“This product will change the way women and men think about skincare on a global basis.” |
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Elizabeth Arden Director of Global Marketing Jessica Roth describes Prevage as the first true pharmaceutical and cosmetic partnership – and one of the most innovative new skincare technologies to reach the market in several years |
UK. Elizabeth Arden unveiled its latest weapon in the anti-ageing war to the UK and travel retail channel last week, at an exclusive launch event in London.
Prevage Anti-Aging Treatment ( The Moodie Report.com 5 May, click here for earlier story), created in collaboration with Allergan, the maker of Botox Cosmetic, made its UK debut on 1 December at Harrods, which has a three-month exclusive listing. It retails domestically at €160 for 50ml (€128 in travel retail).
Prevage will subsequently be rolled out into selected European domestic and travel retail doors from March/April 2006 (it is on-counter now in the US following a two-week exclusive with Saks Fifth Avenue). Significantly, it is being targeted at both women and men.
“Today we are introducing a new innovation and a milestone in the cosmetic world,” declared Elizabeth Arden Managing Director UK and Ireland Susan Taylor, as she kicked off the launch proceedings. “Prevage not only corrects, but actually prevents the signs of ageing, and actively protects the skin.”
To explain the benefits of Prevage, and to give a deeper insight into its key active ingredient idebenone, Arden assembled a diverse panel of experts including renowned Chemist and Researcher Joseph Lewis and Consultant Dermatologist Dr Penelope Typanidis.
First up, however, was Elizabeth Arden Director of Global Marketing Jessica Roth. “Today we are lucky enough to be launching one of the most innovative new skincare technologies to reach the market in several years,” she proclaimed. “The dermatology-inspired segment of the skincare market has been exploding, and we are very proud and excited to be part of it.
“There are many products on the market that claim to be dermatology-inspired, or to be as efficacious as a pharmaceutical product, but (Prevage) is the first true pharmaceutical and cosmetic partnership.”
She continued: “We are bringing Allergan’s science together with Elizabeth Arden’s beauty and skincare expertise. It is a monumental, unprecedented achievement – and this is only the first product under the Prevage brand name.” The next items are likely to be unveiled within a year.
Roth underlined the “breakthrough science” behind the Prevage potential, namely the inclusion of idebenone, previously used as a pharmaceutical ingredient. “Its application in cosmetic skincare is groundbreaking,” she noted. “This product will change the way women and men think about skincare on a global basis.”
To explain the benefits of Prevage, and to give a deeper insight into its key active ingredient idebenone, Arden assembled a diverse panel of experts including renowned Chemist and Researcher Joseph Lewis and Consultant Dermatologist Dr Penelope Typanidis | |
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Susan Taylor: “A cosmetic milestone.” | Jessica Roth: “A breakthrough.” |
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Joseph Lewis: “This is significant.” | Penelope Typanidis: “A key anti-ageing component.” |
And if Roth has her way, it will also change Arden’s global skincare rankings. “We intend to establish a leadership position in this category, taking Prevage to its full potential and beyond,” she confirmed. “As you may know, a physician-strength version of the formula [containing 1% idebenone and known as Prevage MD] was introduced in the US in 2004, in the dermatology and plastic surgeon channels. It has far exceeded expectations and has become one of the most successful launches in this sector in the past five years.”
She concluded: “In the 1980s we had retin-A; in the 1990s we had glycolic acid; and now we have idebenone. We have taken this product out of the restricted dermatologist market, reformulated it and are now launching it on a global basis to department, prestige and specialty stores everywhere.
“This is a major milestone in the world of skincare anti-ageing treatments. This is an amazing opportunity for Elizabeth Arden.”
Typanidis and Lewis together delivered a succinct overview of why skin ages, and how idebenone can help to counter the process.
“There are two main causes of skin ageing,” explained Typanidis. “There is intrinsic, internal ageing, which depends on our genetics, on hormonal and metabolic processes, and gravity. We cannot change our genetics; we can’t fight gravity; and we can do very little about metabolic and hormonal processes,” she added ruefully.
“Then you have external ageing factors, such as UV radiation, cigarettes, air pollution and stress. Happily we can do a lot (to counter) these extrinsic, external ageing factors.”
Daily sun protection is a key defence against external ageing factors, but it is by no means the only one. “Antioxidants are a key component of anti-ageing strategy,” stated Typanidis. And idebenone is an antioxidant par excellence.
“The active ingredient in Prevage, idebenone, is a brand new ingredient for dermatology, but it has been researched for the past 30 years in connection with all kinds of disorders related to oxidative stress and ageing in the human body,” revealed Lewis.
