Who is the Bh beauty insider? She’s our spy behind the scenes of the beauty biz. With an expertly-painted eye on overseas beauty counters and industry news, she’s got the goss on the very latest trends, technologies and buzz buys. This week, she reveals the news you need to stay ahead of the curve…
Get set to swallow sunscreen
An Israel-based company called LycoRed has just developed an edible ingredient to help protect the skin from sun damage. A carotenoid combination of lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene, the tomato-like ingredient can be added to foods, drinks and dietary supplements. The theory? Lycopene has been shown to reduce skin reddening while phytoene and phytofluene work to absorb UV light, helping to protect against photodamage (and photoageing). LycoRed says taking the ingredient is not intended to replace regular dollops of topical sunscreen but that daily consumption can provide a degree of both UVA and UVB protection.
Bh is reminded of Heliocare, the ‘sunscreen pill’ that women in Europe have been popping since the 80s. Containing a fern extract (polypodium leucomotos), Heliocare claims to catch the radiation that slips through sunscreen and mop up free radicals before they can damage skin cells. Are we convinced by sun protection via pills? As a backup anti-ageing strategy, maybe…
Nail detail
Spotted on LA starlets, cool catwalkers and beauty pacesetters: gleaming, snow-capped fingers. No longer just for going French, white is tipped to be the hottest nail trend of the coming season, so the fashion-forward should get on board now. There’s just one trick to it: you must wear the right white. Pure opaque whites work best with dark or extremely fair skin while creamier shades look hot on olive hands. Unsure? Sheer whites are an all-flattering alternative.
Don’t ditch your sea salt stylers just yet – meet the new-season spin on beach hair, polished dreadlocks. Glamour grunge ruled the runways at Lanvin, Emporio Armani and Jean Paul Gaultier and the look’s already on the street in London. Here’s the how-to: After scrunching a little texturiser through damp hair, loosely blow-dry (don’t go too smooth; this look’s all about your natural kinks). Next, twist sections of your hair into ropes and, holding the ends, run your free hands up and down each for friction. Finish with a medium hold hairspray and, if you’re feeling brave, experiment with plaited or crimped sections too. The key to keeping it polished is having impeccably healthy hair – prep with a moisture treatment and smoothing serum to prevent frizz.
Fans of L, make a diary note: Gwen Stefani is set to release a new fragrance collection, Harajuku Lovers, later this year. Launching in the US in September and in Australia in October/November, the line will feature five scents – Love, Lil’ Angel, Music, Baby and G – each inspired by the glam-punk songstress and her four (sometimes freaky) backup singers. In Gwen’s signature quirky style, the five fragrances come in doll-shaped flacons, each dressed up with hand-applied detailing. Cute!
Beauty brains
A recent scientific study suggests that Botox can seep from the skin into the brain. The study, headed up by Dr Matteo Caleo of the Italian National Research Council’s Institute of Neuroscience, showed that a tiny fraction of the toxin (that’s what puts the tox in Botox!) was carried through to the proteins and nerves in the brains of rats, though the majority stayed at the injection site. While the toxin in the brain area had no noticeable affect on the rats’ behaviour, Caleo says the findings are still cause for concern and suggest further research is needed to understand the possible impact on humans.
