The Vitamin C glow up: find your perfect match

From refreshing sprays to hydrating serums that promise a glow that would leave the moon envious, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant hailed as a skincare superhero that brightens the skin, boosts collagen, and keeps the signs of ageing at bay.  But did you know there are different types of Vitamin C used in skincare products, each with its own unique set of benefits? Whether you have sensitive skin prone to breakouts or want to maintain a natural glow all day long, understanding the various types of vitamin C and their functions can help you make more informed skincare decisions. The big four C’s L-Ascorbic Acid (AA) – did you know that your skin cannot make adult collagen without ascorbic acid? Ascorbic acid is the active form of Vitamin C in our bodies. The challenge is that our bodies need ascorbic acid first, for its antioxidant effect. When measuring the amount of antioxidants naturally occurring in our skin, around half of the anti-oxidant concentration will be ascorbic acid. If you are a smoker or live in a polluted environment or spent a lot of time in the sun, your body is using the ascorbic acid to protect you from free radicals. This means your skin will be struggling to make new collagen and replace damaged collagen. Causing premature and exaggerated ageing. When applying ascorbic acid of 15% or above, we can take 80-year-old cells (fibroblasts) and make them as active in collagen production and new cell production as that of a newborn baby. Using ascorbic acid products at the right concentration in a stabilised form means that you see quick change in the signs of ageing especially in mature skin that is suffering from premature ageing and sun damage. A great second choice for ageing skin is Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate is known as a ‘Deep Diver’, and with good reason. This is an oil-soluble form of Vitamin C ester that is highly stable, ideal for targeting deeper layers of the skin to boost collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles when your skin is intolerant to the tingling that Ascorbic Acid might create. Women over 45 who are looking for an intensive anti-aging solution may find this form of Vitamin C particularly effective due to its ability to work at a cellular level. For those who generally have a more sensitive skin type, Vitamin C in the Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) form is the gentler form of Vitamin C that you’ve been looking for. As a more stable water-soluble form of vitamin C than pure ascorbic acid, SAP is ideal for those who are prone to redness, itchiness, and acne. SAP at the right concentration also has a very effective result on lowering the bacteria that cause acne. The antioxidant effect also prevents the oxidation of squalene, a lipid naturally part of our sebum. This in turn helps to prevent congestion/blockage of pores in acne prone people.  The fourth type of vitamin C is called Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP), a lipid-soluble ester form of Vitamin C that is particularly partnered with brightening and pigment-treating ingredients. Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a potent antioxidant that also is very good at brightening skin and improving glow and hydration. Why does it matter?  “As skin ages, its needs change,” says Dr Bradley Wagemaker, Medical Director at Lamelle Pharmaceuticals. “The natural production of collagen slows, skin becomes drier, and fine lines start to appear. Selecting the right type of Vitamin C can provide tailored benefits for your skin’s specific needs, helping to keep it firm, radiant, and youthful.” Wagemaker adds that Ascorbic Acid’s ability to fight free radicals and promote collagen production makes it a must-have in any skincare routine, regardless of age. “However, not all Vitamin C is created equal. By understanding the different types, you can make an informed choice that addresses your unique skin concerns, ensuring you get the most out of this powerful ingredient.”

November 20, 2024

5 Surprising factors that may aggravate skin sensitivity and irritation

The term “sensitive skin” has become one of the most searched skincare conditions online, and over the past few years the condition has become more and more prevalent among men and women of all ages. The National Library of Medicine in the United States estimates that 60-70% of women, and 50-60% of men report having some degree of sensitive skin. This equates to a staggering number of people struggling with sensitivity – and a major need to address the problem. What is sensitive skin? We use the term “sensitive skin” to refer to skin that is reactive to various internal and external factors. Sensitive skin typically experiences discomfort, dryness or redness and almost always has an impaired skin barrier. What are some of the signs of sensitive skin? Sensitive skin may experience various unpleasant sensations such as itching, burning or stinging. It may feel tight or dry, it may have a rough texture and even flake. Sometimes sensitivity is characterised by redness. All of these signs may indicate sensitivity, and many of them go hand-in-hand with dryness. What causes sensitive skin? There are many different internal and external factors that may cause or aggravate sensitivity. A dysfunctional skin barrier is one of the leading causes. Your skin barrier is made up of the outermost layer of skin cells (corneocytes) suspended in a waxy layer of lipids (forming the skin’s lipid bi-layer). Over-washing or damage from the environment strips away these essential lipids, leaving gaps between the corneocytes. Your skin’s moisture escapes through these “gaps” causing your dry skin, and it also allows impurities to enter your skin, causing sensitivity. As mentioned, there are various factors influencing sensitivity and irritation, some of which are more obvious than others. Did you know that certain lifestyle factors may also exasperate and increase sensitivity? Some of the most surprising factors include: Stress Stress has a major effect on our health. When we stress, our bodies produce stress hormones, known for causing inflammation. These hormones may aggravate sensitivity. Stress is also a big trigger for conditions like eczema and psoriasis Soap and detergents Some soaps and detergents contain harsh surfactants that may affect the skin’s barrier function, leading to dryness and sensitivity. This may include the soap you use to wash your hands and body, your laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid. Diet Food intolerances, sensitivities and allergies may cause skin upset for some people, resulting in redness, itching, rashes etc. This may include – but is not limited to – sensitivities to gluten and wheat, dairy, peanuts, eggs and more. Hot showers There’s nothing like a hot shower in winter, right? But sadly, contact with hot water may increase sensitivity and dryness. That’s because hot water strips skin of its natural moisture and protective oils, making it prone to dryness and discomfort. Hot water may also damage the keratin cells in the epidermis, preventing them from locking in moisture. Wash your face and body with lukewarm to warm water instead. Change in temperature The cold winter months are generally the time in which dryness and sensitivity is at its worst. It’s also the time in which most people who suffer from eczema or psoriasis, experience flare-ups. Low humidity, colder temperatures and icy winds reduce our skin’s moisture levels, making it difficult to retain moisture, often leading to redness, dryness, sensitivity and flaking. How to restore dry and sensitive skin Surprisingly, most dry-skin treatments only focus on replacing lost moisture, which is why they don’t work in the long run. Rehydrating the skin is only one half of the job – you need to also repair the skin barrier, otherwise, you’ll need to keep applying moisture and the skin doesn’t return to its normal healthy state. That’s why Lamelle Research Laboratories’s dry skin treatments are focused on restoring the skin barrier while hydrating and soothing. Lamelle’s Serra skincare range is designed to sooth, treat and protect dry, sensitive and itchy skin. Serra is made with a proprietary type of lipid-restore ingredient – Ceramide-P – that rebuilds your skin barrier while it rehydrates for smooth, supple and itch-free skin on your face and all-over body – any time of the year. By combining advanced hydrating and soothing ingredients – to give you relief in the short term – with proprietary lipid-function-mimicking Ceramide-P to temporarily replace the structures of your skin while it repairs it for the long term, Serra is an advanced solution for dry and sensitive skin. For dry and sensitive skin on the body, try Lamelle Serra Soothing Body Lotion (R400.00). This non-greasy, quick-absorbing lotion employs the barrier-restoring abilities of Lamelle’s Ceramide-P along with the specialised water-binding humectant urea and essential fatty acids to rebuild your skin barrier all over the body. For a compromised skin barrier, try Lamelle Serra Restore Cream (R630.00). This light, non-oily moisturiser is packed with ingredients that replace the lipid bi-layer that makes up your skin barrier, restoring it while hydrating and soothing your skin. It also corrects your skin’s pH levels, boosting your skin’s health and immune function while soothing dry, itchy and sensitive skin. For a slightly richer formulation and to soothe dryness and sensitivity, use Lamelle Serra Soothing Cream (R860.00). This richer moisturiser features ingredients encapsulated in lipids (which makes it feel richer), making it ideal for treating more severe dry, inflamed, sensitive or allergic skin. Also containing a blend of Ceramide-P, Oat Beta Glucan, dexpanthenol and essential fatty acids, Serra Soothing Cream additionally contains patented anti-redness and anti-itching therapies to ensure effective recovery with minimal irritation. If you have SSS (Sensitive Skin Syndrome) – a dermatological medical condition different to regular dry and sensitive skin – then Lamelle Serra NSB Cream (R770.00) may be the solution you’ve been looking for. Serra NSB Cream was created for those suffering from Sensitive Skin Syndrome, a diagnosable associated neuro-sensitivity condition, or those who’ve experienced some relief with the Serra range but require even more assistance in alleviating hypersensitivity. It contains Ceramide-P, Niacinamide, Amino Acids and Shea Butter. Sensitive skin may be on the rise, but with Lamelle’s Serra skincare range, there

July 15, 2024

Introducing Re-Firm Elixir Cream

NEW Re-Firm Elixir Cream – a luxurious way to harness the power of stem cells  An innovation like no other, NEW Lamelle Re-Firm Elixir Cream is a cutting-edge anti-ageing solution using the technology of regenerative medicine. Rapid Rejuvenation  Lamelle Re-Firm Elixir Cream is a luxurious velvety-textured moisturiser delivering the purest stem cell conditioned media (SCCM) to rapidly rejuvenate aging skin. It’s other pioneering active ingredients include essential antioxidants, soothing panthenol and hydrating hyaluronic acid along with cell communicating growth factors and anti-ageing peptides. The result? A potent anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and pigment-inhibiting powerhouse! What is SCCM?   Medical science has recently unlocked the astounding regenerative potential of stem cells and Lamelle, having collaborated with biotechnology companies for decades, has been at the forefront of this exciting new technology. Stem cells are living cells, found in various tissues in the body, with a chameleon-like ability to transform into almost any other cell type. Naturally, this makes them essential for rejuvenation as they can morph into whatever tissue your body requires to heal. They also have the ability to communicate, producing “factors” that influence the behavior of surrounding cells. Our new superstar active ingredient, SCCM, is a stem cell’s “liquid essence” – the result of adipose-derived stem cells in a growth medium. As the stem cells proliferate in this medium they produce multiple active ingredients that infuse into the conditioning media. This medium – the SCCM is now a cocktail perfect for ageing and damaged skin cells to bounce back into action. This is delivered into the skin using a natural encapsulation technology to ensure maximal absorption and optimal results. Superior Stem Cells Stem cells are becoming a prolific active ingredient, but their usefulness depends on their origin. Most cosmetics that tout them are using plant-derived stem cells that don’t have the ability to differentiate into other human cell types, nor communicate with them. At best, they function like an antioxidant. This is why Lamelle’s technology makes use of stem cells derived from human fat cells. They’re proven to deliver the very best results with anti-inflammatory properties in comparison to other types of stem cells.  Still, it’s important to note that SCCM does NOT contain human stem cells as there is no need for this – all their rejuvenating benefits are transferred to the elixir.  Witness a Marvel! Along with SCCM, Re-Firm’s Elixir Cream also contains highly active growth factors, anti-inflammatory cytokines and peptides that encourage the protection and creation of collagen. Day by day, your skin’s cells will receive messages that instructs them to function optimally. Suddenly, mature skin begins to act younger – and the effect is nothing short of transformative.  Within just 28 days, expect to see a dramatic improvement in firmness; reduced wrinkling and a more evenly toned and radiant complexion. To enjoy the very best results, apply Re-Firm Elixir Cream twice daily, or our Re-Firm serum as a booster in concerned areas of ageing.  To learn more about Re-Firm Elixir Cream, visit www.lamelle.co.za

March 30, 2023

Sensitive skin: Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s environmental – either way, the cure is Forteve

