STRESS, DETOX AND THE
Art Of Spa In our modern world and in these very strange times, stress is a reality and manifests in so many ways, not only psychologically but physiologically. With wellness as the antidote to stress now a mainstream consumer need, Nadine Dilong speaks with the Thalgo team to find out more about the brand’s approach to these interconnected themes with the launch of the new range, Spiruline Boost. Thalgo is well known for indulgent spa treatments, how has this changed over the years? Steeped in over 55 years of history, Thalgo has a storied history and has been known more in recent years for “French luxury” through textures and experiences. While it’s nice to be known for luxe, what’s really meaningful is that Thalgo was founded on the principles of transdermal application of minerals and at the core of the formulations and treatments has always stood for wellness derived from our largest natural resource, the ocean. The last few years have seen a return to this brand truth to focus on connecting consumers with their reason for being through two major launches, the first of which is the new Spiruline Boost, an energising and detoxifying range designed to support stress.
Stress is a highly relevant topic, can you tell us more about the effects of this? It’s no secret that urban life and behavioural excesses – smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep, eating on the go – combined with psychological stress and environmental pollution expose the skin to high levels of oxidative stress. This overexposure to free radicals and toxins saturates the antioxidant systems and brings about cellular and physical fatigue. Here’s how it happens: • T he per-oxidation of epidermal lipids increases skin permeability and damages the barrier function. The skin becomes dehydrated, loses its suppleness and resilience and becomes more reactive and sensitive. 36 | SPA+CLINIC
• The oxidation of skin proteins and hyaluronic acid weakens the skin structures. The skin becomes irritated and wrinkled and loses its bounce. • Mitochondria, the power generators of the cells, are the prime targets of free radicals. Damaged, they produce less energy which is essential to the regeneration of the extracellular matrix and the production of hyaluronic acid. The epidermal metabolism and renewal slow down. This skin fatigue is estimated to affect 75% of women from the age of 25 as the energy metabolism slows down, triggering a delayed regeneration of skin cells. Less able to recover, the skin becomes less resistant and the signs of fatigue set in including an uneven complexion, sleep wrinkles, drawn features, expression lines and tired eyes. All signs of a premature skin ageing process.
So what can we do to combat this? Our expertise is skincare and it’s powerful, but it also needs your help. Let’s not shy away from the fact that it’s hard to change habits and a skincare range. But it’s also about not creating more stress trying to do a ‘perfect detox’. It’s about a kinder, realistic and holistic approach to nutrition, sleep, meditation and watching our intake of alcohol, sugar and caffeine. The skincare part is just as important, and superfoods like Spirulina and Chlorella, and minerals like Magnesium are our skin care super heroes. Spiruline Boost uses a powerful extract of energising Spirulina obtained through fragmentation which is a mechanical extraction and double enzymatic biocatalysis to