Love Your Face; It’s Time to be Tender.
By Jo Phillips
Stop. Just for one moment, STOP. What on earth are you putting on your face every day? Do you even know what you are layering? Are you loading it up with Retinols, Vitamins C, Lactic Acid, Vitamin E, Glycolic acid-based cleansers, or Hyaluronic Acids we could go on. If you are using all these products did it ever cross your mind you may well be completely overloading your skin, with way too much ‘information’? Find out more in Love Your Face; It’s Time to be Tender.
So here’s a question. What is inside your moisturiser and how do its contents react with every other product you layer on your skin? Are you a follower of every social media ‘skin expert’? Did it ever occur that by trying every new trend you may be doing more harm than good? We know that modern skincare is based on science. And with this comes a far better understanding of how our skin works.
Of course, most of us want to keep our skin healthy and to look glowing and probably the most important, singular step we can take for this is a good moisturiser. Preferably one that has multiple uses, without issues with ‘over-layering’. Most of all it must work.
The fact is that despite the long lists of obscure ingredients and a lot of non-ethical pseudoscientific hokum, all moisturizers help with dry skin for a pretty simple reason: they supply a little bit of water to the skin and contain a greasy substance that holds it in.
Skin-replenishing ingredients help enrich the skin’s surface, drenching it with revitalizing hydration and keeping it there. The layer of skin that is most important in this job is called the stratum corneum.
This layer consists of cells called corneocytes and various lipids. They are the bricks and mortar of our layers but they are super fine. They contain various substances that hold water. For our skin to feel smooth and supple the stratum corneum has to be at least 10% water; ideally, it’s 20% to 30%. The stratum corneum can absorb as much as five to six times its own weight and increase its volume threefold when soaked in water.
There are numerous skin-replenishing ingredients to consider, including hydration-boosting superstars hyaluronic acid, ceramides, sodium PCA, glycerin, glycerol, silicones, petrolatum, salicylic acid, and alpha hydroxy acids. And in many ways, this is where the trouble starts, because the consumer doesn’t always understand how many ‘active’ products they are putting on.
Scientific knowledge of how the skin works is now readily available and has enabled brands to understand and utilise it. What we should and should not do, but rarely does anyone talk of overloading the skin. After all our skin is our largest organ but by utilising all the skin products are we overloading our skin? It has a natural PH balance of 5.5 and this is ideally what we want to keep.
We know fashions change. One week it’s all about active ingredients such as Vitamin C then next week it’s all about AHA’s. We seem to be constantly bombarding our skin with new treatments, one on top of another.
Active ingredients, such as those mentioned above are used in skincare products to deliver several different benefits for the user. However overusing active ingredients can damage your skin, especially on the face, where the skin is thinner. You could do more damage than good, this is why it’s particularly important to understand active ingredients.
Doing this can damage our delicate skin, so surely it’s better to have a handful only of trusted products. Using a product with ‘active ingredients’ is very advisable. But what if there was one product that did many things at once but also showed results immediately? And most importantly, how do we trust a product after all the shelves are filled with ‘pots of promises’?
Let’s start with longevity. Very few products for the face stay around for a long time because of fads and fashion, science and thinking changes. But what if a product has been around for 40 years? and is spoken of in almost mystical terms. Wishpered between skincare lovers; those who know real skin heroes.
Meet Valmont Prime Renewing Pack a product celebrating its 40th birthday this year. And as we know, with age comes wisdom. This skincare product promises to improve the appearance of ageing skin. It contains a blend of antioxidants, peptides, and hyaluronic acid designed to help promote firmer smoother skin. All in a one-step master product that shows up your joyous skin the moment it’s been used.
Over the 40 years, of course, it has been updated to ensure the product is up to speed with the latest technology and scientific advances, but essentially the product is still the same.
So why does this product have so many fans and constantly been a top seller for 40 years? Users talk of miracle cream and its Fresh Look in Five Minutes and amazingly one jar is sold every two minutes. It provides a quick ‘beauty boost’ to give your skin an immediate glow and freshness, so results are immediate, whilst it also works through the day on many levels.
Valmont at Harrods
First of all, it ensures deep hydration for plump and youthful skin, whilst it works to alleviate signs of stress and fatigue. Offering a smoother and more refined skin texture and ensuring deep hydration for thirsty skin. Think of it as an anti-stress cell cream mask with long-term benefits for the skin.
