If you follow celebrity news, you’ll already be familiar with the hallmarks of rich skin. Whether it’s Cate Blanchett or Halle Berry, Glenn Close or Daisy Edgar-Jones, A-list women’s faces are all firm, with cushioned contours and creamy complexions that glisten with above-adequate hydration.
“Rich skin is skin that looks cared for but effortless,” says celebrity aesthetician Keren Bartov, who counts actors Julia Roberts and Ana de Armas among her regular clients. “It is balanced, supple, nourished, clear and healthy with a beautiful glow. It is skin that looks good up close as well as from a distance. It conveys quiet confidence and quality.”
Health and Skin: The Connection
Glossy skin is covetable thanks to its intrinsic link to the ultimate luxury: good health. In today’s wellness-obsessed world, great skin is a signifier of a commitment to health optimisation, a sign that we possess the same discipline that it takes to get, say, a toned gym-built physique. “Optimising your skin quality is the sign now that you are taking care of yourself both inside and out,” agrees Dr Ash Soni, an aesthetic doctor based in Ascot and London. “Quality texture and radiance that you can see go hand in hand with that.”
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Health is Wealth: Strengthening Your Skin Barrier
Those with luscious skin know that good skin equals good skin barrier health. As the outermost layer of the skin, it shields it from damaging pollutants and bacteria. If yours has been weakened through overzealous use of acids or even exposure to harsh weather, you might notice increased redness, sensitivity, breakouts or dryness.
“When the skin barrier is strong, hydration is balanced and the skin functions properly, it looks expensive regardless of age or makeup,” says Bartov. Her tips for barrier-strengthening aren’t necessarily pricey but do require consistency. “Products such as serums and creams containing fatty acids, ceramides and peptides. Gentle exfoliation rather than aggressive treatments to maintain a smooth, bright texture and short, regular facial massage to improve circulation and lymphatic flow.”
Clean and Clear: Achieving Skin Clarity
Clarity is a key attribute of an expensive complexion, so congestion, breakouts, and excess shine won’t cut it. If resurfacing lasers are out of budget, try topical treatments instead. While they won’t give you the same level of refinement, they’re a good place to start. Niacinamide is a well-tolerated active ingredient that balances sebum, reduces inflammation, and improves tone and texture.
If dark spots are your main barrier to clarity, try kojic acid, which inhibits the activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for overproduction of melanin. The same goes for tranexamic acid. Both work well with niacinamide and the brightening stalwart of any good skincare routine, vitamin C.
Plump it Up: The Key to Hydration
Hydration is the foundation of an expensive-looking complexion and the reason you’d never see Kate Winslet with scaly skin. Collagen-based skincare that improves moisture retention and combats dryness is everywhere, but do your due diligence before you dive in. If the size of the collagen molecule is too big, it won’t penetrate the skin. Instead, look for formulas that contain either hydrolysed collagen or collagen peptides (smaller, more penetrable fragments) or those with a molecular weight of under 500 daltons (the unit of measurement for molecular weight).
Most A-listers won’t set foot on a long-haul flight without a “collagen-boosting” sheet mask. While some do contain collagen, most are infused with collagen-boosting moisture magnets like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, providing instant hydration and a dewy finish. If you don’t have a first-class flight to catch, you can still reap the rewards thanks to the slew of affordable new plumping masks which promise glass-like skin in minutes, not hours.
Maximise Skin Quality: Aesthetic Treatments
You might not have a millionaire’s monthly income, but if overhauling your skin quality is appealing, strategic aesthetic treatments are worth considering. Amongst them is Sculptra, a plant-derived regenerative biostimulator that delivers a targeted dose of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), which triggers the body to produce its own collagen, the structural cement in our skin that sadly (and drastically) declines with age.
Unlike traditional fillers, Sculptra is less about adding volume and more about addressing integral skin quality by significantly boosting collagen. “It increases Type 1 collagen, the structural and supportive collagen, by 67 per cent in 12 weeks,” explains Soni. “As well as giving you radiance and an improvement in elasticity, it also gives you this natural lifted effect.” In other words, the bread-and-butter requirements for any kind of moneyed complexion.
Although a course of Sculptra isn’t cheap – sessions cost £500 a go – the effects can last for up to two years, so think of it as a long-term investment. Should your budget stretch to it, Soni recommends combining it with a course of skin boosters like Restylane Vital, which deliver more immediate deep hydration and are pleasingly reliable.
