Unlocking the Secret to Skin’s Innate Glow
Unlocking the Secret to Skin’s Innate Glow
We wear makeup for one major reason: the confidence you feel when you are putting your ‘best face’ forward to the world.
Much of my life's work as a skincare formulator has been aimed at preserving and restoring this feeling of confidence with a suite of formulations which restore radiance to human skin—the fabled #RATIONALEglow as it has come to be known. To achieve this, a deep understanding of one of skin’s most magical, naturally-occurring phenomena is required: the Liquid Crystal Array (LCA).
The LCA is a delicate, light-reflective network which empowers skin's capacity to reflect and redirect light. Comprised of the various proteins, lipids and hygroscopic molecules which form the skin’s outermost protective barrier, the LCA is responsible for our natural ‘glow factor.’ But the combined effects of time, sun and environmental exposure can cause this network to become disarrayed, resulting in a loss of luminosity. When fully restored to optimal vitality and alignment, the LCA is reborn as the genesis of natural light reflection and radiance.
RATIONALE formulations achieve this through a combination of Skin Identical keratin proteins, ceramide lipids and Natural Moisturising Factors. For those seeking to understand something more of this alchemical alignment, I invite you to read on…
There are more than 30 keratin proteins found naturally in human skin. These exist in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of our skin. Their primary function is to act as barrier protective substances which help to keep moisture in and irritants out. As we age, the ability of our keratinous structures to perform this vital barrier function diminishes. When carefully returned to skin in the form of topical nourishment, stratum corneum keratins elicit supreme softness in skin, and inspire a radiant appearance by perfecting the light-skin interface.
Next come the ceramides. These bind our surface keratin cells (corneocytes) together and keep skin supple. They are also important biochemical messengers, directing moisture throughout the stratum corneum. Under the microscope, ceramides have a fascinating fluid yet crystalline structure—this makes them literally appear to move and ‘breathe’ when exposed to light. Each of the eight types of ceramide naturally present in human skin are used in RATIONALE formulations, amplifying hydration and skin illumination.
Finally we have the water-loving, water-binding components of the LCA. In various ways, these macro-molecules all achieve the same objective of holding moisture within the stratum corneum. Our skin moisture levels drop with each decade of life, so topical supplementation with a combination of hyaluronic acid, glycerol, amino acids, minerals and hydroxy acids keeps skin plumped and optimally hydrated, imparting a soft dewiness.
Understanding and recapturing each of these vital LCA components—and delivering them at precise concentrations in our formulations—is key to empowering skin’s ability to reflect ambient light. With this comes our recognised and revered #RATIONALEglow, and the gift of confidence from feeling as if your ‘best face’ is the one that is naturally luminous, lit-from-within and liberated from makeup.
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