For inner and outer beauty

Chanel’s Body Excellence range is aimed at toning and firming the skin.

LIFE begins at 40, so the adage goes. By then, the average person is established in one’s career and the kids are more independent, therefore there is more “freedom”. However, turning 40 is not a bed of roses in all aspects. For one thing, skin gets drier and requires more pampering.

With that in mind, Chanel has launched their Body Excellence skincare range to tone and firm the skin.

The product launch was held in a five-star boutique hotel in Bangkok. The venue itself had been carefully chosen to reflect the philosophy behind the Body Excellence line: that is, beauty has to be both internal and external.

For a woman to be beautiful, she must have confidence, and that is achieved by having a firm and well-toned body.

Such an alluring body is the result of eating healthily, getting adequate exercise and de-stressing regularly, having sufficient sleep and drinking plenty of water. In addition, one should have a skincare regime to care for and protect the skin against harsh environmental factors and the stress of daily life as well as to treat and prevent the signs of ageing.

Chanel’s head of scientific communication, Dr Marie-Helene Lair, says that the most accurate indication of one’s age is not the face (as one can go for myriad treatments to make one look younger than one really is) but the skin at the back of the hands. So, this area of the body that is often neglected should be pampered as well, along with the face and other parts of the body.

The active ingredient in these products is Purple Bengle PFA, believed to have great firming properties.

“Purple Bengle PFA works deeply, not merely on the surface. It has long-term action in promoting firmness,” said Lair.

Purple Bengle is a purple-flowered plant used in jamu (traditional Indonesian medicine). It can grow to a height of 2m but only its rhizomes (horizontal stems found on or just under the surface of the earth) are used for their firming properties.

Indonesian women traditionally rub the body with rhizome decoctions for their fact action in firming up slackening tissues. For every stage of a woman’s life, there are corresponding skincare rituals – using massages and plant-based preparations – that help her stay energetic and healthy.

“Jamu is supposed to be efficient, used with different kinds of treatment, for each main phase of a woman’s life: puberty, wedding, when one has babies, and the menopause. It helps women to stay healthy in these stages, so it’s complete.

“It was the medicine of princesses in Java. It was the drink of beauty for these women. It’s, therefore, a paradigm to be followed.

“When you drink Purple Bengle beverages and do massage with Purple Bengle decoctions, which come from holistic medicine, it is for beauty inside and outside,” said Lair.

Purple Bengle is rich in Purpenolids (molecules that stimulate skin firmness) which are obtained from the plant’s rhizome, using cutting-edge technology called poly-fractioning.

(PFA stands for Polyfractioning of Active ingredients, and allows for the creation of ultra-pure cosmetic active ingredients.)

“Anti-oxidant properties are linked to the rhizomes of Purple Bengle whose flesh is a vivid orange. Anti-oxidant molecules always come in a lot of colours. The more you eat different coloured vegetables, the more anti-oxidant properties (you get). In the rhizomes, these anti-oxidant molecules are so concentrated,” said Lair.

The Firming and Rejuvenating Cream felt rich and silky and had a lovely scent (of Wild Rose, Lily of the Valley and Jasmine). This anti-ageing product should be applied on areas of the body that lack firmness, such as the arms, thighs, stomach, insides of knees and buttocks. The Firming Moisture Milk had a lighter texture than the cream and a delicate fragrance (of Seinga and Wild Rose).

My favourite was the Revitalizing Smoothing Scrub, whose fragrance was exquisite. After applying the scrub and massaging my body, the masseuse asked me to shower before the next product was applied. I couldn’t believe how smooth my skin felt after that.

“We use massage with these body products, to help penetration. Massaging will help in shaping the body,” Lair explained.

The pale pink scrub had a creamy texture with small white and pink granules, and left a lingering scent of spring flowers (namely, Water Hyacinth, Lily of the Valley and Hawthorn).

Those who work in air-conditioned offices or whose hands regularly come into contact with laundry detergents or dishwashing liquids tend to get dry skin, and need to take extra care to moisturise their hands.

The Nourishing and Rejuvenating Hand Cream had a velvety soft and smooth texture with a delightful floral-fruity scent. It felt like a sheer, silky veil that enveloped the hands right down to the fingertips and nails. My skin felt soft and supple after application.

The clear pink Firming and Shaping Gel – Anti-cellulite emitted a subtle fragrance of Water Hyacinth and Lily of the Valley. It felt luxurious on the skin and was easily absorbed.

Lair was quick to explain, “The cellulite gel is not surgery or liposuction. The lipo-amino acid in this formula, with caffeine to boost the effectiveness, claims to be very efficient in limiting the new storage of fats, and helps eliminate existing fats in adipose sites.

“This formula is effective with diet and sports, as a global regime. But I can’t say that with this product, you can remove all fat cells – only surgery can do that. It reduces cellulite and prevents new storage, which is linked to diet. If you limit your intake of lipids and sugar, you will also limit the new storage of fats,” she said matter-of-factly.

By EVELYN LEN
Via: thestar.com.my