Healthy skin is beautiful skin. Now, a new anti-ageing range by Japanese brand ORBIS promises to help achieve that by looking after the enzymes that support essential skin functions such as moisture retention and damage repair.
Healthy skin is beautiful skin. Now, a new anti-ageing range by Japanese brand ORBIS promises to help achieve that by looking after the enzymes that support essential skin functions such as moisture retention and damage repair.
Think of the body as a very busy chemistry lab. At any given moment, countless biological processes happen within, from food digestion to energy production. All are necessary to sustain life, and every single process requires enzymes in order to take place. Produced naturally by the body, enzymes are proteins that hasten biological processes so that they occur quickly enough. It is estimated that there are about 75,000 enzymes in the body, each with a specific task.
SIX ASPECTS TO BEAUTIFUL SKIN
Japanese skincare brand ORBIS has zeroed in on six enzymes that are supposedly essential for maintaining healthy, youthful-looking skin. Each has a function that contributes to beautiful skin: retain moisture, reduce oxidation, strengthen the skin’s protective barrier, provide energy for healthy skin cell synthesis, defend against UV damage, and maintain regular skin turnover. When these enzymes are healthy, the skin appears well-hydrated, plump, firm, clear and smooth.
Its strong protective barrier also helps lock in moisture and defend against environmental stressors. Like everything else in the body, however, they can become damaged or impaired with age. As DNA weakens, the ability to produce healthy enzymes diminishes, and this shows on the face: expression lines and wrinkles become more pronounced, cheeks and jowls start to sag, and skin loses its plumpness, becoming prone to dehydration, dullness and rough patches.
HEALTHY ENZYMES EQUAL HEALTHY SKIN
ORBIS =U ENCORE helps women in their late 30s and above counter the damage wrought by time and gravity, such as pronounced laugh lines, drooping or heavy-looking cheeks, and deeper-set wrinkles due to the loss of skin elasticity. The range comprises three products: a toning and hydrating lotion, a lightweight moisturising day cream, and a jelly-like firming and hydrating night gel.
All work by reportedly nursing the enzymes responsible for skin health back to tip-top condition. As such, they share three key strengths. The first, a principal ingredient, D.N.A. Hibis Extract, which is derived from fermented hibiscus blooms. Studies by ORBIS show that it can stimulate the repair of weakened DNA, so that healthy enzymes are produced.
The second is Heat Shock Protein (HSP), an ingredient that apparently helps heal damaged enzymes. And lastly, a 100 per cent oil-free formula – because enzymes function best in the absence of oil. Unlike many anti-ageing products for mature skin, which tend to have a thick or sticky texture, those in the ORBIS =U ENCORE range glide on like a dream. An exclusive ingredient, evenwateroil, ensures a delightfully smooth texture while pampering the skin with intense hydration.
“The lotion is thicker than ordinary toners, and leaves my combination skin so moist and hydrated, it's almost enough on its own. I also like the day cream, which feels rich but isn't heavy on the skin at all. After using the range for two weeks, my sun spots have also faded somewhat and are less obvious.” – Angeline Loo, 50, businesswoman.
“After a week’s use of the range, my pores were noticeably less conspicuous and my T-zone, less oily – there was no need to blot at midday anymore. After two weeks, my complexion also appeared clearer, brighter and more even-toned. I especially love the night gel, which gave my skin a healthy-looking radiance every morning.” – Amanda Chu, 44, homemaker.
“The range kept my skin hydrated and comfortable through a workday in my air-conditioned office. The products absorb quickly and instantly make my skin look and feel more refreshed. The formula doesn’t feel oily and sits well under makeup. My husband has commented that my complexion is glowing!” – Emily Lim, 38, physiotherapist .