Ask any dermatologist and they’ll tell you half their patients consider themselves as having “sensitive skin”. Thing is, skin is sensitive by nature. You need to treat it with tender loving care or, regardless of your “skin type”, you could end up experiencing sensitivity. Also, you should know that “sensitive skin” isn’t really a clinical diagnosis but more of an expression that your skin has a tendency to be easily irritated. But why is that? For the most part, this all comes down to the protective fatty outer layer of your skin – the lipid barrier. A chat about fat Think of your skin’s barrier as a brick wall held together by cement. The bricks are your skin’s cells and the cement is partly composed of waxy lipid molecules called ceramides. When your barrier is healthy it does a great job of keeping moisture in and irritants out. When it’s impaired, you’re missing some of that “cement” and this allows moisture to escape and irritants, be it chemicals, wind, heat or UV rays. The result is seemingly unquenchable dryness and skin that’s quick to react with symptoms like redness, stinging, burning or itching. Many people who don’t consider themselves to be the sensitive type can experience bouts of sensitive skin if they unwittingly damage their skin’s barrier. It’s surprisingly easy to do – just ask anyone who’s over-exfoliated before applying a highly fragranced moisturiser! Others, however, drew a genetic short straw and were simply born with a lipid barrier that isn’t as naturally robust as someone else. In this case, you could say you were born with sensitive skin. (Thanks mom!) Beat the burn Happily, whether you’ve always had easily irritated skin; suffer from an impaired barrier condition such as atopic dermatitis or are simply going through a sensitive phase, real relief is at hand. Forteve by Lamelle Pharmaceuticals is the only skin barrier repair solution with a patented pseudoceramide that mimics a healthy epidermal bi-layer.   After years of intensive research, Lamelle has proved that, while replenishing lipids is key to restoring a healthy skin barrier, it’s how you arrange them – in a very specific pattern – that makes the most dramatic difference. Thus, new Forteve contains a patented pseudoceramide that, once applied to the skin, undergoes a phase transformation. It literally arranges itself into multiple layers – as well as the correct patterns – that mimic the unique properties of a healthy epidermal lipid bi-layer. Better than the rest    Currently, the standard method to improve the symptoms of atopic dermatitis is to apply a 5% urea cream. Our trials, however, have shown that applying our pseudoceramide serves up a 150% improvement over those treated with the urea cream. Talk about a dramatic difference! The bottom line Ultimately, whether you’ve always struggled with sensitive skin or are going through a, ahem, rough patch, know that your skin deserves real relief. To start, use Forteve Foaming Cleanser, a daily cleanser so gentle it can even be used on babies’ skin. Next, get those lipids back with either our Forteve Soothing Lotion or Cream. Both are formulated with our patented pseudoceramide complex to fortify and restore barrier function while soothing irritation. Lastly, if you’re dealing with severely dry or cracked skin on areas like your hands or feet, get the TLC you need with Forteve Intensive Urea 5% Cream. This way you get the heavy hydration of urea but fortified with the intuitive biomimicry of our pseudoceramide complex. In no time at all, you’ll get to enjoy the healthy, skin barrier you deserve – whether you were born with it or not.

March 16, 2023

Start your clear skin journey with ACleo

Blackheads and pimples. We all get them… we all don’t appreciate them… and chances are you’ve tried everything to get rid of them – from useless pore strips to those “miracle” vacuum tools you’ve seen on TikTok! If you’ve searched high and low and still haven’t found a weapon of choice, now’s the time to consider a proven one – ACleo by Lamelle Pharmaceuticals. What is ACleo? Acleo is a range of breakthrough skincare products specifically formulated for people with acne-prone skin. To start, you’ll want to get your hands on the must-have kit containing an oral supplement and a targeted spot treatment.  The all-natural superstar ingredients in the ACleo supplement are zinc and vitamin B. Both are proven to calm inflammation in the skin. This allows existing pimples to heal faster and creates an unfriendly environment for future breakouts. (The bacteria that causes acne thrives in an inflammatory environment.) Better yet, this winning duo also helps your body regulate it’s oil production. Less oil, fewer clogged pores, less acne! As for the topical spot treatment, this contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial actives plus pore-exfoliating salicylic acid. It can be applied directly to spots multiple times a day and, because it’s a lightweight clear gel, nobody has to know you’re wearing it. Love that! Meet the gang While the ACleo kit can be used with any skincare routine, you’ll get the best results by using the entire ACleo collection. This starts with the foaming cleanser to remove excess oil without overdrying while zinc and panthenol calm and soothe. Next up, step away from your exfoliator! It’s a myth that you can scrub away acne – harsh, grainy scrubs will only inflame your skin further and spread acne causing bacteria. Instead, use a cotton pad to apply ACleo toner. It includes gentle exfoliating acids to rid your pores of dirt as well as the dead, dry skin cells that can clog them. To finish up, apply ACleo Lotion. It contains soothing anti-inflammatories and, despite its lightweight texture, will give your skin all the hydration it needs without the heaviness thanks to water-binding hyaluronic acid. We’ve got your back! Last but not least, let’s talk about body acne. Rather than cover it, let’s get rid of it with ACleo Body Breakout Spray! Again, it’s full of acne-fighting inflammation-busters, oil-controlling ingredients and salicylic acid to keep your pores clean and clear. Being in a spritzer bottle, makes it easy to treat hard-to-reach areas. Bacne – here’s looking at you! Ultimately, if you’re struggling with spots, ACleo has everything you need to start your clear skin journey today.  For more information: www.acleo.co.za 

March 8, 2023

Inflammaging and how to fight it with Lamelle Dermaheal

The last few years have been a wild ride. You’re working like a dog. You’re tired. You’re stressed. And you can see it all over your skin. And nope, it’s definitely not all in your head. One of the main triggers of inflammaging – aging that’s caused by chronic, low-grade inflammation – is stress. Many other lifestyle factors contribute too, including exposure to pollution, smoking, a poor diet and unprotected sun exposure. Aside from making tweaks where you can, (hello yoga, bye bye ciggies!), you can also protect your skin from imflammaging using the Dermaheal range by Lamelle Research Laboratories. We’ll get into how its innovative formulation can make the world of difference in a bit, but first, you should know exactly how inflammaging is wreaking havoc on your skin. Know thy enemy Inflammation isn’t always bad. In fact, it’s your body’s way of putting up a red flag that says “I’m hurt”, allowing for a chain reaction of healing to place. However, when your body is perpetually under attack from all the aggressors we mentioned before, it results in subtle yet chronic inflammation that “simmers” in your skin, creating a laundry list of unwanted effects. These include – brace yourself – a loss of collagen and elastin resulting in sagging skin and wrinkles as well as a nose dive in hyaluronic acid and GlycosAminoGlycans (GAGs) which means drier, thinner skin with a rougher texture. You’ll also get to “enjoy” an increase in MMPs, (enzymes that essentially destroy your collagen), an uptick in hyperpigmentation and the increased expression of PGE-2, an inflammatory hormone that’s linked to skin cancer and poor wound healing. So again, if you’re feeling the pressure and think it’s affecting your complexion, you’re 100-percent correct. Also, you should know that chronic low-level inflammation also has a negative effect on every tissue in your body, not just your skin. Can we get an “eek”? Turn down the heat As we said, there are things you can do to mitigate the triggers of chronic inflammation. But modern living and the fact that inflammaging is proven to increase as we get older means you also need to fight back. A great way to do it is with our Dermaheal line. Our most cutting-edge collection yet, it was specifically created to target the three root causes of aging – cell stagnation, damaging enzymes (here’s looking at you MMPs!) and – you guessed it – chronic inflammation. Each of our Dermaheal creams – Ultra Renewal, Renewal Cream ,Cellular Repair and Eye Regeneration Plus – contain a brilliant mix of anti-inflammatory growth factors, an MMP-inhibiting complex to zap those collagen-destroying enzymes in their tracks and an exclusive blend of inflammation-fighting cytokines. The latter are small proteins that essentially tell your skin to switch off inflammation, stopping the scourge of inflammaging in its tracks. Dermaheal products also contain Nobiletin, a botanical flavonoid that turns off chronic inflammation on a genetic level, in the nucleus of your cell. This way, your body can benefit from acute inflammation when it needs to heal from an injury, but the simmering kind that degrades your tissues gets nipped in the bud. Inflammation-fighting aside, the range is also formulated with a non-irritating form of collagen-stimulating retinol, mega-hydrating hyaluronic acid fragments and a slew of cell protecting antioxidants that will also go a long way towards tamping down chronic inflammation while protecting your cells from damaging free radicals. The bottom line Ultimately, inflammaging is difficult to avoid, regardless of what lifestyle changes you make. But you can take action to mitigate its damaging and ageing effects on your skin with Dermaheal. A potent inflammation-fighting anti-ageing line-up, it promises to tackle the main causes of ageing, including inflammaging, so you can enjoy a firmer, smoother, less lined, more radiant-looking complexion for longer – regardless of what your crazy schedule is looking like. Now go and take care of those deadlines and leave taking the very best care of your skin up to Lamelle. After all, it’s what they do best.  For more information or to find a stockist near you visit: www.lamelle.co.za  Follow us: @lamellersa

November 18, 2022

Protect and repair – right down to the DNA level – with Lamelle Research Laboratories Nourish

We all know that sun exposure is bad news for our skin. It causes lines and wrinkles. It’s the fast track to sagging skin. It’s a free pass to pigmentation. You get it. We know you get it. But did you know that the sun also damages your DNA? (But here’s a spoiler alert for you – Lamelle’s Nourish range will help you prevent and repair that. Phew!) Not so fun in the sun When anything wreaks havoc on your DNA, this injury is referred to as a “dimer” and the sun can cause them in two ways. The first, known as “direct damage”, is caused when the UV rays directly penetrate your skin. The second type of damage – “indirect damage” – is more insidious. In this case, the sun’s energy causes the molecules in your cells’ nucleus to morph into free radicals. These unstable atoms, if left unchecked, can cause cell destruction, premature ageing and even dread diseases like cancer. We call this indirect damage because, in this instance, the sun isn’t directly destroying your skin, but triggering a dangerous reaction that most certainly will. You should also know that the sun isn’t the only culprit when it comes to the creation of free radicals. Pollution, smoking and even your own body in several conditions, be it a stressful time or exercising too much or too little, can all lead to the production of these potentially deadly molecules. Protect and repair  Knowing that sun damage and free radicals are very bad news for your skin, Lamelle Research Laboratories have created our bestselling Nourish collection to prevent the signs of ageing while protecting your skin from the damage that contributes to it. To protect your skin from the sun’s direct damage, you can rely on Nourish Multi-Active Sun 30, a hydrating sunscreen that can be worn in place of a moisturiser if you have an oilier skin type or layered over either of the Nourish day creams if you’re more on the dry side. Then, to take care of indirect damage, our moisturisers contain OGG-1, a form of photolyase with the ability to find and correct dimers. Better yet, this enzyme works fast, correcting up to 94% of damage within just 6 hours of application! Don’t let free radicals live rent free So, that’s dimers taken care of. But what about those pesky free radicals? Happily, our Nourish line, including the sunscreen, is jam-packed with potent and proven free radical slayers that mop up these unstable atoms like a sponge. One is Pycnogenol, a potent antioxidant derived from French Maritime Pine Bark. It protects your skin’s collagen and elastin, calms inflammation and increases your body’s natural hyaluronic acid (HA) content. (HA is a mega-moisturising water-binding molecule and a must for hydrated, plump-looking skin.)  The Nourish collection’s other heavyweight antioxidant is astaxanthin, a keto-carotenoid derived from Green Algae. It’s superpower is the ability to share multiple electrons, allowing it to neutralise a multitude of free radicals at once. It also bolsters your own army by protecting your skin’s first-line antioxidants and assists with their release. But that’s not all! It also lowers your MMP production rate (enzyme’s that can damage your collagen if they’re over expressed), calms inflammation and even boost your skin’s immune system.  The bottom line When it comes to taking the very best care of your skin, don’t mess around with anti-ageing skincare products that only treat the symptoms of ageing. Protect and repair your skin right down to the DNA level with Nourish by Lamelle Research Laboratories. This cutting-edge collection will unlock your body’s most powerful anti-aging strategies so you can confidently put your best face forward today, knowing your skin will also be taken care of in the future. 

