands, wait a few minutes for it soak in, and then you can layer your day or night cream over the top.
Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum, 60 capsules, $199.
We have used Ceramide Capsules on and off since 1990 when they first launched. But when we tried this next generation, we could tell they were much more potent. The formula boasts triple the anti-ageing power of the original ceramide concoction, which is a blend of cholesterol, fatty acids, Tsubaki oil and the powerhouse vitamin A derivative, retinyl palmitate. They also contain a great lineup of plant oils including sea fennel, alfalfa, olive and coconut, which is why they literally melt onto the skin.
Clinique Fresh Pressed 7-Day System with Pure Vitamin C, $60.
For an intense pick-me-up to clarify skin post-summer, this two-step process is a powerful weekly treatment to help shift brown spots and brighten dull skin. The first step is a powder cleanser that comes in seven individual sachets, once water hits the powder, it turns into a lather, which you massage into skin to cleanse. Step two is the booster serum which contains 10 per cent vitamin C.
How we used it?
We experimented with this duo and used the serum with and without the powder cleanser, however it works much better when both steps are used together. After using the powder skin feels so clean, and all you need to do next is mix two drops of the serum with your usual moisturiser, and both can be used morning and night - it's that easy. Be sure to shake the serum for a few seconds before you apply it, this helps to activate the vitamin C.
How we used it?
The serum is almost mousse-like in texture but feels like a moisturising cream once it is applied to the skin. The buddy to the Overnight Retinol Repair is the Buffer cream, which helps your skin acclimatise to the active vitamin A. Dermalogica recommend you mix the retinol cream with the Buffer Cream and apply it to cleansed skin at night, which we did. Within a few days our skin tolerated the retinol without the buffer, however, if you experience any redness or sensitivity, blend the two together.
Dermalogica Overnight Retinol Repair 1%, $198.
For anyone wanting to shift pigmentation, autumn is the time to invest in an intense skincare programme. Just launched, the latest offering from Age Smart contains 1 per cent encapsulated retinol along with peptides (protein) and vitamin C. These ingredients work together to correct an uneven skin tone and help lift sunspots. To stop the skin from becoming sensitive, this program is best used at night, and always use an SPF religiously while on this program. Designed to brighten skin, you may also see a softening of fine lines as the retinol helps to speed up sluggish skin renewal.
Pure Fiji Dilo Oil Anti-Ageing Booster, $65
Native to Fiji, the sacred Dilo nut grows along the coastline drawing nutrients from the sand and pacific ocean. It is known as a heal-all-oil for most skin irritants by the Fijian people, including insect bites, sunburn and nappy rash. Once cold-pressed this oil and the hydrosols (water extract from the cold pressing process) are brimming with antioxidants and anti-histamines, ideal for anyone who suffers from dry, irritated skin. This natural oil will become your staple skin healer - we promise.
How to use it?
Add a few drops to your day or night creams, and this oil is the perfect recovery treatment post laser, IPL or after skin peels, It boosts hydration and soothes sensitivities, we have even been known to apply it to a kitchen burn neat, and the soothing healing results are mind-blowing.