Beauty treatments for a golden glow

For thousands of years, gold has been revered not just for its value, but for its beautifying properties. Cleopatra famously slept in a gold mask every night to maintain her good looks, the Romans used gold salves for a variety of skin problems, and ancient Chinese medics regarded gold to be the key to retaining youth and vitality, with the queen of the Ching Dynasty using a gold massage roller on her face daily to prevent lines and wrinkles.

Fast-forward a few thousand years, and gold-based products are a key sector of the luxury skincare market. Once used only occasionally because of the difficulty of safely dissolving the precious metal and allowing it to penetrate the skin, technological advancements have successfully found a way of harnessing its use in topical formulations, allowing it to penetrate skin cells and aid their regeneration.

Found in everything from face creams to shampoos, it is believed that gold has properties that help to delay the ageing process, slowing down collagen depletion and the breakdown of elastin fibres while stimulating the growth of the skin’s basal layer, making it look more lifted and firm.

“Collagen is what makes our skin stronger, thicker and more supple, making it smoother, firmer and more youthful looking. As we age, our skin loses collagen, and our bodies gradually produce less and less. Gold improves blood circulation and skin elasticity, accelerates skin regeneration and, combined with other premium anti-ageing ingredients, works to firm the skin and deplete the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as increase radiance and luminosity.”

Sparkling skin

Skincare aside, being a golden girl doesn’t have to cost a king’s ransom. Far less of an investment is to spend your cash on gold cosmetics. Autumn’s make-up focuses heavily on metallics, with every shade of shimmering molten metal appearing on the catwalks.