November 11, 2022

Postmenopausal? Get your comfort back with Lady Prelox

If you’ve experienced menopause, you’ll know there’s nothing fun about the symptoms. Hot flashes, fatigue, libido shifts, migraines, hair loss and vaginal dryness are just a few of the many ways this “change of life” can push you out of your comfort zone. For much of this, you have falling estrogen levels to thank – something that will peak in your mid to late 20s and then have declined, on average, by 50% by the age of 50. As a result, many women look forward to the day they’re post-menopausal. At this point, a lot of these symptoms should ease up or go away. (Oh, the joy of leaving the house without migraine meds and a mini fan!) However, many still experience lingering, bothersome symptoms including hot flashes and vaginal dryness. The latter can be accompanied by itching so it’s often mistaken for thrush, sparking a journey of incorrect remedies that offer no relief. Also, a loss of lubrication paired with thinning tissues can result in painful fissures that make it uncomfortable to urinate, exercise or simply sit down. Get your comfort back The picture we’ve painted isn’t pretty. But it’s good to know what you’re dealing with and even more important to realise you don’t have to give up on feeling comfortable. Lady Prelox is a clinically-developed oestrogen-free supplement proven to mitigate many of the symptoms that plague postmenopausal women, including vaginal dryness. It contains the super antioxidant Pycnogenol, a French Maritime Pine Bark Extract. Studies have also shown its anti-inflammatory and free radical-fighting effects can significantly improve a laundry list of postmenopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, brain fog, breast tenderness, the sensation of pain related to headaches and vaginal dryness. How does it work? Pycnogenol is clinically proven to boost your blood circulation, including mucosal microcirculation. During trials, 60% of women saw an improvement in post-menopausal symptoms, including vaginal dryness, in as little as four weeks. After two months, this astounding stat shot up to 78%! Lady Prelox also contains L-Citrulline and L-Arginine, two amino acids that work in synergy to increase circulation-boosting nitric oxide production.Clinical studies have shown that increasing your body’s nitric oxide production plays an important role in mediating hot flashes and goes a long way towards protecting your cardiovascular health. (If you didn’t know, oestrogen withdrawal has a negative effect on cardiovascular function, making menopause a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, so this is a time to be extra vigilant about your heart health.) The bottom line The postmenopausal stage of life, despite being a very natural one, can be an uncomfortable phase – but it doesn’t have to be. With Lady Prelox, all it takes is just two pills a day to improve many of the most bothersome postmenopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and vaginal dryness. And yes, there’s that brilliant bonus of improved cardiovascular health. So, what are you waiting for? Consider Lady Prelox and you could be one of the thousands of women who’ve relied on it to get their comfort back! www.preloxrange.co.za  

November 11, 2022

Lamelle Correctives HA+ Serum: Our most innovative hyaluronic acid serum

If you’re serious about skincare, chances are you’ve got a mega-moisturising hyaluronic acid serum (also referred to as HA) in your artillery. Still, it’s hard to believe there once was a time when few had even heard of it and many assumed it was an exfoliator. Thing is, HA isn’t acidic at all. In fact, it helps to replenish your skin with much-appreciated hydration, making it a must for every skin type and especially those that have dry skin. This is why Lamelle Correctives HA+ Serum is such a loved and lauded product. However, there are many more reasons as to why it’s a hydrator above all others and we’ll get to that in a bit – but first – for those still unfamiliar with the skincare superstar, let’s get you up to speed fast. Why HA is here to stay   HA is a water-binding, lubricating molecule that occurs naturally in your body. Much of it resides in your skin where its job is to help it retain moisture. As it’s able to attract and hold up to a thousand times its weight in water – and then hold it deep within your skin – it does this extremely well. The result? Happy, hydrated skin that looks younger thanks to a plumping effect that can obliterate fine dehydration lines and soften the look of wrinkles. More good news? Research suggests that HA has antioxidant properties that can help mitigate the effects of sun damage. Not all HA serums are created equally Now that the world’s woken up to this moisture magnet’s seemingly miraculous ability to hydrate and plump, you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to finding an HA-infused skincare product. Thing is, not all of them are created equally. As an example, some might only contain the teensiest smidge of HA and most will only contain one particular type. This is where Lamelle Correctives HA+ Serum gets to shine. Thanks to years of research, we’ve created the most innovative HA product in the world – one that contains five different types of HA to help hydrate your skin on multiple levels. Ready to break it down? Cross-linked HA hydrates the surface of the skin  Hydrolysed HA penetrates the deeper layers  Acetyl HA lingers longer, for continued hydration over a longer period Phyto HA helps retain hydration by reducing water loss through the skin Lucky number five As for our fifth type of HA, it’s a bit of an overachiever. Say hello to HAFi fragments, a range of very specifically sized HA particles that stimulate your skin to make even more of your own natural HA. This is great because your skin’s natural HA content starts to dwindle as you age. (You can also speed up this process if you’re a smoker, skip out on sun protection and don’t protect your skin from the scourge of cell-damaging free radicals.) Also, as an added bonus, HAFi fragments help speed up your skin’s natural healing and cellular turnover process by regulating inflammation. But wait – there’s more! Thought we were done? Nope. Here’s the thing that makes Lamelle Correctives HA+ Serum one of the most innovative in the world – it’s the first skincare product to contain TWO hyaluronidase inhibitors! Why is this a big deal? Hyaluronidase are enzymes that occur naturally in your body; increase with age and degrade the HA content in your skin. Keeping them in check is a must if you’re on a quest to enjoy hydrated, firm and plump-feeling skin for as long as possible.  Clearly, everyone can do with an HA serum in their skincare routine. But it’s only our Corrective HA+ Serum that, serves up a multi-pronged approach to hydration, the stimulation and protection of your own natural HA plus the ability to reverse the effects of ageing and sun damage. So, why settle for anything less when Lamelle has created the best? 

September 20, 2022

Smog & the city: Why protecting your skin from PMs is a must

We hear a lot about “anti-pollution” skincare but, if you’re living that glorious work-from-home life in the burbs as opposed to dashing around downtown, do you really need to worry about it? As it turns out, totally!  In 2021, not a single country met the World Health Organisation’s air quality guidelines. Also, over 90% of the population live in an urban areas that don’t make the grade. And when we say “urban” that includes the suburbs. Also, when dermatologists talk about “pollution” they’re not referring to the haze of inner city smog or billowing black clouds from a factory. The impurities you need to worry about are particulate matter (PM) – harmful contaminates suspended in the air and completely invisible to the human eye. Much like a virus or bacteria, just because you can’t see them, it doesn’t mean they’re not there, increasing the risk to your skin’s health while revving up the aging process.  PMs are not your friends  When last did you head out to run a few errands and forget to apply sunscreen? Most of us are guilty of this, but did you know that being exposed to PMs – along with unprotected sun exposure – puts you on the fast track to premature ageing and can even increase hyperpigmentation by as much as 20%?  The bad news doesn’t stop there. When PMs penetrate your skin, they can mess with its barrier function and that means dry, scaly skin; ramped up sensitivity, redness, itchiness and then some! They also increase your risk of inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, acne and psoriasis and even influence the development of skin cancer.  The way PMs wreak havoc is two-fold. First, they trigger the formation of inflammation-causing free-radicals. (Unchecked inflammation is pretty much the root cause of just about everything you don’t want for skin – think acne, pigmentation, accelerated aging, the works!) Next, they trigger aryl hydrocarbon receptors that act as a “gene switch” in your cells, causing them to slow down the production of collagen while increasing an enzyme that damages your existing collagen. Talk about a “fun” two-for-one special!  Interestingly, a recent study has shown PM exposure has a much more profound effect on younger individuals than those who are older. While everyone should be wanting to protect their skin from their damaging effects, the younger generation literally has more to lose if they don’t take action right now.  Here comes your weapon of choice  Happily, this topic isn’t all doom and gloom. You CAN protect yourself from the scourge of PMs and, we reckon, Helase Urban Defence 30 by Lamelle is the smartest way to do it. Specifically developed with some of the planets most potent antioxidants, it does a brilliant job of mopping up free-radicals AND inhibiting the triggering of those collagen-blitzing aryl hydrocarbon receptors. This means powerful protection from PM cell injury as well as PM-driven ageing, inflammation and hyperpigmentation. In short, it’s your very best defence against the scourge of PMs. (As an added bonus, it also serves up an SPF rating of 30 and contains a DNA repair enzyme that seek out and correct dimers – DNA “kinks” that, if left untreated, can potentially cause skin cancer. So, not only are you investing in a kickass PM protector, but you’re getting a cutting-edge sunscreen too.)  Next time you step outside, be it in the burbs or the city, we hope you’ll be wearing Helase Urban Defence 30, your very best weapon of choice.

May 30, 2022

Dry, sensitive skin? Lamelle can keep you glowing over winter! 


If you’ve got dry, sensitive skin, you’ll know that the winter months can be tough. Aside from becoming even drier, your complexion can end up looking dull and ashy. Fortunately, with a cutting-edge hydrator and a super star anti-ager, specially formulated for sensitive skin, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying plump, radiant-looking skin, regardless of the season. First things first To beat the winter “blahs”, your first step is to bump up your skin’s hydration levels. Many make the mistake of assuming they should swap out their lighter-textured moisturisers for those with a heavier, thicker formulation. However, instead of getting something gloopier, rather choose smarter – opting for the world’s most sophisticated hydrator, Lamelle Correctives HA+ Serum. Our groundbreaking serum contains several different types of hyaluronic acid (HA) to help hydrate your skin on multiple levels – from the surface all the way down to the deeper layers. One of these HA types is something we call HAFi fragments, hydrating micro particles that also stimulate your skin to make even more of your own natural HA while boosting your skin’s ability to rejuvenate and regulate inflammation. You can use this serum on its own or add it to your daily moisturiser to enjoy deeply moisturised, plumper-looking skin. Bye bye fine lines, hello lush hydration! Get your glow back! Right! That’s moisture sorted – how are we going to beat the winter “blahs” and get your glow back? When you have dry, sensitive skin, creating an anti-aging skincare routine can be tricky. Many of the golden standard anti-aging actives such as retinol, can irritate sensitive skin. The same can be true for vitamin C, one of the best collagen-encouraging ingredients on the block. (It stimulates your skin’s fibroblasts – essentially your skin’s “collagen factories”, to produce fresh, new collagen – the protein that gives your skin it’s youthful-looking firmness.) However, just because you have sensitive skin doesn’t mean you have to feel left out. Again, it just comes down to choosing smarter and a great pick is Lamelle Vita-C Lipid Serum. A high potency vitamin C serum, our lovely lightweight, oil-based elixir is suitable for all skin types including the sensitive sort as it contains a form of vitamin C that’s well tolerated by dry or sensitive skin. Better yet, because it’s lipid-soluble, it can penetrate much deeper into your dermis where it can get to work, delivering results that are comparable to ascorbic acid, one of the most potent forms of vitamin C. In short, you get all the benefits, but without stinging, redness or irritation!  A bit more about vitamin C As we said, vitamin C is one of the most hard-working skincare ingredients around. Sure, it’s an excellent collagen stimulator, but that’s hardly all it can do! It’s also a powerful antioxidant that can protect your skin from the scourge of cell damaging free radicals. Last, but not least, there’s another reason why you really want to include vitamin C in your anti-ageing skincare routine – it’s a wonderful brightener! As it helps regulate your skin’s tyrosinase production (a chemical involved in melanin production), it can put the brakes on hyperpigmentation and help you create a more evenly-toned, radiant-looking complexion. Ready to glow?   Ultimately, if you’ve got dry, sensitive skin, there’s no reason why you can’t hydrate, plump, protect, rejuvenate and even create a more luminous-looking complexion. When you choose and use cutting-edge skincare, Lamelle Research Laboratories believes everyone can look and feel their very best, regardless of the season. To find a stockist near you – visit: www.lamelle.co.za , and follow us @lamellersa

