A Perfect

More than one in two women worldwide claim to have sensitive skin*. Cynthia Chew finds out how La Solution 10 de Chanel addresses this global beauty issue.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel
More than one in two women worldwide claim to have sensitive skin*. Cynthia Chew finds out how La Solution 10 de Chanel addresses this global beauty issue.
Chanel
Chanel

Every woman has experienced some form of skin sensitivity at one time or another in her life – be it in the form of redness, a stinging sensation, or skin that feels hot, dry and tight. These unpleasant sensations occur more or less regularly – when these signs are recurrent, the skin is described as “naturally sensitive”; when they take place occasionally, it’s described as “temporarily sensitive”.

So do you avoid using skincare products altogether if you have sensitive skin? Of course not. The key is to do it the right way. “You have to cleanse your skin very gently to avoid stripping your skin of its natural oils,” advises Dr Amy Wechsler, a dermatologist from New York City. “It’s best to do so with your hands, and not with a sonic cleansing brush. Also, toning every day or twice a day can be too much for someone with very sensitive skin. This also depends on the ingredients in the toner and cleanser,” advises Dr Amy. In fact, “scrubs and peels are also OK if they are mild and not used too frequently. As I have very sensitive skin, I’ll do a mild salicylic acid peel on myself maybe once every three months, and I’ll moisturise right afterwards” she adds.

But what if you’re not so diligent with checking the list of ingredients in your products, and are still looking for that one beauty solution to rescue your sensitive skin? Enter La Solution 10 de Chanel, the first comforting moisturiser that soothes, destresses and defends your skin.

After 20 years of research into understanding the biological mechanisms of sensitive skin, Chanel has uncovered the three main causes of sensitive skin: oxidative stress, a damaged skin barrier and keratinocyte (which makes up 95 percent of the cells in the epidermis) stress. La Solution 10 de Chanel soothes and defends skin against aggressors, including pollution, climatic conditions and non-invasive aesthetic procedures. Gentle and comforting, this beauty wonder also helps to reduce dryness, sensations of discomfort (in the form of a stinging or tight sensation) and the appearance of redness and rough areas. With regular use, your skin will be re-balanced and nurtured to a resilient, less sensitive state. A collaborative effort between herself and Chanel, this product is close to Dr Amy’s heart: “I really wanted to make a moisturiser for sensitive skin, because I’ve always had sensitive skin. [I also wanted to help] all the women who come into my office asking me what they can use for their sensitive skin. In the past, I didn’t have anything to offer them that was a luxurious product with great sensoriality.”

The secret to this innovative moisturiser lies in its 10 ingredients. “Most products in the market have 25 to 40 ingredients. Our strategy was to keep the formula simple,” says Christian Mahe, senior vice president of Chanel Research and Technology. “We really wanted to be transparent, so we put the ingredients on the outside of the bottle as it’s not always so straightforward to figure them out,” adds Dr Amy.

While each of the 10 ingredients plays an important role in the efficacy of the formula, silver needle white tea is the star. “I [actually] wanted [green tea] to be a key active ingredient as it has the ability to protect your skin from oxidative stress. But Chanel came back and told me that green tea doesn’t have the highest amount of antioxidants – it’s silver needle white tea,” says Dr Amy. If anything, this shows Chanel’s dedication to making the best possible product for our skincare needs.

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FORMULA ONE

When it comes to sensitive skin, the concept of “less is more” applies, and that’s why La Solution 10 de Chanel has a 10-ingredient formula. It took the Chanel Research team three years to come up with the perfect combination of ingredients. And no less than 117 formulation trials were conducted to find the perfect balance between skin tolerance, effectiveness and sensoriality. So, what are they?

1. Silver needle white tea This active ingredient has exceptional antioxidant benefits – twice that of green tea and 10 times more than other teas.

2. Glycerin This helps to maintain optimal hydration levels within the skin.

3. Humectant This helps to improve skin comfort.

4. Shea butter A natural moisturiser, it intensely nourishes the skin from within.

5. Vegetal Squalane A nourishing vegetal ingredient, it reinforces the skin barrier.

6. Soft powder This provides comfort and softness to the skin.

7. Emollient This promotes soft, supple skin.

8. Emulsifier This is added to give the formula’s smooth texture.

9. Preservative Phenoxyethanol: a hightolerance formula preservative.

10.Water Deionised purified water, to be exact.

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