You won’t find their products on the beauty counter just yet, but we can reveal the scientific

pioneers shaping the future of skincare

WO R D S: JOA N NA MCGA R RY

P H OTO G R A P H Y: E L L E N VO N U N W E RT H

THE

DOCT RS

SKIN

crystal chandelier bounces shards of light off crisp magnolia walls. Fresh white orchids stand proudly by the

mantelpiece and it’s so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Welcome to the new home of cutting edge anti-ageing potions, a place where skincare secrets are whispered from skirt-suited CEO to hedgefund manager, to incognito celebrity and back again. Here, in the discreet waiting rooms of Harley Street dermatologists and the country’s leading Botox doctors, lies a treasure trove of pioneering skincare – unlike anything you’ll have in your bathroom cabinet. Packed with potent ingredients and formulated with the latest anti-ageing technology, these lotions and creams – created by highly successful skin doctors with help from the world’s best chemists and scientists – are capable of seriously transforming your skin in a matter of weeks.

As a result, to call these places ‘waiting rooms’ is an understatement. This a world away from the hectic milieu of a department store beauty hall and what began as a simple skincare prescription, picked up by patients following a peel or facial, has burgeoned into one of the best-kept secrets of the industry. Of course, such exclusivity comes at a price (expect to pay anything up to £300 for super serum by certain doctors). So what makes this raft of super-skincare worth its hefty price tag?

THE�SECRET�FORMULA

Each line of these innovative products is formulated with the ground-breaking technology that directly addresses the specific skin concerns that the doctors see among their patients. And as the medical professionals are stamping their names to the products, perfectionism is rife – it can take decades for the perfect formula to be achieved. Yet, it’s still unlikely you’ll have heard of many of the leading doctor skincare brands; advertising is virtually obsolete in these circles and the packaging is characteristically understated – thereby allowing the doctors to devote their budget to getting that final formula spot-on.

Nor is the person who created the range just a faceless name on the small print of an instruction slip; he or she is sat in the next room of the clinic, ready to dispense further advice if needed. And if you don’t fancy getting on the waiting list for an appointment to get a look in, most of these lines are now available online so you can start reaping the benefits from the comfort of your sofa. No wonder women wanted to keep it quiet. Now, the secret’s out.

B E A U T Y

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“IF MY SKIN DOCTORS

LOOK LIKE THIS, I’LL HAVE

WHAT THEY’RE HAVING”

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D I S C O V E R D R F R A N C E S P R E N N A J O N E S ’ E X P E R T R U L E S F O R P E R F E C T S K I N AT S T Y L I S T. C O . U K

Having started out as an aerospace engineer, Dr Nao Tsuruta was well placed to delve into unearthing the science of skin and its

propensity for ageing, taking inspiration for his product line from an unlikely source. “I was fascinated by the properties of deep sea water, which prompted me to begin experimenting with its effects in skincare,” explains Tsuruta. These experiments became Shinso, a collection of five key products which focus on the inside – via drinkable powder supplements – and the outside of the body in the forms of potent serums and sprays, launched earlier this year, to target the cells other creams can’t reach. “My skincare products work on an inside and out basis to feed and rejuvinate the skin,” reveals Tsuruta.

Despite hailing from Japan, Dr Tsuruta had the chutzpah to first launch his range in LA, where he was convinced it would be a hit among the Hollywood A-list, thereby establishing the brand before rolling it out to the rest of the world. It worked. “Before the line was carried in London, a client read an article about Shinso and flew to LA to purchase my products.” Thankfully, transatlantic flights are no longer

necessary; Shinso is now sold in the UK at Dr Sam Bunting’s dermatology clinic in London, where clients have been known to drive 90 miles in order to get their fix. “My goal is to be the Vuitton of skincare.” I have a feeling he may just get there. What to invest in: Shinso Mist, £175, an astounding spray which visibly lifts and plumps the skin. It’s one of the best products I have ever encountered – this has to be seen to be believed.

020-3178 2792; shinso.co.uk

Hailed as Paris’ best-kept beauty secret, Dr Véronique Simon now splits her time between the French capital and her new

Knightsbridge clinic, tending to the faces of the elite, celebrities and career women. Her range was the result of a happy accident. “I was invited to the Emirates in 1992 to treat wealthy women. I noticed the glowing and even skintone of their Ethiopian servants who massaged their skin with a paste of plant extract powder. It took me four years to identify the exact component.”

And she was there every step of the way. “I’m not one of those doctors who asks a lab to develop a cosmetics line to build a brand.”

