More than 170 years ago, German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach coined the term “we are what we eat”. And he was not wrong. With longevity science popping up all over our newsfeeds, we now understand the deep link between our health and what we consume. But it’s not just about the body: longevity scientists say that research is pointing to the connection between nutrition and how well our skin ages too.
“Many people think about nutrition in the context of whole body ageing, but the role of nutrition in maintaining skin health is equally important,” says Brian Kennedy, a distinguished professor of biochemistry and physiology at the Department of Biochemistry at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in Singapore.
Macronutrients such as lipids, proteins and carbohydrates are important, but if you want to really drill down on what your body and skin need from a nutritional point of view, you need to look at micronutrients, says Kennedy. “Micronutrients are composed of vitamins, minerals … and are vital for skin health,” he explains. But here’s the rub. While micronutrients play a crucial role in our body, experts say they constitute only about 2 per cent of our diet. On top of that, our skin is the last organ in the body to get nutrients from the food we eat because the body prioritises inner organs.
“Skin has the same requirements as any other organ, it just doesn’t get the same amount [of micronutrients], so it’s constantly fighting to get enough,” says Virginie Couturaud, scientific communication director at Dior. This fact prompted the research teams within Dior’s labs in France to come up with a skincare product that was able to deliver the micronutrients skin requires to thrive. “The idea was to provide exactly what skin needs from the outside,” says Couturaud.
“NUTRITION IS VERY IMPORTANT AND THIS PRODUCT IS LIKE A FOOD SUPPLEMENT FOR SKIN”
Virginie Couturaud, Dior
“What if you could serve skin first? That’s the concept of micronutrition delivered with specifically formulated skincare products.” Longevity scientists have found five groups of micronutrients essential for the skin: phytonutrients, fatty acids (such as omegas 3, 6 and 9), vitamins, minerals and amino acids. These micronutrients “all impact skin properties at three different levels”, explains Kennedy. “They strengthen the skin barrier, [support] the skin’s defence system, and promote useful skin structure.”
A conundrum, though, is that nutrients are as difficult to come by as they are essential, says Kennedy. And some – such as omegas 3 and 6 – are not produced in the body at all. “They need to be acquired externally,” he explains. And, as we age, nutrients are transported even less throughout the skin, which is why it can feel like an upward hike to keep our skin looking the way we wish it would.
Enter the reinvented and repackaged Dior Prestige La Micro Huile de Rose Activated Serum. Now housed in refillable packaging that uses less glass for a smaller carbon footprint, the formula itself has been redesigned to help revive dull and dehydrated skin, and help ageing skin look and feel more like younger skin.
This new iteration is crammed with two omegas (which have been preserved in thousands of micro-pearls in every bottle) and high counts of micronutrients from the Rose de Granville, appropriately dubbed Nutri-Rosapeptide. Stunning yet hardy, each of the Rose de Granville blooms are grown by Dior on its biodynamic farm in Granville, Christian Dior’s birthplace, in France’s north-west. Carefully curated and planned under strict biodynamic guidelines, the seven hectare site boasts 11,000 roses, each meticulously planted and grown with natural fertilisers and without pesticide.
Dior Prestige La Micro-Huile de Rose Activated Serum, $425 at Dior
Earlier this year, marie claire visited Dior’s farm when the roses were in bloom to see not only how they are harvested but also to witness firsthand how sustainable farming has a positive impact on the planet, and view the preservation of the micronutrients within the rose itself. The Rose de Granville’s unique extract is six times more concentrated in an impressive 22 micronutrients than other roses, says Karl Pays, research director at LVMH. He explains that, once picked, the blooms are taken directly to the on-site laboratory where their unique nutrients are extracted. “This rose petal oil extract is 14 times richer in omegas [than the previous formula].”
What makes this rose special is its unique ability to grow in its harsh coastal environment. “You can’t help but wonder how can this rose survive here?” says Couturaud. “If you then narrow it down to molecular mechanisms, you find out that there are a multitude of compounds in this rose that make it so specifically resistant. And the biomechanical resistance is exactly what we need in skin as it ages.”
The formation of wrinkles is due to the fibres in our dermis no longer being the same quality as they are in young skin. The scientists at Dior suggest that if we transfer the biomechanical resistance of this rose to skin, we can help our complexions be more resistant. “Plant cells are more similar to our cells than we think,” says Couturaud. “When you put plant cells under stress, they have to respond to that, and they produce the same kinds of protective ingredients that we would need to respond to similar stress.” That stress could be dehydration, UV exposure or just time passing.
“The plants go through all of those things too,” adds Couturaud. “They have to produce strategies to deal with it. Nutrition is very important for the ageing process and [this product] is like a food supplement for skin.” Decadently velvety on the skin, thanks to the high count of omegas, this is the sort of product you want to apply when your skin is feeling blah. You’ll get an instant glow-up but you will also dose skin with what it needs to help protect it from the daily assault.
So, while many of the mysteries of longevity are still being unveiled, the science clearly points to a direct relationship between the health of our skin and the health of the rest of our body. “The ageing field has been working on its own for the past 30 years, in silo,” says Kennedy. “The skincare industry has been doing its research [in parallel]. We have something to learn from each other because the things we’re discovering about systemic ageing almost all apply to the skin, too.”
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