humble origins
Beauty
Humble Origins
Save 20 per cent on UK High Street price: Origins Plantscription Anti-aging Serum, £48; Origins Plantscription Anti-aging Eye Cream, £29; both page 25
HUMBLE ORIGINS The Plantscription range by Origins is causing a stir in the beauty world. Could they be your ‘ever-more’ beauty products? Angelina Villa-Clarke gets to grips with their nature.
THE SIGNATURE SERUM Plantscripton Anti-Ageing Serum, the brand’s signature product, has a light, gel-like texture that sinks immediately into the skin leaving your complexion plump and radiant. It may have taken five years in the making, but the immediate benefits have proved themselves to be well worth the wait: hydrated, velvety skin that looks as if you’ve had 24 hours sleep. Its secret? The serum has at its heart bark extract taken from the anogeissus tree, which is native to the Republic of Ghana, in West Africa. It is this ingredient that is the core of the whole Plantscription range and which has caused a buzz with beauty experts. Anogeissus has been traditionally used throughout the ages as a natural wound healer. Origins wanted to delve deeper into the science behind these known qualities and after many years of intensive research at the University of Strasbourg, it was discovered that the bark specifically demonstrated a unique ability to protect collagen. It was also shown to boost skin’s natural production levels of a glycoprotein, called fibrillin, which keeps skin firm. It was a light-bulb moment and a major breakthrough in terms of natural skincare. It planted the seed (pun intended) for a resultsdriven skin-care range and so the Plantscription anti-ageing collection was born. HOW DOES IT WORK? The Plantscripton Anti-ageing Serum not only uses anogeissus bark as its core ingredient (harvested from pruned branches to ensure sustainability) but also contains a cocktail of other plant extracts. Siegesbeckia, a shrub from Southeast Asia, helps maintain collagen, while rosemary extract keeps elastin in tip-top condition. It is also packed with essential oils, including star anise, known for its antioxidant properties, and pink rose, to help soothe and calm. The result is a wonderfully fragrant product that targets lines, wrinkles and rough texture without drying or irritating the complexion. Results from a 20-week consumer study showed that after 12 weeks, there was a 64 per cent clinical improvement in visible skin lifting, while 83 per cent of the women tested witnessed a more youthful appearance after just four weeks. HISTORY IN THE MAKING Origins was launched by Leonard Lauder (son of Estée) in 1990. It was the first premium skincare company to tap into growing concern with environmental issues and to focus on natural ingredients. Its 8
tag-line ‘powered by nature, proven by science’ has proven to be timeless, still resonating with savvy beauty consumers today. Leading beauty blogger Jane Cunningham (britishbeautyblogger. com) agrees: “When it launched, Origins was revolutionary. It wasn’t an apologetic eco-brand but a bright, accessible and covetable label based around powerful natural extracts. When it was introduced in the UK it felt so fresh and modern – exactly what the market was craving.” IT’S NATURAL WHEN YOU KNOW HOW These days the brand employs more than 100 plant scientists whose aim it is to isolate the most potent elements of each natural ingredient sourced from across the globe, with more than 600 tested every year. The most refined and purified extracts are then put through their paces, with only the most effective and safe actives finally selected for use in the high-performance skincare range. “The idea for Origins was dreamt up in the late 1980s,” says Jane Lauder, a third generation member of the Lauder family and the Global President and General Manager of Origins. “A team of visionary beauty chemists and plant scientists began to study the power of potent plants, their history of use in traditional medicine in cultures around the world and the role they might play to resolve skin’s most pressing concerns in the 21st century” she continues. “Today we continue to pioneer advances in skin care from nature while honouring our commitment to protect the planet and those who populate it. A culmination of this ethos is the Plantscription range. It is one of the most significant product launches in the history of the Origins brand,” she states.
“92 PER CENT of women demonstrated clinical improvement in firmness after 8 weeks”
VISIBLE RESULTS The fragile skin around the eye area is up to three times thinner than facial skin, so it is here that the signs of ageing are seen first. The Plantscription Anti-Ageing Eye Cream is a no-nonsense pick-meup with a rich, ultra hydrating formula that quickly absorbs. It targets four main signs of ageing: crow’s feet, cross-hatching lines, under eye bags and sagging eyelids. Anogeissus tree bark is the central active, and there’s also centaurium to restore elasticity and kombucha (fermented black tea) to lift and firm. Magnolia and cucumber help reduce the appearance of dark circles, while hydrating plant ingredients squalane and jojoba moisturise. While it may be packed with a veritable shopping list of exotic ingredients, its texture is nonetheless refreshing and acts to soothe. It also showed excellent results following trials, with 92 per cent of women demonstrating clinical improvement in firmness after eight weeks. “Our mission with these products was to go beyond what we have done in the past for visible line and wrinkle correction,” adds Dr. Lieve Declercq, a global scientist of plant physiology and molecular biology at Origins. Continuously striving for improvement and looking for the new are the concepts that make up the backbone of Origins and especially the Plantscription range. You could say it’s their second nature.
PHOTOGRAPHY: PIXELEYES
BEAUTIFUL SCIENCE Every other day it seems as if another ‘iconic’ product has been invented, promising even more than the last. When it comes to beauty products, we want it all. If it doesn’t erase lines and wrinkles, give a soft-focus hue and plump our skin, it’s not worth having. But try one of the signature products from the Origins’ Plantscription anti-ageing line and you may just discover that you have found ‘The One’. Like only Origins do best, it has merged its scientific know-how with the finest ingredients sourced from nature, resulting in an anti-ageing line that is kind to skin and really works.
