Precious Metals in Topical Skin Care
Advances in skin care are always welcome; that’s why precious metals and minerals like diamonds, platinum, silver and gold are making a splash in skin care products. Touting anti-aging and antioxidant benefits, these new skin care products don’t come cheap.
Historians say Cleopatra maintained her youth and beauty by wearing a mask of pure gold to bed every night. In ancient Rome, gold salves were used to treat a variety of skin issues.
Now, the use of gold to channel the fountain of youth is making a comeback. Variations of the Pure Gold Facial, originating in Japan, are in spas from Newport Beach, Calif., to Manhattan to London, ranging in cost from about $300 to $400.
Gold and diamonds must deliver even better results, right? A spa in Forth Worth carries an anti-aging cream infused with gold and silk fibers and a an anti-wrinkle treatment infused with diamonds.
Gold-infused treatments are one of the top 10 spa trends for 2008, according to Milana Knowles, vice president of SpaFinder.com, an international Web site with reviews and information about day spas, resort spas and medical spas.
“There’s a lot of competition, and everyone is trying to come up with something different . . . something with a wow factor attached to it,” she said.
The CopperWynd Resort and Club in Fountain Hills is the first and so far the only resort to offer this type of treatment in Arizona. This natural mineral treatment, dubbed the Cleopatra Gold Facial, was added about three months ago as part of the spa’s transition away from chemical-based facials.
The 75-minute treatment, which costs $275, begins with applying a 24-karat gold-leaf mask to the face. Frankincense and myrrh essential oils are then massaged into the gold, with a dusting of gold-infused powder to finish.
The treatment is said to accelerate the regeneration of new cells, remove wrinkles and blemishes and lift and firm the skin.
“I have had quite few facials, and this one is very unique,” said Marcia Taylor, director of sales at the CopperWynd Resort and Spa. “The effects are much more long-lasting, and you can really see a difference.”
Platinum is the latest anti-age craze in Japan. It was not long ago that DHC and HABA both launched skin care products containing platinum (nano colloid) that quickly become bestsellers in Asia.
However, nothing can top La Prairie’s Cellular Cream Platinum Rare. The most indulgent – and certainly most expensive – treatment, the cream contains platinum and claims to improve skin’s receptivity to nutrients, keep your skin in electrical balance, offers climate-activated hydration and adjusts to changing humidity levels and works with your skin regardless of the type of climate you’re in. For the price ($1000 per 1.7 oz jar), it should do that and more.
La Prairie Cellular Eye Cream Platinum Rare/0.68 oz.
La Prairie by La Prairie Cellular Cream Platinum Rare –/1.7OZ
