Is it possible to mimic the benefits of sub-zero, cryogenic temperatures through skincare alone?
This was the central thesis that the founder of the Harley Street-based 111SKIN Dr Yannis Alexandrides set himself before tackling the necessary formulations to create a science-backed solution.
Despite its rather futuristic connotations, cryotherapy is not exactly a brand-new wellness trend, and the name itself was actually invented by the Ancient Greeks. While the use of cold water and ice to treat inflammation is well-established, the Hollywood elite has been enjoying the healing power of cryogenic chambers since the early ‘80s. In the last decade or so, cold water immersion therapy has also enjoyed a recent upturn in popularity thanks to the celebrity obsession with The Iceman Wim Hof.
Whole-body cryo treatment as we know it today was invented in 1978 by Toshima Yamauchi to treat rheumatoid arthritis and help with general pain management. However, treating skin conditions, muscle ailments inflammation with cold temperatures has been a popular therapy, albeit using less advanced tools, since the Egyptians roamed the planet.
According to 111SKIN, the physical benefits of cryotherapy range from its instant anti-inflammatory effect, its ability to provide a strong metabolic boost, and its anti-ageing capability to assisting with weight loss and delivering an all-round aesthetic boost by increasing epidermal firmness and the circulation of nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood. Sounds good to us, and it’s no wonder celebrities love it. But how exactly does that translate into skincare without having to carry around buckets of liquid nitrogen?
The 111SKIN Cryo Revitalising Moisturiser is formulated with a ginseng complex to boost blood circulation and minimise puffiness, while a powerful dose of polyglutamic acid and eight types of hyaluronic acid help promote long-lasting hydration and skin elasticity.
What’s more, it contains 111SKIN’s signature NAC Y2 anti-ageing complex (developed with the help of NASA scientists) to repair and restore skin health. Finally, it contains ATP to stimulate cellular energy and Ectoin to help protect the skin barrier.
Well, can this energising moisturiser truly supercharge skin health as a cryogenic chamber can? The ES Best team took the polar plunge to find out. Keep scrolling for our thoughts.
Buy now: 111SKIN Cryo Revitalising Moisturiser - £155, 111SKIN
Ellie Davis, Shopping Editor
The 111SKIN Cryo Revitalising Moisturiser landed on my desk nestled into a mountain of ice. The weather outside was one of our rare heatwave days in the UK and the office air con was playing up. So pouncing is the only verb I can use to describe the speed at which the product was grasped and immediately applied to my parched complexion. The cold temperature was an immediate treat and it was liberally applied. After the satisfying cooling sensation, the next thing I noticed was the sumptuous scent that has come to define the doctor-led label and which is a priority for co-founder Eva. As she rightfully says, if you don’t enjoy the application process, you simply won’t use it. Let’s just say you will be using this lightweight gel cream and a lot of it.
Which brings me to my gripe. This is a 50ml moisturiser (as a side note, why are 50ml products ever created? The minimum should be 100ml and that is a hill I will die on). What’s more, the instructions say one to two pumps should suffice. This was not the case for me. My thirsty skin required a pump per area (one on the forehead, one per cheek etc), so in a week of usage, I am coming to the end of the £155 formula. I’m no mathematician but that’s £3.10 for just 1ml. But what you are getting is a luxury, highly researched moisturiser from an expert plastic surgeon-led label and my complexion was silky soft to the touch after use. It also had a blurring effect so made for a great primer layered under makeup. The moisturiser is best served from the fridge, but then again, aren’t most? Room temperature still offers a lovely texture and the same post-application effects but you’re going to need to dust off your skincare fridge for the cryo formula to live up to its true potential.
Abha Shah, Deputy Shopping Editor
The older I get the more mindful I am of a morning and nightly skincare routine. I shudder now thinking about the hand soap wash and dab of Nivea my complexion once got before lights out. Though I now use a proper cleanser plus a rotation of serums, creams and retinol, I’m never going to be one of those 11-step regime people (there is too much of a good thing). When it comes to skincare, I’m in the keep-it-simple team.
Keeping it simple is not what 111SKIN’s new Cryo Revitalising Moisturiser is all about. For one, it’s recommended to store in the fridge for optimal results, an appliance one doesn’t generally visit on the way to bed.
Second, it costs an eyewatering £155 for a piddly 50ml, although if you promise to subscribe you can knock that down to £124. I’ve been on minibreaks that cost less.
Do the results justify the cost? The short answer is no.
Yes, it smells very nice - spa-like and aquatic - and absorbs quickly but someone is having me on if they reckon the suggested two pumps are going to cover both face and neck. And it doesn’t feel cooling when left on the side, so it is a struggle to see where cryotherapy comes into play.
While my skin felt plumped and pores blurred into nothingness, this tub isn’t going to last for very long if I use it before and after bed.
My advice? Spend the cash on better-priced day creams and store them in the fridge (if you must) for the same effect.
Saskia Kemsley, Shopping Writer
Though I’m no guru, I’ve become pretty serious about my skincare. After having a nasty melanoma, I now treat my porcelain skin like it could crack at any moment. In the mornings, I use vitamin C serum, moisturiser and SPF, and after washing my face in the evening I use a retinoid and a heavier night cream. I sometimes interchange the gentle retinoid for an AHA serum or a simple plant-based toner. Nothing more, nothing less.
As such, I’ve come to value luxury, science-backed skincare – even products with eye-watering price tags like those by 111SKIN. So, when my boss arrived at our desk with a chic cooler filled with ice and the Harley Street clinic’s latest in cryogenic skincare, I was immediately eager to try it out.
When used straight from the ice bucket, the supple, gel consistency of the moisturiser has an immediate and powerful cooling effect. Having had an awful night’s sleep before my first test, my under-eyes and general complexion benefitted from an immediate boost. It was like applying sumptuously smooth topical Red Bull.
However, I opted not to pop the moisturiser in the fridge overnight and tried it at room temperature the next day. I don’t know why I was expecting it to still have that magical, instantly ice-cold effect – but if that’s what you were thinking too, I’m sorry to report there’s no liquid nitrogen-esque fairy dust in this moisturiser.
Cold or not, I still benefitted from an instantly mattified and sculpted complexion following both uses, so much so that one of my colleagues instantly complimented my newly awoken skin. Ultimately, this moisturiser is fantastic. It goes on like a dream and melts into the skin, providing an invisible yet highly effective shield which instantly improves skin elasticity like a dream.
It doesn’t mimic the feeling of cryogenic therapy unless it's put in the fridge before use, but it certainly mimics the effects from the moment you put it on your skin. My one qualm? I wish that the chic chromatic lid was made of metal instead of plastic, to elevate the packaging and provide an additional cooling effect.
Buy now £155.00, 111SKIN