9
Humble Origins
Save 20 per cent on UK High Street price: Origins Plantscription Anti-aging Serum, £48; Origins Plantscription Anti-aging Eye Cream, £29; both page 25
HUMBLE ORIGINS The Plantscription range by Origins is causing a stir in the beauty world. Could they be your ‘ever-more’ beauty products? Angelina Villa-Clarke gets to grips with their nature.
THE SIGNATURE SERUM Plantscripton Anti-Ageing Serum, the brand’s signature product, has a light, gel-like texture that sinks immediately into the skin leaving your complexion plump and radiant. It may have taken five years in the making, but the immediate benefits have proved themselves to be well worth the wait: hydrated, velvety skin that looks as if you’ve had 24 hours sleep. Its secret? The serum has at its heart bark extract taken from the anogeissus tree, which is native to the Republic of Ghana, in West Africa. It is this ingredient that is the core of the whole Plantscription range and which has caused a buzz with beauty experts. Anogeissus has been traditionally used throughout the ages as a natural wound healer. Origins wanted to delve deeper into the science behind these known qualities and after many years of intensive research at the University of Strasbourg, it was discovered that the bark specifically demonstrated a unique ability to protect collagen. It was also shown to boost skin’s natural production levels of a glycoprotein, called fibrillin, which keeps skin firm. It was a light-bulb moment and a major breakthrough in terms of natural skincare. It planted the seed (pun intended) for a resultsdriven skin-care range and so the Plantscription anti-ageing collection was born. HOW DOES IT WORK? The Plantscripton Anti-ageing Serum not only uses anogeissus bark as its core ingredient (harvested from pruned branches to ensure sustainability) but also contains a cocktail of other plant extracts. Siegesbeckia, a shrub from Southeast Asia, helps maintain collagen, while rosemary extract keeps elastin in tip-top condition. It is also packed with essential oils, including star anise, known for its antioxidant properties, and pink rose, to help soothe and calm. The result is a wonderfully fragrant product that targets lines, wrinkles and rough texture without drying or irritating the complexion. Results from a 20-week consumer study showed that after 12 weeks, there was a 64 per cent clinical improvement in visible skin lifting, while 83 per cent of the women tested witnessed a more youthful appearance after just four weeks. HISTORY IN THE MAKING Origins was launched by Leonard Lauder (son of Estée) in 1990. It was the first premium skincare company to tap into growing concern with environmental issues and to focus on natural ingredients. Its 8
tag-line ‘powered by nature, proven by science’ has proven to be timeless, still resonating with savvy beauty consumers today. Leading beauty blogger Jane Cunningham (britishbeautyblogger. com) agrees: “When it launched, Origins was revolutionary. It wasn’t an apologetic eco-brand but a bright, accessible and covetable label based around powerful natural extracts. When it was introduced in the UK it felt so fresh and modern – exactly what the market was craving.” IT’S NATURAL WHEN YOU KNOW HOW These days the brand employs more than 100 plant scientists whose aim it is to isolate the most potent elements of each natural ingredient sourced from across the globe, with more than 600 tested every year. The most refined and purified extracts are then put through their paces, with only the most effective and safe actives finally selected for use in the high-performance skincare range. “The idea for Origins was dreamt up in the late 1980s,” says Jane Lauder, a third generation member of the Lauder family and the Global President and General Manager of Origins. “A team of visionary beauty chemists and plant scientists began to study the power of potent plants, their history of use in traditional medicine in cultures around the world and the role they might play to resolve skin’s most pressing concerns in the 21st century” she continues. “Today we continue to pioneer advances in skin care from nature while honouring our commitment to protect the planet and those who populate it. A culmination of this ethos is the Plantscription range. It is one of the most significant product launches in the history of the Origins brand,” she states.
“92 PER CENT of women demonstrated clinical improvement in firmness after 8 weeks”
VISIBLE RESULTS The fragile skin around the eye area is up to three times thinner than facial skin, so it is here that the signs of ageing are seen first. The Plantscription Anti-Ageing Eye Cream is a no-nonsense pick-meup with a rich, ultra hydrating formula that quickly absorbs. It targets four main signs of ageing: crow’s feet, cross-hatching lines, under eye bags and sagging eyelids. Anogeissus tree bark is the central active, and there’s also centaurium to restore elasticity and kombucha (fermented black tea) to lift and firm. Magnolia and cucumber help reduce the appearance of dark circles, while hydrating plant ingredients squalane and jojoba moisturise. While it may be packed with a veritable shopping list of exotic ingredients, its texture is nonetheless refreshing and acts to soothe. It also showed excellent results following trials, with 92 per cent of women demonstrating clinical improvement in firmness after eight weeks. “Our mission with these products was to go beyond what we have done in the past for visible line and wrinkle correction,” adds Dr. Lieve Declercq, a global scientist of plant physiology and molecular biology at Origins. Continuously striving for improvement and looking for the new are the concepts that make up the backbone of Origins and especially the Plantscription range. You could say it’s their second nature.
PHOTOGRAPHY: PIXELEYES
BEAUTIFUL SCIENCE Every other day it seems as if another ‘iconic’ product has been invented, promising even more than the last. When it comes to beauty products, we want it all. If it doesn’t erase lines and wrinkles, give a soft-focus hue and plump our skin, it’s not worth having. But try one of the signature products from the Origins’ Plantscription anti-ageing line and you may just discover that you have found ‘The One’. Like only Origins do best, it has merged its scientific know-how with the finest ingredients sourced from nature, resulting in an anti-ageing line that is kind to skin and really works.
9
