All about: Dermalogica Age Reversal Eye Complex

I swear in my life I have tried about every single ‘hope in a jar’ for my eye area out there, spending god knows how much on eye creams, serums and whatnot as I (fruitlessly for the most part) battle the creeping signs of ageing. There’s certainly no way to escape them, but a little softening here and there is more than welcome, and if I can find a product that gives my skin that extra boost then bring it on.

In the skincare world there is one thing that we know absolutely delivers the goods however, and that’s retinol. Some are so potent that can completely change your skin overnight, but not all are created equal. There are a lot of misconceptions about retinol too, with good reason. Also there is the fact that there are ‘Retin-A’ products, and ‘retinol’ products… and both are ‘retinoids’. It’s all vitamin A, but the first kind is pretty heavy duty (i.e. you need a prescription) and the second type you can buy over the counter. Unlike standard exfoliators, retinoids work at the cellular level to increase collagen, smooth-out annoying fine lines and even-out the tone, all of which are on my shopping list thank-you-very-much.

Retinol is a key ingredient in Dermalogica’s newly reformulated Age Reversal Eye Complex, which features new microencapsulation technology and a unique firming complex to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, puffiness and dark under eye circles with minimum disruption to the skin. Available in New Zealand from authorised Dermalogica stockists and dermalogica.co.nz right now, it has been researched and developed by The International Dermal Institute (IDI) and is now a major part of Dermalogica's incredibly efficacious AGE Smartsystem.

"The skin around the eye orbit is the thinnest on the human body, and has fewer oil glands than the rest of the face, making the area more susceptible to environmental factors such as UV exposure, that, combined with frequent movements like smiling or squinting, leads to fine lines and wrinkles," Caroline Parker, Head of Education, Dermalogica New Zealand says. “Thanks to the new technology and ingredients in the Age Reversal Eye Complex, the cell turnover process is speeded up, stimulating collagen production and thickening the cell layers around the eye. This makes the skin appear plumper, fuller and smoother, with fewer wrinkles and consistent pigmentation distribution!"

The new, much improved Age Reversal Eye Complex boasts the following new ingredients and technologies:

* Microencapsulated Retinol 0.1% - Studies have shown that retinol significantly restores the structural integrity of the skin, accelerating cell turnover and renewal, stimulating collagen production, improving epidermal thickness, and increasing elastin biosynthesis. This 0.1% concentration of pure Vitamin A has the power to trigger epidermal cell proliferation while new microencapsulation technology ensures maximum potency, stability and controlled-release delivery deep within the skin layers.

* Microencapsulated Niacinamide - Antioxidant Vitamin B3 controls inflammation, reduces the appearance of dark under-eye circles due to hyperpigmentation, inhibits glycation (the process in which sugar molecules react with proteins such as collagen and produce harmful molecules that weaken skin, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles), and reduces trans-epidermal water loss. Microencapsulation ensures optimal potency and penetration.

* AGE Reversal Firming Complex - anexclusive formula that includes Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to strengthen collagen and firms tissue, wonder ingredient Hyaluronic Acid and Dunaliella Salina Extract, an algae extract that stimulates epidermal cell renewal.

Like any product containing retinol, this formula requires some care to begin with and then you are good to go. Apply it on alternate nights for the first two weeks as skin builds up a tolerance to the retinol, then as skin acclimates, build up to applying nightly. I have found with some retinol products that after a few months’ of use my sensitivity may return, so if it does with this baby just pull back a little and start the process over again. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Age Reversal Eye Complex is available in a 15ml tube with a recommended retail price of $115 from authorised Dermalogicaskin centres nationwide and dermalogica.co.nz, right now.