Products for sensitive skin used to look functional, clinical and, well, boring. Not anymore. This moisturiser looks and feels luxe even with an ultra-stripped-down formula of 10 ingredients.
Products for sensitive skin used to look functional, clinical and, well, boring. Not anymore. This moisturiser looks and feels luxe even with an ultra-stripped-down formula of 10 ingredients.
Do a quick search on Google for skincare for sensitive skin and chances are, you’ll find recommendations for supergentle products with clinical-looking packaging. If you’re after something that looks sexier and feels more luxe – and really, who isn’t? – the options are limited. Well, that’s about to change with French beauty brand Chanel’s latest launch, La Solution 10 de Chanel Sensitive Skin Cream ($125). It’s the kind of product that will occupy pride of place on your bathroom counter. Everything about it – from the chic pump bottle to the silky, whippedcream- like texture – screams luxe, and it applies like a dream, absorbing completely within 30 seconds to leave skin plump and moisturised.
We have to thank Dr Amy Wechsler, a New York City-based dermatologist, for this product. An advisor to Chanel skincare, she noticed a gap in the market for a high-end moisturiser for her clients suff ering from pesky skin issues such as rosacea and skin sensitivity. Beautiful texture and packaging aside, we love that the product boasts a pared-down list of 10 ingredients. Why is that good for someone with sensitive skin? While there’s little evidence to suggest that a long ingredients list can cause flare-ups or irritation (in fact, most skincare products have anywhere from 25 to 40 ingredients), a short list makes it easier to pinpoint the cause of a flare-up, as there are fewer possible allergens. Chanel’s latest cream also excludes common allergens such as fragrances and moisture-stripping alcohol. What it has instead: a soothing and moisturising trio of glycerine, hyaluronic acid and shea butter.
The star ingredient in the cream, though, is undoubtedly the antioxidantrich silver needle extract. Obtained from premium white tea leaves found only in Fujian, China, the extract earned its spot on the whittled-down ingredients list because it’s rich in theanine, said to help protect the skin from oxidative stress. Fun fact: Compared to green tea, white tea has twice as many polyphenols, which help reinforce the skin’s barrier function so it’s less susceptible to damage and sensitivity. Another interesting nugget of information: to ensure the product’s effi cacy, the brand tested it out in countries with varying levels of pollution, including Beijing, where people are exposed to some of the most toxic levels of smog in the world, no thanks to large amounts of coal burning and high levels of exhaust emissions. The results? Despite the hazy conditions, 79 per cent of testers reported fewer breakouts and less redness caused by inflammation after a month’s use. Consider us sold.