Since then, Dr Simon’s products have proven a runaway hit with women who complain of a dull, slack and tired complexion, such is their knack for totally reinvigorating skin through serious exfoliation and hydration. “The rule in dermatology to prevent ageing is: exfoliate, hydrate and fight free radicals,” explains Dr Simon. And she’s not content to stop there. Next up is “a new anti-hair loss lotion which contains a pioneering ingredient to replenish the root of the hair.” What to invest in: Simontherapie Acid-free Micro-Peel, £105. “It’s

crucial to speed up the turnover of the skin, which leads to a stimulation of the dermis, new collagen and elastin fibres,” says Dr Simon of her bestselling plant-enriched, acid-free exfoliator.

020-7235 0679;

docteurveronique

simon.com

She’s the woman beauty editors flock to subtle plumping. And, since launching quietly five years ago, Dr Frances Prenna Jones’ skincare line has

developed a serious cult following. “The problem with skincare is that there is too much choice and people often choose products that aren’t designed for their skin type,” she says. With a view to streamlining an effective skincare routine to suit all skin types, Dr Prenna Jones began with Formula 2006, an intense fusion of anti-inflammatories, antioxidants and vitamins. “I design and personally test all the

products and I am meticulous about their production.” I’ve been using Formula 2006 that every evening for three weeks and I’m really impressed with the result. My pores seem to have shrunk and my skin has developed that trademark Prenna Jones glow.

An ardent fashion fan (she once admitted to owning 35 Chanel bags), Jones hasn’t scrimped on aesthetics either – each bottle looks more like a

chic fragrance flacon, than it does scientific anti-ageing skincare. I’ll be first in line when she adds to her collection later this year. What to invest in:

Definitely the genus Formula 2006, £95. “This is the basis of the entire range. It really is a one-stop, multi-tasker that cleanses, tones and exfoliates, improving the texture of the skin,” says Dr Jones.

020-7499 3848;

drfrancesprennajones.com

Considered one of the top 10 Botox doctors in the world, practising out of his Paris, London and Moscow clinics, Dr Jules

Nabet turned his attention to topical anti-ageing products in the late Eighties, starting with the basic proviso of creating “products that actually worked”. Dr Nabet and his team spent over a decade researching and developing an advanced delivery system for his targeted skincare line. “It allows the ingredients to penetrate deep into the dermis [top layers of skin] where they have the best effect,” he says.

A doctor of biophysics and nuclear medicine, he has over 25 years experience in the industry, with a specialist

interest in the influence of hormones on ageing. “Hormones in skincare are a hot topic, as the decline over time is what really causes ageing,” he reveals, in his Gallic accent. “A decade ago, cosmetic doctors wouldn’t have even looked at hormone levels but now they understand that you have to look at

what’s going on inside. And his ever-expanding clientele are hooked. “They always make sure they don’t run out, but we are often asked to bike over products from the London clinic for emergencies.” What to invest in: Dr Jules Nabet Zen Attitude, £109, a powerful anti-ageing cream which works more like a topical medicine than a beautifier, thanks to its concentrated doses of soya and yam – natural alternatives to oestrogen. It addresses imbalances in the skin, helping to reverse the loss of elasticity.

020-7938 2195; julesnabet.com

B E AU T Y

T H E D O C T O R S W I L L S E E Y O U N O W

D R � N AO � T S U R U TA D R � V E R O N I Q U E � S I M O N

D R � F R A N C E S � P R E N N A � J O N E S

Stylist reveals the faces behind the world’s most innovative skincare and which products to invest in. Prepare for your skincare revolution

D R � J U L E S � N A B E T

MICROPEEL EXFOLIATOR, £105,

REDUCES THE APPEARANCE

OF SURFACE WRINKLES

SIMON THERAPIE

COMPLEMENT POLYPHENOLS

SERUM, £72, PROTECTS SKIN

FROM THE ENVIRONMENTDR TSURUTA’S

SHINSO MIST, £175,

REVITALISES AND

LIFTS SKIN WITHOUT

CLOGGING PORES

DR NABET’S ZEN

ATTITUDE ANTI-

WRINKLE CREAM, £109,

REVITALISES AND

RECONSTRUCTS SKIN

DR FRANCES PRENNA

JONES’ FORMULA 2006, £95,

STRENGTHENS SKIN; CLEAN AND

PREPARE CLEANSING BALM, £54,

INVIGORATES AND CLEARS PORES

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