The essence of beauty is skin quality

The new frontier of beauty no longer seeks exaggerated volumes or immediate artifices: today the real ambition is called skin quality. Skin that reflects health, hydration and vitality, much more than the absence of wrinkles. This is confirmed by a Teoxane-IPSOS survey conducted in five countries, on a sample of 14,584 people, which tells of a clear cultural change. For the majority of people, age matters less and less, while what really makes the difference is a radiant and well-groomed complexion, the result of constant attention and targeted glow treatments. But what is skin quality? 'Skin quality describes the visual appearance, texture and functionality of the skin, reflecting its state of health and youthfulness,' explains Maria Gabriella Di Russo, aesthetic doctor and specialist in Hydrology, Climatology and Thalassotherapy in Milan and Formia. 'It is the set of characteristics that makes the skin healthy, radiant and even. We are talking about tone and colour homogeneity, texture and smoothness, hydration and luminosity, elasticity and firmness, as well as the integrity of the skin barrier. Age and ageing processes, sun exposure, lifestyle, hydration level, environmental factors, care routines, hormonal balance, general health, genetics and skin type all play a role in influencing it'.

Skin quality exceeds anti-ageing effect

In the past, the main goal of beauty treatments was to reduce the signs of ageing, such as wrinkles or laxity. Today, the focus is on skin that looks healthy, radiant and vital, regardless of age. Gen Z and Millennials also experience skin quality in a more conscious and preventive way: they do not pursue perfection, but healthy, authentic skin. For them, skin quality is built over time and is linked to lifestyle, not to fighting wrinkles. The skin becomes an expression of self and of holistic and realistic care. "The focus shifts from 'erasing' the signs of ageing to improving the overall quality of the skin," the expert continues. "The focus on skin quality, radiance, elasticity, evenness, allows for a fresh and realistic appearance, avoiding the artificial or 'frozen' effect typical of some purely anti-ageing treatments. A hydrated, protected and well-nourished skin ages slower and better, it is a skin that communicates energy, balance and self-care. The anti-ageing effect aims at hiding age, while skin quality aims at enhancing vitality'.

Medical aesthetic treatments 

Improving skin quality means working on skin tone, elasticity, radiance, hydration and colour uniformity. "The most effective treatments today are injective and non-injective biostimulants, chemical peelings, fractional non-ablative lasers, microneedling, focused ultrasounds, exosomes and skinboosters," Di Russo points out. "Aesthetic medicine is evolving rapidly, with more precise technologies, reduced recovery and more targeted results. Today we can act directly on skin quality parameters. The new generation non-ablative fractional laser with dual wavelengths (1550 and 1927 nm) is able to stimulate collagen in depth without damaging the epidermis: the 1550 nm improves the dermal structure, while the 1927 nm works more on the surface on spots, pores and texture, giving a gradual and natural rejuvenating effect. Another innovation is the synergy of two skin boosters such as R Energy, with an energising and regenerating effect, which act on seven fundamental parameters: hydration, elasticity, firmness, smoothness, luminosity and vitality. The active ingredients intensively strengthen the skin, recreating conditions similar to those of a young skin and stimulating the fibroblasts to produce new hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin'.