May 26, 2022

Why winter is a great time to peel with Lamelle

They say summer bodies are made in winter and the same can be said about great-looking skin. After all, the chilly months are the ideal ones to invest in a course of peels with Lamelle Research Laboratories. Peel and reveal   We all know unprotected sun exposure is bad news for our skin. After all, dermatologists will be quick to tell you that more than 80% of premature ageing is caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, when you’ve had a peel or any other kind of treatment that removes the uppermost layers of your skin it will always become more sensitive to the sun. Not forever – but certainly while your skin is healing. So, ironically, you can undo months’ worth of improvements made via peeling with just a few minutes of unprotected time in the sun. Clearly, the winter months are ideal as a ‘peel season’. While you won’t be hiding away like a hibernating bear, it’s only natural that you’ll spend more time indoors. You also don’t have to worry about having to turn down invitations to sunny events like pool parties or tennis matches during those critical post-peel days when your skin is healing.  Do post-care like a pro  Not everyone’s post-peel journey will be alike and that means the type of products you’ll require to heal will vary. Happily, a highly-skilled Lamelle skincare professional can prescribe the best post-care regime. As an example, if your main concern was to soften fine lines, shift dull skin and improve mild pigmentation, you’d benefit from a series of our Alpha Peels. You might be a little red and sensitive after each treatment, but you wouldn’t experience any downtime. You could gently cleanse your skin using Lamelle Serra Cleansing Gel (our extra gentle soap-free cleanser) then hydrate and soothe using our Barrier Repair Cream. It speeds up recovery time thanks to medical-grade lanolin that mimics your skin’s natural lipids and creates a moist wound-healing environment. You can then protect your skin from the sun using our most innovative sunscreen to date, Lamelle Helase 50+.  Want to address deeper wrinkles or more severe sun damage lines? In this case, you’d have to improve the structure of your dermis and our retinol-based Retistore Plus Peel can deliver great results in exchange for a little downtime. While your skin might flake for a couple of days, you can apply our ‘bandage in a bottle’, Restorative Balm. It’s ideal to help your skin recover from ‘injuries’ that affect your skin and won’t sting when it’s applied. It’s also semi-occlusive so it can trap moisture within your skin but still allows it to breathe. During the peak ‘healing days’ when you’re using Restorative Balm you won’t want to go anywhere near the sun. But the day you do step aside, again, we recommend investing in Helase 50+. This way, you’ll get full-spectrum protection and can maintain your results and reveal a fresher, more radiant and evenly-toned skin – just in time for the party season! 

May 19, 2022

Beat dry skin this winter with Serra by Lamelle Research Laboratories

If there’s one thing Lamelle knows all about it’s how to beat dry skin. After decades of research, we’ve created some of the world’s most innovative moisturisers and no you’re not imagining it – your skin really is drier and “thirstier” in winter. As the cold kicks in, the humidity levels drop and the air attempts to equalize by drawing moisture from whatever it can – including your skin. Indoor heating doesn’t help much either as that also reduces humidity and the result is often skin that doesn’t have enough of the moisture essential to a healthy barrier function. Worse yet, everyone’s favourite winter treat – a long, hot bath or shower with harsh, “strippy” soaps – can cause the type of inflammation that also messes with your skin’s barrier function. The result? Dry skin that, thanks to a damaged barrier, is vulnerable to becoming itchy and inflamed because its damaged “seal” lets irritants in and moisture out. This is why, if you’re prone to inflammatory skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, winter is a prime time for flare-ups. Get your moisture back If you’d like to beat winter dryness and soothe irritated, inflamed skin, you’ll be glad to know you can do it with just a few clever skincare swaps. The first is to toss any highly fragranced soaps or cleansers that contain a high concentration of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a foaming agent that can irritate dry, sensitive skin. Rather opt for our bestselling Serra Cleansing Gel. Specially created for dry, sensitive skin, it’s a soap- and fragrance-free formula that gently cleanses without drying out your skin. Next, you want to ensure you’re using a cutting-edge moisturiser. Many think beating winter dryness is as simple as switching from a light lotion to a thicker, creamier one is all it takes but they’d be wrong. Heavier doesn’t mean more hydrating. What you really need is the right ingredients – those that mimic the lipids in your skin’s bilayer – and you’ll find them in our skin hydrating hero, Serra Restore Cream. It hydrates and soothes like a boss because it doesn’t just add moisture but helps you lock it thanks to skin barrier-repairing lipids like our patented Ceramide-P. However, if you’ve got exceptionally dry and sensitive skin, we suggest you try Serra Soothing Cream. Some of its ingredients are encapsulated in extra lipids and it contains our unique anti-redness and anti-itch therapy. Ultimately, whichever you choose, to beat winter dryness as they hydrate, soothe and repair a weakened or damaged skin barrier – ensuring your newfound moisture is for keeps. A bit about your body Lastly, let’s not forget about the skin on your body. Just like the skin on your face, it can also become dry and irritated by winter weather. Happily, you’ve got a great weapon of choice in Serra Soothing Body Lotion. It also contains Ceramide-P along with a double whammy of mega hydrators – hyaluronic acid and urea. The latter provides relief from inflammatory skin conditions like eczema because it also gently exfoliates by softening the hard, dry cells on the surface of your skin. This makes it easier for them to naturally shed and reveal fresh, healthy, skin. Ultimately, if you’re wanting to beat winter dryness, switching to Serra by Lamelle is definitely the smartest way to do it. Visit: www.lamelle.co.za for more information Follow us @lamellersa 

May 13, 2022

Winter sun safety: Why sunscreen is essential during the colder months

As South Africans we are accustomed to the harsh summer sun, and are used to applying SPF before heading down to the beach, or going for a run. But did you know that the sun’s UV rays are equally dangerous during the colder months? While you’re unlikely to experience a sunburn from UVB rays during winter, UVA rays (the ones that accelerate ageing) have the ability to wreak havoc on our skin, particularly on overcast days. “Even when it’s cold or overcast, UV rays that cause skin ageing and skin cancer are reaching your skin,” says Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. “In the right winter weather conditions, you can sustain sun damage just as easily as during the summer.” UVA rays have the ability to penetrate through clouds and fog, meaning your skin is vulnerable even on days when the sun isn’t shining. Did you know that UVA rays can also penetrate glass? That means it’s possible for the sun’s rays to harm your skin on a bright winters’ day, while you’re indoors!  UVA rays can accelerate ageing, meaning more fine lines and wrinkles, but they also make the skin vulnerable to skin cancer. Enter Lamelle Helase 50 – a broad spectrum sunscreen that offers full protection from UVA, UVB, blue light and infrared light. More than just a sunscreen, this DNA-correcting photo-protection product is in a class of its own.  Most people don’t realise that what we think of as the symptoms of ageing, are actually due to deep-seated damage inside our skin cells caused by years of sun exposure. Sunlight physically damages (breaks apart) or mutates skin DNA over time. To a large degree, preventing this damage is the reason we wear sunscreen.   Conventional sunscreens fall short The problem with currently available sunscreens is they have been developed to protect human skin from the most obvious of solar insults: ultraviolet A and B radiation. But our skin is susceptible to all five radiation subtypes, including visible light (radiation) and Infrared-A, B and C. If the only way to slow down the ageing process is to protect our skin against all these solar onslaughts, and conventional sunscreen is capable of protecting us from only two of the five, the case for more effective protection has never been stronger. That and the fact that the incidence of skin cancer still continues to climb! Recognising this unmet need, Lamelle Research Laboratories developed Helase 50. Unlike so many other cosmetic products available, this truly is a first to market one of a kind cosmetic; a breakthrough in ageing treatment and it’s being heralded as potentially the best photo-protection product available.  Until now, sunscreen and antioxidants have been our only defence against DNA damage; there’s been no means of reversing already existing damage. But now, with Helase 50, it’s possible to not only prevent, but also physically correct damaged DNA (dangerous DNA breaks and “kinks” such as dimers which left untreated, can produce more ‘abnormal’ cells. Correction is therefore essential to return cell function to normal).  Helase 50 – More than just a sunscreen Classified as a photo-protection product, Helase 50 is the only available product that can minimize the harmful effects of the full solar radiation spectrum. It includes several trailblazing technologies that set it apart from conventional sunscreens. The secret weapon in its formulation – that which is responsible for the correction process – is photolyase, a powerful DNA-repairing enzyme that’s missing in humans, but occurs naturally in most animals and plants. While we can’t produce our own photolyase, our body knows what to do with it when it’s introduced topically to the skin and the results are astounding. Another core ingredient often used in Lamelle products is Pycnogenol® (one of the most potent antioxidants available). Very simply, the inclusion of a Pycnogenol blend is what controls the inflammation typical from exposure and sunburn and it plays an important role in protecting the skin from damage.  There are several other enzymes, receptor inhibitors and filters that have been researched, tested, formulated and proven to deliver unprecedented protection.  Helase 50 – How to use it Helase 50 has sunscreen filters and an SPF of 50+.It’s not waterproof and should be applied 10 – 15 minutes before exposure and re-applied 3 – 4 hourly if possible. There is no need to use a “regular” sunscreen if you use Helase 50. It is fragrance free, and anyone over the age of six months is a candidate for Helase 50, but particularly those with fair skin, multiple sun-spots, or a history of skin cancer. It’s the ideal product to use after you have had a moderate peel (once re-epithelialised), and post-laser therapy and IPL.  Quite simply – a revolution in skincare has begun with the introduction of Helase 50! Learn more at www.lamelle.co.za 

May 4, 2022

Win the war against acne with NEW ACleo

Are you battling with breakouts? Many things contribute to the formation of acne but, for the most part, we can thank our fluctuating hormones. These can cause our skin to become oily and shed in clumps as opposed to cell by cell, forming bumps and pimples. Fortunately, this type of inflammatory acne can be dramatically improved with Acleo. The hormone connection  When we’re in our teens our body is challenged with having to adjust to changing hormone levels. While these should eventually stabilise in time, in both males and females, the fluctuation can result in oily skin. In many, this might lead to skin that’s congested by blackheads and whiteheads. However, around 30% of teenagers, due to their genetics, will experience inflamed, painful red bumps called papules or those with yellow heads called pustules (pimples). While you’d think we’d leave acne behind by the time we reach adulthood, this isn’t always the case. For example, there are many times when a female will experience a hormonal flux that can trigger the increase of the male hormones that cause acne. Men will have the same trigger – an increase in their male hormones. ACleo to the rescue! Struggling with acne, be it in your teens or as an adult, will always be distressing. Fortunately, the new ACleo kit can help you win the war against breakouts and put you on the path to clear and radiant skin.  Each kit contains an oral supplement and a topical spot treatment. The supplement’s ingredients – zinc and vitamin B – will help calm the inflammation in your skin; allow existing pimples to heal faster and prevent the formation of further breakouts. This winning combination also helps regulate your body’s oil production. As far as the topical spot treatment goes, this calms inflammation, kills the bacteria that causes acne and prevents your skin from becoming congested.  When used in conjunction, the oral supplement and spot treatment will result in: Quicker healing of acne  A lessening in the formation of scars and dark marks  Prevention of more acne forming  Clearer skin with constant use  How do I use ACleo? Acleo supplement  Take two capsules each morning after breakfast. ACleo Spot Treatment  Twice a day: Cleanse and dry your skin. Apply a drop of the ACleo gel to every pimple or to the area of skin that has pimples. Massage lightly to assist in absorption then apply your moisturiser and a sunscreen during the day. Do I need to use a specific skincare range to use ACleo? No. Acleo can be used in combination with any skincare range.  It is important to cleans and moisturise your skin twice a day every day. Don’t forget your sunscreen. This can also help to prevent the formation of dark marks as well as the worsening of those that exist. Will ACleo affect my hormones? Not at all. It’s important to note that ACleo won’t affect your body’s hormone levels. For this, you’d need to visit a doctor and get a script. What ACleo will do, however, is change how your skin reacts to the fluctuating hormones in your blood and the result will be an improvement in acne. 

