Never look your age again.” Not a bad proposition—if only you haven’t already heard it before.

But if La Prairie’s Debra Klaproth’s claim that the new Cellular Power Infusion has been receiving positive feedback since its January launch in the United States, then it looks like the prestigious Swiss skincare company truly put its money where its mouth is.

The anti-aging serum is the latest and, according to the international training manager, “the most brilliant scientific achievement of La Prairie to date.” It claims to delay skin aging at the cellular level.

Consumers are hearing the word “cellular” with reference to topical anti-aging treatments a lot lately, and they will continue to do so. That looks to be the marketing trend, and La Prairie is one of the first luxury cosmetics companies to launch its own exclusive formulation here.

The pitch is simple: As one ages, the skin cells lose energy to regenerate, ergo the dermal structure collapses resulting to wrinkles and larger pores. La Prairie claims that Cellular Power Infusion, a product of 70 years of research with three biotechnology patents pending, is able to boost the cells’ energy supply, triggering skin renewal.

Power stations

Cellular Power Infusion, Klaproth explains, has a three-dimensional approach. First, it counters the energy loss by triggering the cells’ so-called power stations. Second, it revives the epidermal stem cells that have weakened with age, effecting the surfacing of new cells. It also protects these new cells from environmental stress. Lastly, it helps reintegrate the cells to restore elasticity and firmness. It rebuilds the skin structure and restores skin tissue. The serum, she adds, enhances the natural process of the skin’s structural rejuvenation. It “awakens, recharges and renews the power deep within your own skin,” Klaproth says.

The serum, which comes in four individual silver bottles encased in a neat white, zippered leatherette box, contains Swiss snow algae, which survives in severe glacial conditions and is said to be effective against environmental stress and energy loss. There’s also the Phyto Stem Cell Extract from Swiss red grapes, which delays aging of epidermal stem cells and protects new baby cells.

Another element is the Tissue Guidance Matrix, which stimulates the production of hyaluronic acid. It supports the natural rebuilding of the skin, and soothes and protects skin from irritants. The Skin Renewal Peptide stimulates the key components of the Extracellular Matrix (collagen, hyaluronic acid, elastin, etc.) to restore balance, elasticity and firmness. Then there’s the Exclusive Cellular Complex, which delivers nutrients to the skin.

Such technology doesn’t come cheap. The four-bottle set costs P27,500 (available at Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-La). The treatment is repeated every three months.

Two parts

Each bottle has two parts to keep the ingredients fresh; a twist of the bottom part releases the blue colored substance into the clear liquid. Once the two elements are combined, the serum is activated. This has to be applied on the face twice daily in seven to 10 days as the efficacy reduces through time. Klaproth says it’s safe for use with other cosmetics and skincare treatments, even if they contain Vitamin C or retinol.

“Some customers tend to continue using this even as it’s advised that you give the skin a rest for three months, and we’re aware of that,” Klaproth says. But even as La Prairie’s Dr. Sven Gohla, vice president for R&D, says there’s no harm in doing that, Klaproth reminds users to give the skin the recommended rest of three months between boxes, to allow the natural mechanism of the skin to renew itself.

“Then you go back to this to get that cellular boost.”

The Swiss firm enjoys a good following in the Philippines. Its top seller here is the Cellular Cream Platinum Rare, which costs about $1,000 for a 50-ml pot.