Although there’s beauty in everyone’s natural skin, we can sometimes forget just how much our skin has to put up with; ageing, pollution, dehydration, sun damage – you name it. With all of these factors and more to contend with, it’s only natural that our skin can sometimes start to look a little tired, dull or less radiant.
Just as our bodies need rest, food and nourishment to feel strong and healthy, our skin often needs a little bit of help to feel its best, too – and that’s why I’m going to be looking at the ways in which technology-driven skincare is helping our skin regain a natural-looking luminosity when everyday life and external stressors have taken a toll on our complexions.
The fourth installment in my technology series is dedicated to the latest glow-boosting formulas that I think you need to know about. So, if you’re after brightening, radiance-revealing skincare, you’re going to want to hear about my three standout choices of the moment – read on to find out all about them…
1. Light-Diffusing Technology
One reason why skin lacks radiance is due to hyperpigmentation, an incredibly common skin concern that sees darker patches of skin appear due to an excess of melanin, the skin’s natural pigment that’s responsible for your skin colour. Hyperpigmentation is a common sign of ageing, but it can also be experienced due to everything from UV damage to changes in hormonal levels, or as a result of inflammation and marks that scar the skin.
Although this is a natural and common condition, some people look to target hyperpigmentation by aiming to brighten these newly-developed dark patches to return their skin to its natural tone. One recent launch which does just that is Dermalogica’s Powerbright Dark Spot Serum, and it uses impressive light-diffusing technology to do it.
The lightweight serum brightens skin as it works to fade dark spots in as little as a week; this is all thanks to light-diffusing tech that begins to balance the appearance of uneven pigmentation, while the unifying serum continues to diminish dark spots over time.
The serum also supports and boosts the skin’s natural luminosity using powerhouse ingredient, shiitake Mushroom, which smoothes skin and also delivers antioxidant benefits. As this is a technology edit, I can’t help but include the stats; clinical results show that within just one week, the serum starts fading dark spots; in four weeks, it begins reducing the size of dark spots, and by eight weeks, it reduces the number of dark spots.
2. Flavanoids
When we think of bright, radiant skin, we often instantly think about the complexion and forget about the eye area, but if we really want to flaunt an all-over glow, we need to address the eye area too – and I say that as a dark circle-sufferer!
As someone who has dark circles despite sleeping for at least eight hours a night – yes, dark circles can also be caused by stress, pollution, dehydration, UV rays and even genetics – REN’s latest eye cream has definitely grabbed my attention. Why? Because it’s proven to reduce dark circles after just seven days.
Using 95% natural-origin ingredients, the irritation-free formula centres around a unique complex of bioactives to brighten, hydrate and plump for a more radiant, alert look. REN’s eco-responsible extract of flavonoid-rich elderberry flowers offer strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and is known to reduce dark circles. Another bonus? Glycogen helps to lock in hydration, maintain skin firmness, even out tone and ease fine lines and wrinkles for an overall improved eye area.
Although I’m sure the ingredients will have you hooked, you might have reached this point and been left wondering – but where’s the tech? Well, my first technology edit included a section on green technology, which cosmetics companies are becoming increasingly committed to in order to protect and respect the natural environment. I love that this formula is packed in a bottle using industry-first ‘Infinity Recycling’ Technology. This unique approach helps bring previously unrecyclable plastic back into circularity, so plastics that once would have been discarded and destined for landfill or incineration can now be given a new lease of life, while also minimising the need for the production of additional plastic.
REN pioneered this innovative approach to green tech with their most iconic moisturiser, Global Protection Day Cream, back in 2020 and their all-new Brightening Eye Cream is only the second time their Infinity Recycling tech has been used in the beauty industry, so it’s definitely one to get excited about.
3. VP8 Complex
In addition to hyperpigmentation, you can also suffer from a loss of radiance as you age simply because the skin struggles to shed dead skin cells at the same rate, meaning that the complexion can become overloaded with dulling skin cells.
That’s why your skincare might have to work a little bit harder to achieve a natural-looking luminosity as you mature. But in my opinion, just because something is hardworking, that doesn’t mean it has to sacrifice on luxuriousness! That’s why my final standout choice of the moment is Shiseido’s glow-boosting Vital Perfection mask. It’s a definite multitasker; not only does it help to reveal a youthful radiance in just one use, but it also helps to target additional signs of ageing, including wrinkles, dullness and sagging.
But what’s so special about this mask? In my view, face masks are of course great because of the way they boost your skin, but the chance to pop on your comfiest pyjamas, relax, light a candle and pamper yourself sometimes feels like half the fun! If you love a pamper night just as much as me, you’ll love this essence-soaked mask as you get to use two masks in one sitting!
The first mask targets the root cause of wrinkles and dark spots for a lifted, even and radiant finish, before the follow-up mask defines, sculpts and physically lifts the facial contours and jawline.
But what impressive tech is worth mentioning here? Shiseido’s VP8 complex with 4MSK is an effective brightening ingredient that helps diminish the appearance of age spots for a uniform, luminous look.
Of course, it’s Shiseido, so that means the innovation doesn’t stop there; the essence-rich sheet mask also features a KURENAI-TruLift Complex to support the skin’s natural renewal ability. This promotes a firmer, sculpted look, while ReNeura Technology++™ also offers fast firming and lifting effects. It ticks all the boxes if you’re after a radiance-revealing, anti-ageing face mask!
Discover More:
New and Noteworthy Beauty Technology Inspired By Hardworking Materials
3 New Tech-Driven SPFs Paving The Way For Better UV Protection