April 7, 2022

Lamelle manages the 4 triggers of acne -inside and out

Whether you’re a teenager or an adult, acne will always be a confidence crusher. Fortunately, Lamelle Research Laboratories has created Clarity, an effective acne management system, that addresses all of the four triggers that contribute to spotty skin. Something else we’ve learned from our extensive research? To get the very best results, you have to manage acne inside as well as out. More on that later, first it’s important that you know your enemy…  The Clarity difference  Many acne sufferers feel like their war with acne is like taking one step forward then two steps back. Often, this is because they’re using products that target only some of the triggers for acne, not all of them. This is the Clarity difference – we know what creates the perfect storm for a breakout as well as how to address all of them. First up, one of the biggest contributing factors to acne is impaired follicle differentiation and shedding. Simply put, your follicles don’t naturally exfoliate as well as it should. Next on the list is having an excessive amount of oil. This ties into the third trigger – infection – something that can happen easily when your pores and hair follicles are clogged with dead skin cells and excess oil. Lastly, the fourth major triggers many don’t address is inflammation. If left unchecked, even subtle low-level inflammation creates the perfect environment for P. acnes (the bacteria that causes acne) to thrive. Ironically, inflammation is also the result of a breakout, creating a vicious cycle that’s hard to beat.  Tackle all the triggers   Clearly, if you want to treat acne effectively, you want a multipronged plan of action and this is where Lamelle’s Clarity skin care collection comes in. Each product contains active ingredients that, when used collectively, significantly address acne’s “big four” triggers. Your skin cells will begin to shed at a normal rate that won’t clog your pores; excess oil will be reduced, P. acnes are decreased and inflammation gets calmed.  To explain, we use gentle exfoliators to help normalise your skin’s rate of exfoliation. These include a retinoic acid analogue (proven to deliver all the benefits of retinol without the associated side-effects) and a water-soluble version of salicylic acid. This way, you can exfoliate without using a harsh scrub that will only trigger more inflammation. Speaking of which, Clarity’s powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients include soothing allantoin as well as nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B. As far as oil control goes, both our day and night lotions, Clarity Corrective AM and PM plus, contain epidermal growth factor (EGF) and nobiletin. Together, they’ll decrease the size of your skin’s sebaceous ducts and glands to help normalise oil production. Last, but not least, all our Clarity Correctives products contain a slew of anti-microbial actives, such as hinokitiol and azelaic acid. And yes, many of our actives are multi-taskers – our retinol derivative, as well as nicotinamide, are also brilliant bacteria-blitzers.  Inside-out protection  Want to turbo-boost your quest for clear skin? Acnevelle Plus by Lamelle Research Laboratories is an oral supplement proven to help manage acne. It contains very easy to digest form of zinc along with nicotinamide and copper. The latter is important because taking zinc long-term has the potential to cause a copper deficiency. Acnevelle Plus, when teamed with our Clarity skin care collection, has been shown to improve acne by up to 88% in just 8 weeks.  So, what are you waiting for? Together, we can help put you on the path to a clearer, more radiant complexion and killer confidence!  Learn more at www.lamelle.co.za

March 3, 2022

Is your teen struggling with spots? Lamelle Clarity and Acnevelle Plus stops them in their tracks

Just the other day they were enthralled by Peppa Pig. Then, before you can say “TikTok”, you’re dealing with a social media-obsessed teen. Something else you’re likely to be facing is a struggle with is acne. After all, around 85% of people will develop it in their lifetime and it usually starts around puberty going into the teen years. However, pre-teen acne and adult acne is becoming more common too thanks to drug-resistance. (The fall-out of having created so many antibacterial products is the evolution of new strains of drug-resistant bacteria!)  Still, regardless of which age you get them, spotty skin is always a confidence killer. Having to battle with pimples as an adult is awful. But having to endure acne in high school as an insecure teen is a nightmare. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to help your child beat breakouts and enjoy clear, healthy skin.  Say no to spots  When it comes to beating breakouts, you’ve got a bit of a checklist. First, you’ll want to keep oil production in check. Next, you have to ensure skin is exfoliating properly, then zap pimple-forming bacteria while calming inflammation. Happily, Clarity by Lamelle is a stream-lined, fuss-free skincare collection that can do all that, starting with Clarity Active Cleanse – a soap-free cleanser formulated with updated antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients including a more gentle form of pore-exfoliating salicylic acid.   Next up, your teen can apply Clarity Corrective AM in the morning and Clarity Correctives PM Plus at night. Again, both of these products contain proven pimple-busting ingredients as well as super soothing anti-inflammatories. The night cream, however, is especially important as it contains a very gentle, form of retinoid that can help speed up the skin’s cellular turnover, blitz bacteria and even reduce the likelihood of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). (These are the dark marks that can set up camp in the aftermath of a pimple – something that’s especially common in those with a darker skin tone.)  As far as active breakouts go, your child has a brilliant weapon in Clarity Active Spot Control. A targeted treatment that rapidly stop a spot in its tracks, it also contains salicylic acid to gently exfoliate deep inside the pores, keeping them clean and clear.  It also boasts a trio of super soothers – panthenol, niacinamide and azelaic acid to calm inflammation and reduce redness – and a form of vitamin C that kills bacteria and prevents congestion.  Beating acne inside-out  Your teen might be glad to hear that there’s absolutely no truth to the rumour that chocolate causes pimples. However, eating a healthy balanced diet is important for great-looking skin. You can also take our supplement – Acnevelle Plus by Lamelle Research Laboratories. It contains zinc glycinate – a very easy to digest form of zinc – and nicotinamide, a water-soluble form of vitamin B. Together, they’ve been proven to help treat inflammatory skin conditions like acne. The supplement has also been reformulated to include an effective dose of copper to mitigate the potential to become copper deficient due to the long-term intake of zinc. When used in conjunction with our Clarity skincare collection, it can improve inflammatory, problematic skin by up to 88% in just 8 weeks!  Ultimately, if your child is struggling with spots, it’s time to take action with Lamelle Clarity and Acnevelle Plus. Together, they can help create a clear, radiant-looking complexion, giving them the confidence they need to face the world head-on. Suddenly, taking a family selfie can be fun again! (Can we get a “thanks mom!”?) 

February 22, 2022

Acne myths busted with Lamelle Research Laboratories


Despite being one of the most common inflammatory skin conditions in the world, acne is still very misunderstood. So much so, that myths still abound. Fortunately, at Lamelle Research Laboratories, we’re acne experts that can help you sort the facts from the fiction. Myth 1: Only teenagers get acne Nope, not true! It would be great if acne was a problem you could simply outgrow, but this isn’t the case for everyone. Four main triggers that contribute to acne – skin that doesn’t naturally exfoliate the way it should, leading to a build-up of dead skin cells that can clog the pores; an excess of oil that also gets trapped in pores; infection and inflammation. These triggers can affect both adults and teens, but it’s true, teens are often most affected. This is due to their body’s creating more androgens during puberty, a hormone that can increase the production of oil. You should also know that, regardless of your age, the active ingredients proven to help clear up acne remain the same. This is why Clarity by Lamelle, our incredibly effective acne treatment range, is suitable for acne sufferers of any age. Myth 2: Chocolate causes pimples Chocoholics, you can breathe a sigh of relief! The idea that your favourite chocolate bar could be the baddie behind your breakout has persisted for decades, so much so that multiple studies have been performed to find out. The conclusion is now an extremely mixed bag with some saying that yes, eating chocolate could worsen acne and others saying it had no effect. What we do know, however, is that some research has found a correlation between low zinc levels and acne. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that acne is a sign of a zinc deficiency, but it does mean that, if you have acne, you’re more likely to not be getting enough zinc. Interestingly, the zinc-acne connection makes sense because zinc helps regulate our immune cell response in a way that helps control inflammation, one of the big triggers for a breakout. For this reason, we’ve created Lamelle Acnevelle Plus, an oral supplement that includes zinc glycinate and nicotinamide, a combination proven to help reduce the redness and sensitivity associated with inflammatory acne. Myth 3: You can scrub your way to clear skin Yes, a pimple is the result of a blocked pore, but the idea that you can “empty” these with a scrub is misguided. In fact, harsh, grainy scrubs are one of the worst things you can do to treat a breakout. More often than not, the particle is too big to get inside the pore and, worse yet, the friction will irritate your already inflamed skin, causing it to get even angrier. So, while acne sufferers will definitely want to up your exfoliation, they need to choose their weapons wisely. In this case, gentle chemical exfoliators will do a much better job of gently ridding your skin of the excess skin cells that can clog up your pores. This is why our Clarity collection doesn’t contain a scrub. Instead, it contains a mix of alpha hydroxy acids, non-irritating forms of retinol and salicylic acid to gently increase your skin’s cellular turnover. Myth 4: Getting a tan will help clear up my skin Yes, getting a tan may help temporarily minimise the look of redness associated with acne and, at first, it might feel like it’s helping to dry it up. Alas, all you’re doing is dehydrating and burning your skin causing it to produce even more oil and become inflamed. And guess what that leads to? Yep, a worsening of acne. If you want a golden glow, you might be better off using a self-tanning product. But something all acne sufferers definitely need in their artillery is a good sunscreen, especially since many of the active ingredients proven to help clear up acne, things like exfoliating acids and retinoids, will increase their skin’s sensitivity to the sun. Also, it’s not true that sunscreen will make acne worse – you just have to find one that’s lightweight and non-greasy. The bottom line Ultimately, the more you know about what really causes acne, the better equipped you’ll be to treat it. To learn more, chat with an experienced Lamelle skincare therapist who can help you create a skincare regime that’ll put you on the path to clear, healthy-looking skin. 

