Beauty: Get your skin active

Evolu Rehydrating Facial Masque. Photo / Babiche Martens

Two of the big skincare trends these days are natural or organic ranges and the so-called "doctor" brands. Launches of both have become regular occurrences in the beauty business.

While natural products and those developed by dermatologists and plastic surgeons may seem to have little in common - other than forming a pincer movement on the sales of regular retail product lines - they do share in their most effective incarnations a common interest in "active ingredients".

Hard to define, but this basically means contents that do something, which you'd kind of hope applied to pretty much everything in your skincare. Actually, a lot of it is filler surface ingredients which make your skin feel nice, rather than actually accomplish anything more.

Natural ranges and doctor brands both talk up treating the skin from within, be it by harnessing nature's ingredients or scientific knowledge of which "cosmeceutical" substances can best work on skin health by combining cosmetics and pharmaceutical knowledge.

Increasingly, both strands of skincare are talking about the same thing, drawing on botanical extracts and promoting Vitamin A, antioxidants, peptides and alpha-hydroxy acids among other key ingredients and steering clear of additives with question marks over their benefits.

Worldwide, it is reported sales of natural and organic products are increasing by over US$1 billion ($1.3 billion) a year, with the main markets being Europe and North America.

New Zealand should form a case study of its own, with a strong showing of well-established local brands (Trilogy, Living Nature, Antipodes, Evolu, Oasis, Pacifica, Huni, Snowberry, the Herb Farm and more) and new ones emerging.

Two savvy Kiwi brothers based in Australia launched their Grown range here just last week. Next week Auckland hairdresser Lucy Vincent-Marr brings her Sans skin and haircare line to market (see story page 15).

Then there's the many overseas ranges available, such as Dr Hauschka, Aesop, Weleda, Nude and newer lines here like Equavie, Bakel, JW Organics and the cheaper-priced Avalon, Sukin, SkinFood and Simple ranges.

Like many brands, Grown comes with a back story. Jeremy and Keston Muijs became interested in the natural skincare market when a friend suffering from cancer developed reactions to her regular products.

Her doctor explained that this was because they contained toxic substances that a healthy body could deal with, but in the case of her compromised immune system the chemical overload was too much.

The brothers began investigating options on the market and became committed to the cause.

After careers brand-building both here (where they helped launched the Orca sports clothing line) and in the United States, they settled in Melbourne to get Grown off the ground a decade after the initial idea.

Proponents of any number of different skincare "solutions" are all passionate about the rightness of their offering.

The Muijs say: "The most important focus for us is creating healthy skincare."

Like a number of natural companies, Grown has chosen not to become fully organically certified; it's a complex business and does limit ingredient options with supply at times an issue.

But like most natural companies it follows a fairly standard list of no-no ingredients - parabens, sulphates, artificial fragrances and mineral oils - and it's aware of packaging.

Across the board there is an increased interest from consumers in knowing what ingredients are actually in a product. Given how opaque labels are, it's no wonder ranges with a simple message are growing in appeal.

The number of women buying their skincare from beauty salons or skin clinics is also fast rising, with many being promised more effective options than those available over the counter.

Whether this is always so is debatable, but in some cases the sort of stable, vitamin-enriched formulas at clinics are not able to be sold in the same strengths in a normal retail environment.

Personally-prescribed skincare has many pluses and dermatologists in particular can offer enhanced ingredients, but sometimes in salons women are signing on for more than they may need.

Many of the "doctor" brands are big on supplements and treatments in tandem with topical applications.

For skin like Nicole Kidman's or Cate Blanchett's, courses of microdermabrasion, peels, fillers, vitamin shots and IPL are probably par for the course, but most people just want to keep their skin hydrated and lines at bay.

Anti-ageing action is a bonus, with a healthy anti-oxidant rich diet central to this and something to be gained from the use of the right serums.

The doctor ranges include the likes of Environ, Dr Murad, Nimue, Md formulations, Priori, Ultraceuticals, Bioelements and Rationale. Many have been formulated to work on skin recovering from surgery or to target particular concerns dermatologists are familiar with, including ageing and pigmentation issues.

In the middle of the natural and doctor ranges are various established European botanical-rich ranges such as Clarins.

Then there's the "wonder" creams from premium skincare houses, which invest heavily in advanced skincare research, which then trickles down to mainstream ranges.

What you buy will depend a lot on personal philosophy: low maintenance or high, natural or no matter.

Cost comes into it, so does image, and in some cases health concerns. Here's a taste of the variety of skincare out there:

DR BRANDS

1 Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser $63.90

Dr Howard Murad has been selling skincare for 20 years and been named by Vogue as California's top dermatologist. (From Caci Medispas. www.caci.co.nz and murad.com.)

2 Environ AVST 1 Moisturiser

This South African-origin product contains Vitamin A in a beginner's dose. (From the Skin Institute and spas including Forme. www.skininstitute.co.nz.)

3 Priori Moisturing Facial Cream

With vitamin A and the potent anti-oxidant Idebenone, Priori calls itself bioengineered skincare and uses botanical ingredients (From About Face and Forme salons.)

4 Rationale Niacinamide Serum

This Australian company has as its New Zealand director leading facial plastic surgeon Dr Mark Izzard, who was attracted by the use of niacinamide, vitamin B3, which seems to provide effective treatment for pre-cancerous lesions. (From the Skin Institute.)

NATURAL BRANDS

5 JW Organics Phyto-Vitamin Rose Hand Creme $49

Judith White is an aromatherapist and natural beauty care proponent who has written several books. Her JW Organics line is new here and has a luxurious feel. (For stockists Ph 0800 575 565.)

6 Juice Beauty Green Apple Cleansing Gel $45

American certified organic range based on extracts from 26 different anti-oxidant fruits. (Life pharmacies, selected department stores.)

7 Grown Body Cream $39

Bio-active aromatic range with the belief everything put into our bodies must be nutritious and free from harmful additives. (From Smith & Caughey's and selected salons and spas. www.grown.com.)

8 Evolu Rehydrating Facial Masque $49.90

This mask absorbs into the skin, and has bioactive hydrating ingredients, including Omega 6 fatty acids from borage oil. (From selected department stores and pharmacies. www.evolu.com.)

9 Trilogy Vital Moisturising Cream $44.90

The country's natural skincare exporting success story, with rosehip oil as a hero ingredient.(From leading department stores and pharmacies. (www.trilogyproducts.com)

10 Weleda Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash $19.50

From a Swiss company co-founded by educationist Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s and operating here for 50 years. Known for its mother and baby lines and now its skincare has a fresh look. (From health and natural food stores and selected pharmacies. www.weleda.co.nz.)

11 Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser $44.90

Contains an extract from sauvignon blanc seeds, plus cocoa butter, and anti-bacterial harekeke oil. (Selected department stores and pharmacies. www.antipodesnature.com.)