111Skin took its inspiration from seemingly the most unconventional place, in fact, it’s not even on this planet. This brand was founded on one plastic surgeons research on aging in space, and since then these beginnings have played a significant role in the collection that is now available. But what can deep space research do for you skin? We’re looking into the science behind this range to get to the bottom of this question. We’ll look at the brand, their products and of course, the formulas behind them, so you can decide whether these products are worth incorporating into your skincare routine. So without further adieu, let’s get started!
What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2023?
About the Brand
Dr. Alexandrides started out as a plastic surgeon, who became increasingly frustrated with the lack of gentle skincare that could help heal the skin after cosmetic procedures. Her patients often found that certain items in their usual skincare routines were too harsh or sensitizing following a treatment. This inspired years of research to see what ingredients and formulas worked best in all types of extreme conditions, which eventually led Alexandrides to look into how our skin behaves in space. Together with space scientists the NAC Y2 formula was born as a way to reverse signs of aging that can occur in extreme conditions, including deep space. Today, this formula is now available with all full range of products behind it to help maximize the efficacy of the serum that started it all.
Routines & Regimens
Since their original formula hit the market, 111Skin has released several different lines for a variety of different skin concerns. This includes the Clarity, Reparative, Regenerative and Prescriptive, Intensive and Treatment collections that offer a selection of boosters, masks, and serums. This brand specializes in treatment products, so most of their collection focuses on actives, chemical compounds and botanical extracts to heal and promote overall skin health.
Looking at their serums first and foremost, we’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about the serum that put 111Skin on the map. The Y Theorem Repair Serum was the very first product that Dr. Alexandrides created for the 111Skin range. This product predominantly features the NAC Y2 formula, which came out of years of research on ageing skin in space and other extreme conditions. This formula, as well as this product, is designed to heal the skin. According to Dr. Alexandrides, healing is the most important aspect of skincare, especially considering how many environmental stressors impact or skin on a daily basis. While healing the skin, this product is also packed with beneficial ingredients to treat ageing skin specifically.
Moving on to their masks, this is probably the one area where 111Skin has the most variety. They have a wide range of mask types, including sheet masks, eye patches, lip masks, hydration masks, overnight masks and multi-step masks. Each of these offers a unique set of benefits and is targeted to special skin concerns. For example, one of their most masks is the Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask. This is a sheet mask that is sold as a set of five, that is designed to help with brightening and hydrating. The ingredients behind this product are designed to be glow-boosting, as well as help with uneven skin tone and general dullness. Since each mask targets one or two specific skin concerns, you can mix and match them to suit your current skin needs as they change.
Finally, 111Skin has in more recent years focused on creating several skincare boosters that offer a wider range of skincare benefits. They currently offer three boosters, each of which can be added into a number of other products in your existing skincare routine to offer additional benefits that you wouldn’t normally get from a typical moisturizer. This can be especially beneficial for those who would like to strip down their routine to just a few steps, but still want all of the beneficial ingredients present. These boosters can be added to any number of 111Skin moisturizers or even paired with other moisturizers.
Formula Focus
This brand centers around a formula that was created to heal the skin as well as reverse signs of aging known as NAC Y2 . The NAC Y2 formula was tested under extreme conditions to see exactly how potent this treatment was against environmental stressors as well as damage that has already occured. This formula is made with a trio of peptides and antioxidants that work to stimulate the skin’s ability to repair itself.
The formula itself is made up of three central components: acetylcysteine, ascorbyl phosphate and escin. Starting off with acetylcysteine, this ingredient is an amino acid that is included in order to encourage collagen production, overall elasticity, and regeneration. Moving on to ascorbyl phosphate, this ingredient serves as the most potent derivative of vitamin C. Pure vitamin C, otherwise known as ascorbic acid, can be difficult to formulate with and oxidizes easily, so using a more stable derivative often makes for a more stable product, without sacrificing much of the efficacy of vitamin C. On its own, vitamin C can be an effective treatment for all types of skin concerns including dullness, acne scars and dark spots, but it also has quite a few anti-aging benefits as well. In this formula specifically, the vitamin C derivative is used to fight free radicals, promote collagen production as well as brighten your overall complexion. The last part of this formula is actually a group of ingredients known as escin. Escin operates as a delivery system that helps the rest of the formula to effectively penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin. As a whole, this formula offers a whole host of benefits on it’s own, but can also boost the efficacy of other ingredients, which is while you’ll find this formula in so many of the 111Skin products.
Along with the NAC Y2 formula, the serums and boosters from this line focus heavily on potent actives including lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide as well as a number of antioxidants. Additionally, the vast majority of the 111Skin range is paraben and sulphate free, and many of the products are paraffin and silicone free as well. The only downside to these formulations that we can see is their inclusion of fragrance. Many of the products within the range include fragrance which can be incredibly sensitizing to some, so if you do have sensitive skin, please proceed with caution and perform a patch test before incorporating these products into your regular skincare routine.
Review Recap
While most of these products do have a review or two, there’s not very much to choose from. 111Skin is a UK based brand that sells most of the line online through their website, so there are very few stockists to choose from. Looking at the reviews on their website however, most are very positive. Of their product offerings, the most reviewed product from the range is the Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel with 13 reviews and a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Most reviewers said that they were impressed with how effective each product was, and how quickly they saw results, especially with products like the eye gel, face serums and booster treatments. But we’d love to hear from you! Have you had a chance to try this space-inspired brand? Let us know in the comments below!
What Are Alternatives to 111Skin?
There’s no need to compromise when it comes to finding skincare that is effective and safe. Carrot & Stick takes a tough love approach to skincare, perfectly balancing the power of plants with cutting edge science. Not only is Carrot & Stick good for your skin, it is also good for the environment as the formulas skip harmful chemicals commonly found in skin care products.