February 15, 2022

Inflammaging and how Lamelle can help you beat it


We’ve all experienced inflammation, from the ache of a sprained ankle to the sting of a bad sunburn. While it can feel unpleasant, short-term inflammation is actually a good thing as it produces inflammatory cytokines (small proteins that trigger an even greater inflammatory response) that tell your body it’s time to get busy healing. Still, in the long term, inflammation isn’t your friend. In fact, if an injury repeatedly occurs to the same area, it eventually won’t heal as well and can result in scarring or abnormal healing. Interestingly, inflammation has the same effect on our skin. Short term, it can help you heal an injury, be it a pimple or a cut. Chronic inflammation, however, causes a chain of events that can damage your skin’s collagen – among other things – and accelerate the aging process. This is what’s known as “inflammaging”. Worse yet, this type of chronic inflammation isn’t even caused by a visible injury. The triggers include “every day”, often unavoidable things like UV rays and free-radicals. Fight that fire! Clearly, none of us are immune to the effects inflammaging but we can protect ourselves in ways that mitigate the damage. One is to invest in skincare that contains potent anti-inflammatory antioxidants. This is why Lamelle products are formulated using some of the most potent and proven, including the super antioxidant Pycnogenol. Now, remember how we mentioned cytokines? You should know that not all of them are “fire starters”. You get many different types and, while some can trigger inflammation, others do a brilliant job of deactivating it. Thus, you’ll find a patented complex of the latter in our anti-aging Dermaheal collection. Interestingly, preventing accelerated aging isn’t just the only reason you’d want to keep inflammation in check. Chronic inflammation also encourages hyperpigmentation and creates the ideal environment for acne to thrive. Other ways to prevent inflammaging While anti-inflammatory active ingredients are a great way to mitigate inflammaging, it’s not your only defense. One of the biggest triggers of inflammation is still unprotected sun exposure. This is why it’s vital to applying a sunscreen every time you set foot outdoors, our favourite being Lamelle Helase 50+. It protects you from the full spectrum of light and contains that potent, inflammation-busting antioxidant we mentioned earlier, Pycnogenol. It then takes thing a step further by addressing any damage that’s already occurred using photolyase. A powerful DNA-repairing enzyme that occurs naturally in animals and plants, photolyase can seek out and correct dangerous DNA kinks (known as “dimers”) that can lead to the mutations responsible for skin cancer. Remember, it’s never too late As with just about everything in life, the prevention of inflammaging is better than cure. But what if it’s too late? What if you’re already dealing with the resultant premature aging that includes fine lines, wrinkles and a loss of firmness? In this case, you’ll be glad to know it’s never too late to take action. Lamelle’s Dermaheal range contains growth factors that help reverse the damage caused by inflammaging by optimizing the communication between your cells, instructing your skin to behave as though it were much younger. This encourages the creation of skin-firming collagen and elastin. You can also consider Lamelle in-office treatments such as peels and collagen-induction therapy (CIT) that can remove old, damaged tissue and encourage the growth of new, healthy tissue. The bottom line Ultimately, it’s very difficult to avoid the triggers of inflammaging. They’re literally everywhere – from free-radicals borne in the air to the sunlight streaming through your window. However, it doesn’t mean we can’t protect ourselves from their effects with powerful inflammation-fighting products such as those we’re proud to create at Lamelle Research Laboratories. Also, it’s never too late to start correcting the effects. Simply chat to a highly-skilled Lamelle skincare therapist who can help you prevent as well as treat so you can enjoy healthier, younger-looking skin for longer. 

February 8, 2022

How to prevent acne scarring with Clarity by Lamelle

Struggling with acne is stressful enough, nobody also wants to deal with the aftermath – the scars it can leave behind. This is why it’s important to prevent as well as address spots the moment appear while managing inflammation, a major contributor to scarring. Happily, Lamelle’s Clarity collection can help you do all three! What causes an acne scar When a pimple strikes, it causes inflammation in your skin and your body perceives it as a “wound”. In a bid to repair the injury, your skin produces more collagen, the protein that gives your skin it’s structure. Just enough and you’ll get to enjoy fresh, healthy new skin. Too much, however, and you could be left with a raised scar. Too little it could create a depressed scar, like a little pit that’s left in your skin. In addition, how long it takes for the wound to heal as well as how deep it is will also influence the extent of scarring. This is because while your skin is healing, it’s structure, which includes collagen and elastin, gets broken down and rebuilt, sometimes haphazardly. It doesn’t care what the result looks like, only that the job gets done. This is why it’s so important not to pick at a pimple because you’ll only prolong the healing process and increase the odds of disorganised rebuilding that’s essentially scarring. There’s also another way acne can blemish your skin and that’s via post-inflammatory pigmentation (PIH). Ever noticed how, sometimes, in the wake of a pimple, you’re left with a dark mark? People often mistake these for “scars” but they’re actually hyperpigmentation. This is because your melanocytes (the cell’s responsible for creating pigment) are triggered by any kind inflammation. They aren’t able to determine the cause, they just think they’re doing their job and protecting your skin. Again, this is yet another reason to not pick at pimples. The more you aggravate them, the more likely they’ll form PIH. How to prevent them Clearly, when it comes to beating acne scarring, the ideal is to prevent all breakouts. While that would be great, acne sufferers know that the reality of keeping spots in check can be a marathon, not a sprint. Still, Clarity by Lamelle, a cutting-edge skincare collection proven to clear up your skin by as much as 88% in as little as eight weeks. Aside from helping to control acne, all Clarity products are formulated with inflammation in mind. Our super-soothing ingredients include niacinamide, panthenol, tea tree oil, red cedar tea extract and salicylic acid. The latter is a great acne-blitzing multitasker as, aside from having inflammation-fighting properties, it also exfoliates deep inside your pores to keep them clean and clear. You’ll also find a patented retinoic acid ester in our Clarity Correctives PM Plus night lotion. A powerful form of vitamin A, it can serve up all the regenerative benefits of retinol but without the associated irritation. It’s a great way to help regulate your skin’s natural exfoliation process to keep your pores clean and clear. Also, studies show that retinoids and their analogues have direct anti-inflammatory effects on the skin. Again, resist the urge to pick! Relying on Clarity by Lamelle to reduce breakouts and manage inflammation is one thing you can do to help prevent acne scars. But, as we’ve said, you should nevr pick at your pimples. While it might be very tempting to squeeze that monster on your chin, you’re only increasing the risk that your skin responds with a scar or PIH. Instead, we suggest you rely on our bestselling Clarity Active Spot Control treatment. Tiny enough to pop into your handbag for on-the-go treatment, it contains a mix of super-soothers to rapidly decrease the size and redness of the spot. We’ve also used a form of vitamin C proven to zap pimple-forming bacteria. Better yet, it also makes use of azelaic acid that inhibits the overproduction of melanin to help reduce your risk of developing PIH. Genius, right? We thought so too! 

February 2, 2022

Sunscreen vs sunblock: What’s the difference?

Sunscreen or sunblock? Is there a difference? As it turns out, yes! To better understand which is best to use, let’s have a look at the differences and the similarities. Sunscreens (also called chemical sunscreens or organic sunscreens) are ingredients that need to penetrate your skin. This way, they can surround your cells in the upper layers of your skin to protect your skin from UVA and UVB frequencies. These sunscreens are designed to absorb the energy produced from these specific frequencies of light then convert them into other forms of energy to protect you.  Sunblock (also called in-organic sunscreens or physical sunscreens) were thought to reflect sunlight. However, research has shown that a lot of their protective action is also related to the fact that they absorb and convert sunlight energy. So, is one a better protector than the other? Not at all. They are both provide the same amount of protection from UVA and UVB frequencies of sunlight. The biggest difference between the two is that they will feel different on the skin. The absorption issue  Do you wear make-up or wear your sunscreen with other skincare products? In this case, organic sunscreens are a good choice as they absorb into the skin and leave less of an oily residue. You’d also have slightly better UVB protection with an organic sunscreen. Still, they’re not water-resistant, so they wouldn’t be an option if you were taking part in a Tri-Athlon or heading to the beach.  As for in-organic sunscreens, these will absorb to a smaller extent. They tend to lie on top of the skin and leave an oilier residue. They also tend to leave a white cast on darker skin tones.  For these reasons, those with oilier skin types or darker skin tones might prefer to use sunscreen rather than sunblock.  The bottom line At Lamelle, we use organic sunscreens in our products because they provide a broader percentage of protection (our critical wavelength with Lamelle Helase 50+ is 379nm where most sun protection products only protect up to 360 nm) .They also absorb into the corneum (the outer layers of your skin) and don’t leave a white cast on the skin. So, if you want superior protection that’s also picture-perfect, the better choice is an obvious one.  To learn more about Lamelle Helase 50, visit www.lamelle.co.za

December 10, 2021

Lamelle has just released their festive skincare gift promos

Each year Lamelle Research Laboratories celebrates their hero products in a festive promotion. You will receive a complimentary product with each gift set, specifically for the associated skin condition. Sera Silk Festive Promo Serra Cleansing Gel 125ml Serra Restore Cream Serra Lipid Recovery Mask  Serra Body Lotion Receive a complimentary Correctives HA+ Serum Recommended Selling Price: R1 382,61. Saving R705! Glow Bright Festive Promo Luminesce Brightening Cleanse 125ml Luminesce Brighter Day Corrective Brighter serum Receive a complimentary Corrective Vita C Lipid Serum Recommended Selling Price: R2 040,00. Saving R885! Youthful Nourish (Lite) Festive Promo Nourish Daily Cleanse 150ml Nourish Revitalise Lite Helase 50+ Receive a complimentary Corrective Recharge CE Complex Recommended Selling Price: R1 030,00. Saving R850,93! Youthful Nourish (Cream) Festive Promo Nourish Daily Cleanse 150ml Nourish Revitalise Cream Helase 50+ Receive a complimentary Corrective Recharge CE Complex Recommended Selling Price: R1 485,00. Saving R850,93! Timeless Festive Promo Dermaheal Foaming Cleanser 125ml Dermaheal Renewal Cream Helase 50+ Receive a complimentary Correctives RA 3.0 Serum Recommended Selling Price: R1 955,00. Saving R810! Crystal Clear Festive Promo Clarity Active Cleanse 125ml Clarity Corrective AM Clarity Corrective PM Plus Clarity Active Control Receive a complimentary Acnevelle Plus Recommended Selling Price: R1 380,00. Saving R605!

November 30, 2021

It’s easy to put the breaks on premature ageing – with Lamelle Nourish

If you’re savvy about skincare, you’re probably using superstar active ingredients like retinol and alpha hydroxy acids. But what about growth factors? Being a relatively “new kid” on the block, not everybody knows what they are, let alone their amazing benefits. Worse yet, a lot of people still confuse them with stem cells. So, let’s clear up the confusion and get you up to speed with one of the most innovative ways to create a cutting-edge skincare routine. You’ve got mail! Growth factors are essential peptides – long strings of amino acids – found in abundance in your body. Their job is to float around between your cells and relay vital messages like “grow”, “repair”, “rejuvenate”. They do this by attaching to receptors on the surface of your cells. An easier way to look at it is to think of growth factors as being keys and the cell receptors as being little letterboxes with locks on them. When your growth factors meet your cells, they unlock each letterbox and – just like that – their message is delivered. While we’re young, our skin’s “postal system” is going strong. Everybody gets their mail. Cells run at their optimum. As we get older, however, our body’s produce fewer growth factors. Also, your cell’s letterbox locks start to get a little rusty. As a result, fewer important messages get delivered and your skin starts to show it. After all, less cell communication means less cell growth and that means thinner, laxer-looking skin. Growth factors to the rescue In the past, experiencing a dip in growth factors and the resultant visible ageing used to be a lot like watching your hair turn grey – a seemingly inevitable part of getting older. Now, however, thanks to incredible Nobel Prize-winning scientific research, we’ve realised we can replicate growth factors, apply them topically and reap the benefits. We know this because our bestselling Dermaheal range is full of them and they’re serving up dramatic results. As each product in the Dermaheal range contains growth factors, they can all help optimise the communication system between your cells, essentially instructing it to behave like much younger skin. The result is a boom in collagen and elastin creation to help you enjoy firmer, plumper, more youthful-looking skin. Then there’s the healing aspect. One of the growth factors in our Dermaheal range – the very one that inspired its name – is called TGF-Beta3. It’s an incredibly powerful protein that promotes scarless healing. What’s even more incredible is that your skin hasn’t seen it since childhood. It’s only now, thanks to the miracles of modern science, that we can invite your skin to behave as it did in its youth. Where do our growth factors come from? Thanks to decades of research, our bioengineers have been able to create exact replicas of your body’s own growth factors. Does this mean they contain human tissue? Definitely not! Our growth factors are made in a lab from specially selected amino acids that are then modified to be identical to those in your body. They’ve been scientifically proven to be 100% safe and, because they’re bio-identical, your body immediately recognises them so they can get to work immediately. We invite you to reap the rewards Want to experience the incredible rejuvenating power of growth factors for yourself? Like we said, our Dermaheal line is full of them. However, our most popular Dermaheal product is Lamelle Ultra Renewal Cream that contains 50% more growth factors than the other products in this range. It also includes a non-irritating form of wrinkle-busting retinol, hydrating hyaluronic acid fragments and a patented cytokine complex. (The latter is a spectacular inflammation fighter and that’s important because, if left unchecked chronic low-level inflammation leads to inflammageing – skin that ages prematurely. Chronic inflammation also creates the perfect playground for acne to thrive and hyperpigmentation to run wild.) In short, as you’re reading this, your cells’ function is slowly declining. But you don’t have to accept it. Once you harness the power of Dermaheal’s growth factors, a more youthful, radiant complexion will be yours to enjoy!  

