Joyce Cheo explores the rise of ultra-luxe face creams and the driving force behind their growing popularity in today’s beauty-obsessed world.
Joyce Cheo explores the rise of ultra-luxe face creams and the driving force behind their growing popularity in today’s beauty-obsessed world.
I still remember the time I first dipped my finger into my mother’s pot of Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv face cream out of curiosity. The year was 2004, I was 17 and wanted to find out why one tub cost as much as my monthly allowance. Thanks to its rich texture, delicate scent and anti-ageing prowess, I quickly equated super expensive face creams as the epitome of luxury skincare for the 40-something onwards.
Fast forward to the present day and it seems these fancy creams are no longer reserved for mature customers. For the record, I’m referring to the crème de la crème of skincare, consisting of face creams that easily cost $500 a pop. According to Shaoyuan Han-Montillet, General Manager of Parfums Christian Dior, Singapore, the brand has noticed a 24 percent growth in its Prestige skincare range among customers in their 30s. And Dior isn’t alone in this. La Prairie and Clé de Peau Beauté have also noticed significant changes in their customer base over the last couple of years: Currently, at Dior, one in three are under the age of 40, while Clé de Peau Beauté has seen a 30 to 40 percent increase of women under the age of 40 in their top spenders list. Cosme Decorte has also reported a steady increase of customers under the age of 35 for its most expensive skincare range, AQ Meliority. All this points to a clear willingness of younger women to splurge on premium products to fight ageing earlier on.
This should come as no surprise, especially since the percentage of single women in their 20s and 30s is now much higher than a decade ago; not to mention the fact that women today enjoy an unprecedented degree of economic autonomy, thanks to a larger disposable income. On top of that, millennial women are also better connected than previous generations with social media networks acting as a key outlet of information. “With nearly every woman under the age of 35 being connected on social media, they have access to beauty gurus from across the world and are extremely well-informed,” says Grace Yong, SK-II Brand Communications, ASEAN. It is no wonder then that many women now gather information about beauty products from magazines and online reviews before deciding to try out the products that are widely raved about. Social media’s impact does not stop there, as many brands communicate product experience through influencers to build brand awareness and drive sales, especially among this group of younger and savvier women.
That’s not to say that it’s a case of women blindly following trends. Sure, humble-bragging via posts of beautifully styled luxury products will garner you more “likes,” but, as Yong notes, millennial women are too discerning to simply buy into what everyone else is talking about. “They read into product ingredients and are very perceptive when it comes to choosing the best for their skin. These are the women who go for our LXP Ultimate Perfecting Series, because they know that it has the highest concentration of Pitera,” she explains. Another key reason why younger customers are attracted to these premium ranges is because they want quick and noticeable results.
This efficacy and advancement explains the eyebrow-raising price tags. Dr Por Yong Chen, Medical Director of Dream Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery, explains that the high production cost is usually due to the quality and rarity of the active ingredients, plus the cost of patented processes and technology required to obtain them. For example, Dior’s L’Or de Vie La Crème contains Yquem sap sourced from Cháteau d’Yquem, which makes some of the world’s finest wines. According to Dior scientists, this unique sap packs powerful antioxidants and can boost cell longevity. Similarly, Lancôme’s Absolue L’Extrait, the brand’s most premium face cream, is the culmination of state-of-the-art biotechnological extraction processes to ensure that the skin receives the purest, most potent actives for firmer, more radiant skin.
Amidst all this anti-ageing advancements, I find myself questioning: Are these cutting-edge technology and ingredients too much for younger skin? “Many still think premium skincare is more suited to older women. However, the key benefit of our Prestige skincare is to regenerate the deepest layers of skin. This is essential even for younger women, who may experience premature skin ageing due to UV exposure and high stress levels,” says Han-Montillet. Moreover, since the skin’s self-renewal slows down as we age, “the earlier you start addressing signs of ageing, the higher the chances of reversing [them],” Dr Por adds. The message couldn’t be clearer: Prevention is indeed better than cure. As Dr Stephanie Ho, Consultant Dermatology at Stephanie Ho Dermatology, shares: “Some mothers bring their daughters in for advice and treatment at a young age. Such early education about skin health will help maintain better skin quality in the long run.”