“In fact, idebenone was discovered in the 1970s in Japan as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s is effectively caused by oxidation of the brain, so it makes sense that idebenone could be effective in this type of medication.”
Lewis continued: “Idebenone was also used in transplant organ preservation solutions. Later it was discovered by German scientists to be very effective in terms of anti-ageing treatment of the skin.”
Lewis’s research team has been working on idebenone for the past six years. As part of their mission to help consumers understand the importance of antioxidant products – and select the best ones on the market – they created the EPF (Environmental Protection Factor) system.
“When it comes to topical skin protection, consumers only know one factor, SPF (sun protection),” explained Lewis. “They think that that’s all they need. But make no mistake, sunscreens are not free radical scavengers.”
He continued: “Most consumers have very minimal knowledge about antioxidants. They know that they are good, and that free radicals are bad, but they have no idea how to choose a product based on its ability to protect their skin from oxidative stress.”
“The active ingredient in Prevage, idebenone, is a brand new ingredient for dermatology, but it has been researched for the past 30 years in connection with all kinds of disorders related to oxidative stress and ageing in the human body.” |
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According to Lewis’s research, idebenone can protect skin from oxidative stress better than any other antioxidant on the market |
So Lewis designed a protocol of clinical in vivo and in vitro studies to assess the topical antioxidant protection capacity of all the commonly known antioxidants that are in products in the marketplace. The results were published in January this year in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
Basically, on a scale of 0 to 100 (100 being the highest), idebenone scored 95. The next closest score was 80, for vitamin E. Alpha lipoid acid scored 41.
“This is significant,” emphasised Lewis. “What it means is that idebenone can protect skin from oxidative stress better than any of these other ingredients. And we know that oxidative stress is the primary and fundamental cause and effect of extrinsic ageing.
“Your appearance is largely affected by the level of oxidative stress in your cells. If you can reduce that level, you can revitalise cells, and you can redefine your best appearance.
“We think that idebenone raises the level for cosmetic skincare product efficacy for anti-ageing worldwide.”
And according to Arden, there are clinical trials, carried out in independent laboratories, to back that thought up.
“I have been in the industry for over 25 years, and I have never seen dermatologists get behind a product as they have this,” explained Elizabeth Arden Vice President Global Research and Development Tony Vargas. “That’s what sets Prevage apart.”
In an eight-week clinical study, Prevage achieved the following results:
– 36% improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
– 47% improvement in skin tone
– 55% improvement in the overall appearance of photo-damaged skin
– 63% improvement in the look of skin’s firmness/elasticity
– 77% improvement in the appearance of rough/dry skin.
In closing the event, Taylor declared: “We know we’ve got a winner on our hands. I believe that Prevage Anti Aging Treatment is going to change the landscape of the skincare category as we know it.”
Referencing the advertisement tag-line, she concluded: “We have the proof, not just the promises. But I promise you that this will be the biggest story out.”
THE TRAVEL RETAIL TREATMENT
“We need travel retailers who will see the opportunity Prevage represents, and who will support it accordingly. Such a scientific product needs real understanding at a retail level.” |
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Prevage is suitable for use by both women and men from the age of 18. It is recommended for use twice a day. It is presented in a “unisex” metal, airless pump dispenser with orange accents and a raised logo |
To further enhance the partnership with Allergan – and to encourage purchase by male consumers – Prevage will not be marketed on Elizabeth Arden’s travel retail counters.
“For lots of obvious reasons, it will be merchandised separately,” confirmed Elizabeth Arden General Manager Travel Retail Europe & Middle East Barratt West. “We have developed a free-standing unit for it. There will be a lot of POS information, and where possible strong consultant support, complete with Prevage uniforms.”
West added that the travel retail roll-out would follow the domestic schedule, set to start from March.
“But we will look at the doors carefully,” he explained. “The target is no more than 12-15 doors across Europe and the Middle East. Hub airports, with high pax and the right profile, will be key. Importantly, we need enough space to do this justice.
“We need travel retailers who will see the opportunity Prevage represents, and who will support it accordingly. Such a scientific product needs real understanding at a retail(er) level.”
The inflight sector will be another important distribution channel, notably certain flagship carriers. “There is a possibility we will have an exclusive travel retail listing,” West acknowledged. “If so, that’s most likely to happen inflight.”
Prevage is suitable for use by both women and men from the age of 18. It is recommended for use twice a day. It is presented in a “unisex” metal, airless pump dispenser with orange accents and a raised logo.
The ad features a product shot with no model or face. The tag-line is “Proof”¦not promises”.
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