November 25, 2021

Inflammaging and how Lamelle can help you beat it

We’ve all experienced inflammation, from the ache of a sprained ankle to the sting of a bad sunburn. While it can feel unpleasant, short-term inflammation is actually a good thing as it produces inflammatory cytokines (small proteins that trigger an even greater inflammatory response) that tell your body it’s time to get busy healing.  Still, in the long term, inflammation isn’t your friend. In fact, if an injury repeatedly occurs to the same area, it eventually won’t heal as well and can result in scarring or abnormal healing.  Interestingly, inflammation has the same effect on our skin. Short term, it can help you heal an injury, be it a pimple or a cut. Chronic inflammation, however, causes a chain of events that can damage your skin’s collagen – among other things – and accelerate the aging process. This is what’s known as “inflammaging”. Worse yet, this type of chronic inflammation isn’t even caused by a visible injury. The triggers include “every day”, often unavoidable things like UV rays and free-radicals.  Fight that fire!  Clearly, none of us are immune to the effects inflammaging but we can protect ourselves in ways that mitigate the damage. One is to invest in skincare that contains potent anti-inflammatory antioxidants. This is why Lamelle products are formulated using some of the most potent and proven, including the super antioxidant Pycnogenol.  Now, remember how we mentioned cytokines? You should know that not all of them are “fire starters”. You get many different types and, while some can trigger inflammation, others do a brilliant job of deactivating it. Thus, you’ll find a patented complex of the latter in our anti-aging Dermaheal collection. Interestingly, preventing accelerated aging isn’t just the only reason you’d want to keep inflammation in check. Chronic inflammation also encourages hyperpigmentation and creates the ideal environment for acne to thrive.  Other ways to prevent inflammaging  While anti-inflammatory active ingredients are a great way to mitigate inflammaging, it’s not your only defense. One of the biggest triggers of inflammation is still unprotected sun exposure. This is why it’s vital to applying a sunscreen every time you set foot outdoors, our favourite being Lamelle Helase 50+. It protects you from the full spectrum of light and contains that potent, inflammation-busting antioxidant we mentioned earlier, Pycnogenol. It then takes thing a step further by addressing any damage that’s already occurred using photolyase. A powerful DNA-repairing enzyme that occurs naturally in animals and plants, photolyase can seek out and correct dangerous DNA kinks (known as “dimers”) that can lead to the mutations responsible for skin cancer.  Remember, it’s never too late As with just about everything in life, the prevention of inflammaging is better than cure. But what if it’s too late? What if you’re already dealing with the resultant premature aging that includes fine lines, wrinkles and a loss of firmness? In this case, you’ll be glad to know it’s never too late to take action. Lamelle’s Dermaheal range contains growth factors that help reverse the damage caused by inflammaging by optimizing the communication between your cells, instructing your skin to behave as though it were much younger. This encourages the creation of skin-firming collagen and elastin.  You can also consider Lamelle in-office treatments such as peels and collagen-induction therapy (CIT) that can remove old, damaged tissue and encourage the growth of new, healthy tissue.  The bottom line  Ultimately, it’s very difficult to avoid the triggers of inflammaging. They’re literally everywhere – from free-radicals borne in the air to the sunlight streaming through your window. However, it doesn’t mean we can’t protect ourselves from their effects with powerful inflammation-fighting products such as those we’re proud to create at Lamelle Research Laboratories. Also, it’s never too late to start correcting the effects. Simply chat to a highly-skilled Lamelle skincare therapist who can help you prevent as well as treat so you can enjoy healthier, younger-looking skin for longer.  www.lamelle.co.za

November 22, 2021

Prevent and treat the signs of ageing with Lamelle’s professional peels 


When last did you treat your skin to a good peel? Many are under the impression that peels are the kind of treatment you’d only invest in once severe pigmentation or deep lines have set in. However, Lamelle has a peel for every skin type, concern and age. While they’ll all essentially exfoliate to reveal fresher, healthy-looking skin, the type of acid used has a slightly different “speciality”. To explain, let’s first get you up to speed on two of the most popular acids and how they can help you create your most glowing complexion yet. Choose your weapons  When it comes to alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), the two most commonly used in skincare are glycolic acid and lactic acid. Both of them are completely natural but the former is derived from sugarcane and the latter from milk. From a molecular point of view, glycolic acid is a lot smaller than lactic acid so it can penetrate deep into your skin for a more intensive treatment. It also has the added benefit of stimulating your skin to create more collagen and elastin making it a good choice for anyone concerned with fine lines and wrinkling. As far as lactic acid goes, it’s also a great way to get your glow on. However, as its molecules aren’t as tiny as glycolic acid’s, they won’t penetrate as deeply. This means you’ll still get to reap the rewards of exfoliation but, as the peel is slightly more superficial, it’s a lot less irritating. Also, as lactic acid is a lot more hydrating than glycolic acid, it’s a good choice for anyone with a dry or sensitive skin type. Get your glow on  Now that you know more about AHA types and how they work, it’s easy to see why we use lactic acid in our very popular Lacti-Firm peel. It involves just five minutes of “tingling” before being neutralised and wiped away by an experienced Lamelle therapist or doctor, depending on the strength of the peel you choose. It’s a great way to get rid of the dry, dead skin cells that can dull and clog your complexion and the milder of the two doesn’t come with any downtime. This way, you could easily schedule it on your lunch break and then pop straight back to the office, with nobody being any the wiser that you’d just had a peel. You could also reapply your make-up straight afterwards and will immediately notice that your skin feels much smoother to the touch and looks more hydrated and plumper. On the subject of moisture, just remember that you should keep your skin hydrated after a peel to avoid any dryness or tightness in the days that follow. Even more importantly, don’t set foot outside without sunscreen. Any peel, even a mild one, will make your skin more sensitive to the sun. We suggest Lamelle Helase 50+, one of the world’s most innovative sunscreens.  Treat the signs of ageing If you’re wanting a deeper peel that can address all the signs of ageing, you’ll want to know all about our Alpha Peel. It makes use of glycolic acid and is available in different strengths that can be adjusted to suit your skin’s condition. As it penetrates more deeply, it’ll tingle a bit more than a Lacti-Firm peel, but this only lasts five minutes and, if anything, is slightly uncomfortable, not painful. Immediately afterwards, your skin might be a little flushed and sensitive, but this settles fast. By the time you’ve waved goodbye to your therapist, your skin will be more radiant than red and feel fabulously smooth. Only a few days later, depending on the strength of the peel, you might notice your skin feels a little tight, looks a bit drier and possibly flakes. But don’t worry, this is fleeting and gives way to a more radiant, more youthful-looking complexion. Again, hydrating and wearing sunscreen is essential, but our very knowledgeable therapists will ensure you know everything you need to out proper aftercare. The bottom line  Whether you want to prevent or treat the signs of ageing, Lamelle has a peel to help you do it. Simply pop in to any clinic offering our treatments* and you’ll find a highly skilled therapist who can recommend the type and strength that can serve up the very best results for your skin. Find a skin care professional near you visit: www.lamelle.co.za 

November 17, 2021

Lamelle Dermaheal: Harness incredible age-defying power of growth factors

If you’re savvy about skincare, you’re probably using superstar active ingredients like retinol and alpha hydroxy acids. But what about growth factors? Being a relatively “new kid” on the block, not everybody knows what they are, let alone their amazing benefits. Worse yet, a lot of people still confuse them with stem cells. So, let’s clear up the confusion and get you up to speed with one of the most innovative ways to create a cutting-edge skincare routine. You’ve got mail! Growth factors are essential peptides – long strings of amino acids – found in abundance in your body. Their job is to float around between your cells and relay vital messages like “grow”, “repair”, “rejuvenate”. They do this by attaching to receptors on the surface of your cells. An easier way to look at it is to think of growth factors as being keys and the cell receptors as being little letterboxes with locks on them. When your growth factors meet your cells, they unlock each letterbox and – just like that – their message is delivered. While we’re young, our skin’s “postal system” is going strong. Everybody gets their mail. Cells run at their optimum. As we get older, however, our body’s produce fewer growth factors. Also, your cell’s letterbox locks start to get a little rusty. As a result, fewer important messages get delivered and your skin starts to show it. After all, less cell communication means less cell growth and that means thinner, laxer-looking skin. Growth factors to the rescue In the past, experiencing a dip in growth factors and the resultant visible ageing used to be a lot like watching your hair turn grey – a seemingly inevitable part of getting older. Now, however, thanks to incredible Nobel Prize-winning scientific research, we’ve realised we can replicate growth factors, apply them topically and reap the benefits. We know this because our bestselling Dermaheal range is full of them and they’re serving up dramatic results. As each product in the Dermaheal range contains growth factors, they can all help optimise the communication system between your cells, essentially instructing it to behave like much younger skin. The result is a boom in collagen and elastin creation to help you enjoy firmer, plumper, more youthful-looking skin. Then there’s the healing aspect. One of the growth factors in our Dermaheal range – the very one that inspired its name – is called TGF-Beta3. It’s an incredibly powerful protein that promotes scarless healing. What’s even more incredible is that your skin hasn’t seen it since childhood. It’s only now, thanks to the miracles of modern science, that we can invite your skin to behave as it did in its youth. Where do our growth factors come from? Thanks to decades of research, our bioengineers have been able to create exact replicas of your body’s own growth factors. Does this mean they contain human tissue? Definitely not! Our growth factors are made in a lab from specially selected amino acids that are then modified to be identical to those in your body. They’ve been scientifically proven to be 100% safe and, because they’re bio-identical, your body immediately recognises them so they can get to work immediately. We invite you to reap the rewards Want to experience the incredible rejuvenating power of growth factors for yourself? Like we said, our Dermaheal line is full of them. However, our most popular Dermaheal product is Lamelle Ultra Renewal Cream that contains 50% more growth factors than the other products in this range. It also includes a non-irritating form of wrinkle-busting retinol, hydrating hyaluronic acid fragments and a patented cytokine complex. (The latter is a spectacular inflammation fighter and that’s important because, if left unchecked chronic low-level inflammation leads to inflammageing – skin that ages prematurely. Chronic inflammation also creates the perfect playground for acne to thrive and hyperpigmentation to run wild.) In short, as you’re reading this, your cells’ function is slowly declining. But you don’t have to accept it. Once you harness the power of Dermaheal’s growth factors, a more youthful, radiant complexion will be yours to enjoy!  

November 1, 2021

The superior way to treat hyperpigmentation? It’s from the inside-out!

