We spend a huge amount of time and money protecting, treating and correcting our skin - serums to brighten, creams to plump, treatments to smooth away what's already changed. What we spend far less time thinking about is what skin actually needs to keep doing its job well in the first place.
The answer, according to a growing number of aesthetic doctors, comes down to protein. More specifically, amino acids - the building blocks that keep skin structurally strong, in much the same way protein keeps muscle strong. And from our late twenties onwards, skin starts running low on them.
That's the thinking behind Celora™ Vita, the new injectable powering The Protein Facial, from DermaFocus - the regenerative aesthetics company behind the UK launch of Plinest Polynucleotide. Rather than correcting what's already depleted, it works with skin's own biology to help rebuild and regenerate it from the inside out, delivering a complex of nine amino acids - including all three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) - directly where skin needs them. DermaFocus describes it as the most complete amino acid blend of its kind currently available.
An injectable treatment that delivers a complex of nine amino acids - including all three BCAAs - directly into skin, replenishing the building blocks it needs to rebuild and regenerate from within. Recommended as a course of three sessions, three weeks apart, it targets fine lines, dullness, dehydration, uneven tone and texture, and loss of elasticity by supporting skin's underlying function rather than simply treating what's visible on the surface. Available at clinics nationwide; prices vary by location.
Why amino acids matter for skin
"Skin cannot be rebuilt without the biological materials required for its reconstruction," says Dr Lee Walker, Director and Clinical Lead at BCity Clinics. "Amino acids play a fundamental role in supporting those processes, and patients are increasingly seeking treatments that go beyond correction and focus on overall skin quality."
It's a shift several doctors are seeing in clinic. "Aesthetic medicine is moving towards prevention, skin longevity and improved skin quality," says Dr Marwa Ali, Resident Aesthetic Doctor at The Wellness Clinic, Harrods. "The Protein Facial supports skin from within and helps maintain healthier, more resilient-looking skin over time."
Dr Saleena Zimri, founder of Skin Doctor Clinics in London, Leeds, Manchester and York, sums up the rationale simply: "We've spent years talking about what ageing skin loses, but not enough time discussing what it needs. Celora™ Vita helps replenish those foundations. For anyone seeking natural-looking improvements in skin quality, it's an exciting step forward."
What it treats
The Protein Facial is designed to address the appearance of fine lines, dullness, dehydration, uneven tone and texture, loss of elasticity and the effects of sun damage - but the emphasis is on skin function first. The idea is that the glow comes from skin working better beneath the surface, rather than treating what's visible on top.
What happens over a course of treatment
The recommended course is three sessions, spaced three weeks apart, treating the face - including the forehead, under-eye area, cheeks and around the mouth - as well as the neck.
Hydration tends to improve first: skin feels more comfortable, looks less flat and takes on a natural luminosity that's hard to replicate with topical products alone. As the course progresses, texture refines, fine lines soften, and a firmness develops that comes from skin functioning better from its foundations up, rather than being temporarily plumped or filled.
It can be used as a standalone treatment or alongside other aesthetic treatments, and DermaFocus positions it as suited to two quite different patients: those in their twenties looking to protect skin health early, and those seeking more visible improvement later in life.
The Protein Facial powered by Celora™ Vita is available at aesthetic clinics across the UK, with prices varying by clinic. You can find your nearest provider at dermafocus.co.uk.