Its unique formulation and high-quality ingredients include its Triple DNA which enhances skin’s vitality and regeneration, whilst retaining 10,000 times its weight in water. Alongside this is the company’s Liposome RNA that drives cellular activity, and is a powerful cell bio-activator that improves skin texture. Peptides+ Cocktail aids in combating ageing signs, basically working as an anti-wrinkle booster. Part of the joy of a great skin product is the process of applying so this one has menthol to provide a refreshing, cooling sensation.
“Prime Renewing Pack is the skin’s best friend. A loyal companion that remains at your side, year in and year out, through thick and thin, caring for and enhancing beauty for very happy skin…
…and happy skin always makes for happy faces!”
Sophie Vann Guillon CEO of Valmont
Celebrate the 40 years of Valmont’s iconic Prime Renewing Pack with this vibrant special edition. Covered with smiling faces exclusivity in a generous 75 ml jar.
Valmont has a longstanding partnership with Harrods and strategically emerges as one of the best locations for the brand due to an entrenched portfolio of existing local customers and international customers who love the brand. Following the opening of its counter in 2019 in the prestigious area called the Beauty Hall, Valmont boasts of a space that represents the DNA and uniqueness of the brand’s values.
So the next question that needs answering is how should we use it. Well, it’s super simple, in the morning put on a thin layer on your face and neck and wipe off excess with a cloth for a perfect morning base. Or use a small amount massage gently in with a favourite moisturiser and keep it on all-day. Finally, utilise it as a treatment. Gently apply a thick layer on clean skin. Let it work its magic for about 20 minutes . Rinse with lukewarm water or use a tissue to remove excess; For deeper treatment, leave it overnight.
It is ideal for all skin types, especially those needing a revitalizing boost, as well as being perfect for special occasions or as a regular luxury treatment. Generally, incorporate into your skincare routine 1-2 times a week for best results
So who are Valmont? and when did they start in the world of Skincare?In 1905, Dr. Henry-Auguste Widmer founded the Valmont Clinic in the heart of the Swiss Riviera. His focus was on promoting health and well-being and was celebrated for his groundbreaking hydrotherapy treatments. The clinic was a coveted destination for many high society grandees such as Rainer Maria Rilke, Georges Simenon, Ingrid Bergman and Coco Chanel.
In the early 1980s, the establishment evolved into the first Swiss clinic specializing in cosmetic surgery and in 1985 became a recognized leader in genetics and cellular cosmetics with the breakthrough patented discovery by prominent cosmetologist Dr. Nadja Avalle.
It was then that the company created their cosmetic brand an exclusive skincare line, incorporating active molecules like native collagen and DNA to fight the external signs of ageing. Contained in white jars with a touch of green echoing the glacial ice snow of the mountains and the green ingredients the brand grows for its products in its Phyto-Alpine garden. But these colours also nod back to the medical heritage and DNA of the brand.
Delving into the nucleus of the cells, Research and Development teams at Valmont extracted two molecules with exceptional qualities: DNA and RNA. These biomimetic active molecules guarantee outstanding dermal affinity for incomparable effectiveness.
With optimal biocompatibility, (compatibility with living tissue by not being toxic), the skin fully absorbs and assimilates the benefits of the molecules contained in the products. By mimicking the skin’s natural processes, Valmont formulas facilitate the targeted action of active ingredients at the cellular level.
For several years, Valmont has been working to protect bees and beekeepers. Established partnerships with BeeLife in Europe, Pollinator Partnership in North America, Beekeepers Foundation in the Middle East and Stéphanie Vuadens, founder of Fondation Arche des Abeilles in Switzerland.
By sponsoring beehives, Valmont contributes to the preservation of these pollinating friends, sentries of the environment and providers of honey, propolis and royal jelly. These unique ingredients, Stéphanie Vuadens’s honey in particular, are used to formulate our premium skincare line by l’Elixir des Glaciers – Essence of Bees.
As a brand Valmont works with the power of nature alongside the power of science. With unique heritage alongside products that stand the test of time. And now love your face, with the Valmont Prime Renewing Pack, after all, it’s time to be tender. You really don’t need 40 different products.
To find out all about Valmont’s Prime Renewing Packnand all of their products from skincare to perfume please visit LaMaisonValmont.com here
If you enjoyed reading Love Your Face; It’s Time to be Tender, then why not read The Eternal Love between Humans and Animals in Art here
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