If you’re struggling with hyperpigmentation, you’ll know that treating it can feel a lot like doing a country line dance – one step forward and two steps back. After all, you can be as diligent as you like about treating it but spend just one day outdoors without sunscreen and unravel all your progress in minutes. This is why a high SPF protection sunscreen such as Lamelle Helase 50+ is always your best weapon in the war against hyperpigmentation. But what are you doing to beat it? As it turns out, in this case, a multipronged approach is your best form of attack. Invest in the best  Many of the lotions and potions you’ll find promising to help treat pigmentation simply don’t contain the right ingredients to do it, nor are they using them in the right concentration. This is why, switching to a hyperpigmentation-focused medical-grade skincare brand like Lamelle Luminesce is a must.  Luminesce Brighter Day, the day cream, contains a recently updated mix of pigmentation-inhibiting superstars that include a triple peptide complex, a resorcinol derivative and DKK 1 gene agonist. The latter can help normalize your skin’s production of melanin, the pigment that gives it its colour. As far as the peptides are concerned, these do a great job of inhibiting tyrosinase – the enzyme that helps create excess melanin as well as transfer it from the depths of your skin up to the surface where it creates the uneven, dark parts we know as hyperpigmentation.  Our night hyperpigmentation-beating night cream, Luminesce Evening Glow, contains similar actives to the day but includes an anti-inflammatory turmeric extract as well as Arbutin, Niacinimide and a form of retinoic acid with proven hyperpigmentation-minimising benefits. Get your glow back  Another way to bolster your quest for a more radiant, evenly-toned skin is to take an inside-out approach by using Lamelle Ovelle 3D. A twice-a-day, easy to swallow gel capsule, our bestselling supplement is clinically proven to reduce the look of pigmentation by 37-percent in as little as 28 days!  What’s in the mix? Tried and trusted vitamin D3 and Pycnogenol, a mega-antioxidant botanical extracted from pine bark. Together, they help boost your skin’s natural resistance to the damaging effects of the sun. Better yet, Ovelle 3D will also help preserve your skin’s collagen stash while improving hydration so firmer, plumper-looking skin can be yours to enjoy!  At the end of the day, we get it – treating pigmentation can be tricky. But it’s not impossible – especially if you’ve got the right products scientifically proven to help you get your glow back! Get that glow  Waging a war against pigmentation can feel like a losing game. But if you’ve got highly advanced skin brightening products in your artillery, a more evenly-toned, radiant-looking complexion can be yours for the taking. www.lamelle.co.za

September 21, 2021

Why winter is a great time to peel with Lamelle 


They say summer bodies are made in winter and the same can be said about great-looking skin. After all, the chilly months are the ideal ones to invest in a course of peels with Lamelle. Peel and reveal   We all know unprotected sun exposure is bad news for our skin. After all, dermatologists will be quick to tell you that more than 80% of premature ageing is caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, when you’ve had a peel or any other kind of treatment that removes the uppermost layers of your skin it will always become more sensitive to the sun. Not forever – but certainly while your skin is healing. Alas, being more likely to burn puts you on the fast track to lines and pigmentation. So, ironically, you can undo months’ worth of improvements made via peeling with just a few minutes of unprotected time in the sun. Clearly, the winter months are ideal as a ‘peel season’. While you won’t be hiding away like a hibernating bear, it’s only natural that you’ll spend more time indoors. You also don’t have to worry about having to turn down invitations to sunny events like pool parties or tennis matches during those critical post-peel days when your skin is healing.  Lastly, there’s another reason why winter is prime time for peeling and that’s the dryness factor. The cold, dry winter air will always attempt to rehydrate itself by leeching the moisture from your skin. A series of peels is a great way to help you get your glow on while ridding your skin of excess dead skin cells – a by-product of winter dryness. Do post-care like a pro  Not everyone’s post-peel journey will be alike and that means the type of products you’ll require to heal will vary. Happily, a highly-skilled Lamelle therapist can prescribe the best post-care regime. As an example, if your main concern was to soften fine lines, shift dull skin and improve mild pigmentation, you’d benefit from a series of our Alpha Peels. You might be a little red and sensitive after each treatment, but you wouldn’t experience any downtime. You could gently cleanse your skin using Lamelle Serra Cleansing Gel (our extra gentle soap-free cleanser) then hydrate and soothe using our Barrier Repair Cream. It speeds up recovery time thanks to medical-grade lanolin that mimics your skin’s natural lipids and creates a moist wound-healing environment. You can then protect your skin from the sun using our most innovative sunscreen to date, Lamelle Helase 50+.  Want to address deeper wrinkles or more severe sun damage lines? In this case, you’d have to completely change the structure of your dermis and our retinol-based Retistore Plus Peel can deliver great results in exchange for a little downtime. While your skin might flake for a couple of days, you can apply our ‘bandage in a bottle’, Restorative Balm. It’s ideal to help your skin recover from ‘injuries’ that affect your full dermis as it won’t sting when it’s applied. It’s also semi-occlusive so it can trap moisture within your skin but still allows it to breathe. During the peak ‘healing days’ when you’re using Restorative Balm you won’t want to go anywhere near the sun. But the day you do step aside, again, we recommend investing in Helase 50+. This way, you’ll get full-spectrum protection and can maintain your results and reveal a fresher, more radiant and evenly-toned skin – just in time for the party season! 

May 24, 2021

Skincare shouldn’t have to sting: Understanding sensitive skin

Struggling with very dry skin? There’s a good chance you’re also the sensitive type. And no, it’s not because The Notebook makes you cry. Both conditions – sensitive skin and dry skin – share an underlying cause and that’s a disrupted barrier function. But first, what is that exactly? And if yours isn’t working properly, how do you go about fixing it? Happily, Lamelle’s researches have been studying dry and sensitive skin for decades so we can answer both questions with expert advice. The great barrier Imagine the surface of your skin as a tiled roof. There are many things that can damage these tiles – from using products that are too exfoliating or too much unprotected sun exposure. Either way, once they’re damaged, they lift up and allow your skin’s natural moisture to escape and irritants to get in. The result is skin that’s not only unquenchably dry, but over sensitive due to all those gaps in its “armour”. While you’d think solving the problem would be as easy as applying a heavy, thick moisturiser, it’s not quite that simple. Those missing tiles mean that any hydration you put in will just as easily slip out due to evaporation. However, if you use the right type of hydrator, you’ll be back in business. To explain, your skin’s outermost cells (or tiles!) exist in a waxy layer of lipids. If you’re to repair a damaged barrier, you’re going to need to apply a product that contains a mix of lipids naturally found in healthy skin. These will essentially “seal” it, helping it retain its moisture and protect it from the irritants that can cause stinging, redness and inflammation. At last! Real relief! Once you know what to look for in a barrier repair cream, it’s easy to find a brilliant one, such as Lamelle Serra Restore Cream. It contains patented Ceramide-P to help create a multi-layered lipid structure that mimics healthy human skin. It’s a fantastic long-term solution for anyone with typically dry or sensitive skin. If, however, you’re experiencing an acute bout of sensitivity, having an allergic reaction or have exceptionally dry skin, you’ll want to know about Lamelle Serra Soothing Cream. It contains a double dose of ceramides as well as patented anti-redness and anti-itch technology. Another star product you’ll want in a dry and sensitive skin home care artillery is Serra Cleansing Gel. The former is a deliciously creamy-feeling soap-free cleanser specially formulated to carefully cleanse in a way that doesn’t strip away your skin’s newfound hydration. But what if it’s seriously sensitive…  Okay. So that’s the low down on sensitive skin. In short, it’s typically a symptom of an impaired barrier function. But what about sensitive skin syndrome (SSS)? In this case, you’re dealing with a medically diagnoseable condition characterised by skin that often experiences sensations like burning, itchiness, tightness and even pain despite no obvious trigger. In fact, a sufferer’s skin might not even show any visible symptoms, such as redness or dryness. Much like migraines, doctor’s still don’t fully understand SSS but research suggests it’s a neurosensory condition caused by having too many overstimulated TRVP1 receptors in the deeper layers of your skin. In light of this new knowledge, Lamelle have created Serra NSB. (The NSB stands for “Neuro-Sensory Barrier”.) Its star ingredients inhibits the expression of TRVP1 in the skin while “putting out the fire” via a potent amino acid anti-inflammatory. It can also help repair any barrier issues, should the sufferer have one, thanks to Ceramide-P. Ultimately, if you have dry skin, sensitive skin or even SSS, Lamelle’s Serra collection includes a solution. Make an appointment to chat with one of our skincare therapists today who’ll be able to suggest the correct products that’ll help you get real relief. www.lamelle.co.za

May 17, 2021

Could you have PCOS and not even know it?

Despite being incredibly common, affecting around 1 in 10 women, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is still one of the most underdiagnosed conditions around. So much so that, of those who have it, only 1 in 3 will be diagnosed. In short, there’s a fair chance you might have it – and a good chance you don’t realise it! PCOS tends to fly under the radar because signs can be easy to miss or attributed to something else. This is why it’s important to be aware of the condition and its symptoms, especially since getting the right treatment can be life-changing.  But first – what is PCOS? PCOS is a hormonal disorder that also affects your metabolism in a way that causes insulin resistance. Ultimately, your body stops listening to insulin’s “instruction” – to convert the sugar in your bloodstream to energy. Instead, after lingering in your blood for too long – essentially raising your blood sugar – the sugar ends up being stored away as fat. This is why those suffering from diabetes as well as PCOS tend to experience weight gain. Another side effect of insulin resistance is that it triggers your ovaries to produce higher-than-normal amounts of androgen, the male hormone. The results manifest invisibly as cysts on your ovaries. The visible signs, however, include acne, excessive hair growth in unwanted places such as your face and irregular or missed periods. If left untreated PCOS can lead to infertility, type 2 diabetes and even cardiovascular disease. In short, if you’ve got it, you really want to diagnose it and treat it. Know the signs The frustrating thing about PCOS is that it’s not always so easy to recognise the symptoms. Life gets busy so we don’t keep track of our periods. Weight gain can be attributed to getting older or skipping out on gym. That recent spate of chin pimples? Perhaps that’s just “maskne” or a stress breakout.  To make things even trickier, not every woman will develop all the signs. After all, it’s not unusual to develop PCOS and never spot as much as a single chin hair, let alone develop a mustache. Other less obvious symptoms include insomnia, fatigue and a craving for carbohydrates as well as anxiety or depression. When you consider that list, it’s easy to see how they could all be overlooked as just the side-effect of a stressful life mid-pandemic and not an extremely common syndrome. So here’s the good news   If you suspect you have PCOS you’ll be glad to know there’s a lot you can do about it but your first step is to visit your doctor or gynaecologist. They’ll be able to ask the right questions and run a simple series of tests to help you get a diagnosis. As far as treatment is concerned, this could include medication as well as making certain lifestyle changes. For example, eating a low glycaemic index (GI) diet and getting regular exercise will help you manage your blood sugar levels.  You can also manage your condition with our brand new ovarian health nutritional supplement – Ovaria by Lamelle Pharmaceuticals. It contains 4000mg of Myo-Inositol, the required dose clinically proven to reduce the symptoms of PCOS of women in their fertile era.  A naturally occurring sugar associated with the vitamin B family, Myo-Inositol helps reduce your androgen levels by normalising your blood’s insulin levels. The result is an improvement in many PCOS symptoms including weight gain, acne and hair growth. In fact, Ovaria is proven to reduce unwanted hair growth by 29% in just 6 months. It can also increase your ovulation rate – improving your chance of getting pregnant – in as little as 16 weeks and help normalise your menstrual cycle. You’re not alone  Ultimately, if you suspect you might be suffering from PCOS, don’t hesitate to chat with your doctor today. An early diagnosis means the sooner you’ll enjoy a better quality of your life while reducing your risk of PCOS-related conditions like diabetes. As far as treatment options go, you’ll have several to choose from and all of them can be enhanced by Ovaria. You’re not alone. Together, we can help put you back on the path to wellness.  Learn more: https://lamelle.co.za/ovaria

May 13, 2021
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