What good is technology if it can’t improve your life, or at least your profile picture? The easy way, of course, is to download your favourite sellabrity’s customisable #instabeauty filter, but for results that last longer (and let you actually resemble your profile photo), there are a mind-boggling array of miracle cures on the market.
Personal sheet masks
Although they’ve been around since at least the 18th century, sheet masks have been sliding their way into celebrities’ Instagram stories for a while now, with endorsements from Justin Bieber and January Jones. But if you missed out on the Hanacure face tightener, stay alert over the next few months as Neutrogena readies to launch customised face masks in autumn, its LED mask debacle notwithstanding. Announced at CES in January, the MaskiD app promises to cater to your unique personal requirements. Create a multidimensional face map by simply taking a selfie, then choose from one of five ingredients for different areas of the face: vitamins C and B3, purified hyaluronic acid, feverfew and stabilised glucosamine. “The key with 3D printing is [that] we can put the active [ingredient] you want just where you need it, anywhere on the mask, as opposed to one product that you’re trying to use all over the face,” Michael Southall, Research Director and Global Lead of Beauty Tech at Neutrogena, told AFP at the launch. Cue a #facemask revival any day now.
Stem the tide of time
When it’s the only product Victoria Beckham will allow backstage at her show, you know Augustinus Bader is worth checking out. The newest cult skin cream is the product of years of work by the head of stem cell research at the University of Leipzig, and harnesses the power of these little biological engines to improve skin health. Inspired by the body’s self-renewal processes, Dr Bader developed a groundbreaking gel in 2008 that could heal even third-degree burns without surgery or skin grafts. He formulated a cream containing more than 40 naturally occurring ingredients, including high-grade vitamins, amino acids and synthesised molecules, AKA the Trigger Factor Complex. The cream prompts the skin to repair itself, working in different ways for different people, says the professor, who calls the product a skin food. It’s available from Harvey Nichols online, but you’ll need to spend big: a jar is $225 (Dh826).
Stick your neck out
The neck is one of the first areas to show age and French grandmas will testify to the importance of moisturising the neck and décolletage every day to reduce the wrinkles that signify age-related tissue changes. Kim Kardashian has a quick-fix solution that she showed off on Instagram recently. The 4D Face Lift works on the neck and inside of the mouth, lifting and toning the skin around the chin, nose, mouth and throat. It may sound bizarre, but patients apparently see smoother, tighter skin, lifted brows and sharper jawlines after treatment, because tightened facial ligaments offer better support. Created by Fotona, which develops high-tech medical laser systems, the non-surgical procedure is available in Dubai via Euromed Clinic Centre. Time to invest in that diamond choker?
Cut to the core
Abs without the work? A butt that breaks your Instagram feed minus the lunges? Make like Drew Barrymore and turn to Emsculpt, a body-contouring treatment that causes 20,000 muscle contractions in half an hour. The high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy treatment builds muscle while burning fat, its Swiss inventors claim. The technique helped Barrymore lose 11kg, she said at a press event for the brand. With no recovery time, anaesthesia or needles required, four standard treatments over two weeks are generally recommended. “Weight gain is a major problem in the UAE and can result in complications, paving the way for critical illnesses,” says Lea Debian, Nutritionist at CosmeSurge, which brought Emsculpt to the UAE in January. “Despite intense workouts at gym, there are certain areas that leave the fat untouched. Several patients are opting for Emsculpt, which makes them feel stronger and happier. It’s ideal for women wanting to shed post-pregnancy fat, or men who have bulging tummies and yet find it difficult to exercise on a daily basis.” Fab abs, here we come.
