Power of good

Even before encountering a mid-life crisis, the skin has already gone downhill to give away your age. New understanding of the ageing process suggests a crucial turning point when waning skin vitality allows multiple signs of ageing to become visible on the face.

A pinch on the temple followed with a snap by the skin phone to gauge SPQ.

The Skin Tipping Point concept, presented at a SK-II new product launch at Pullman Bangkok King Power, has come along with an innovative way to measure skin power, and women now not only need to rate their IQ and EQ but also Skin Power Quotient (SPQ).

Skin power, according to SK-II global principal scientist, Misa Ito, is the skin's natural ability to withstand stress and maintain its texture, radiance and firmness. It is determined by tolerance power that protects the skin from internal and external stress and rebirth power, the ability to regenerate skin cells.

Measuring SPQ is quickly done with a skin phone - a compression imaging device that captures the changes in the skin when exposed to stress.

This method was first introduced in a study by Professor Osamu Kuwazuru at Fukui University and dermatologist Dr Shuhei Imayama, who proposed the Skin Tipping Point marked by a sudden change that typically occurs in the 30s.

"Many women seem to experience a sudden onset of skin ageing at a certain age in their 30s," said Ito. "With ageing, each layer of the skin undergoes different changes. While they may not seem prominent at the start, the accumulative changes lead to a certain critical point when the skin layers start to collapse, causing a variety of ageing signs to become more obvious."

TV host and working mum Suquan Bulakul.

The Japanese brand is notable for its yeast-derived ingredient, Pitera, inspired by youthful hands of old sake workers whose hands were constantly soaked in yeast in the making of the traditional Japanese alcoholic drink. Besides Pitera, the new Skin Signature moisturiser and 3D refining mask contain Oli-Vityl made from an olive species that thrives in Tuscany, Italy.

Along with skin power boosting products, the skin phone is available at SK-II cosmetics counters as a part of its beauty counselling. A pinch on the temple followed with a snap by the skin phone simply assesses the SPQ.

Those in their 20s are likely to have SPQ 3, which is at pre-tipping phase with no lines in the compressed skin area. Women nearing their 40s will probably have weakening skin power and SPQ2 as the skin reaches the tipping point phase, showing shallow lines in less than 50 percent of the compressed area.

Older women tend to score SPQ1 because their skin is at a post-tipping point with various ageing signs and deep lines in more than 50 percent of the compressed area.

New brand ambassador Suquan Bulakul reckons that in her mid-30s her skin power would soon drop from SPQ 3 to SPQ 2. The Channel 3 TV host was chosen as an endorser because she was relatively pure to skincare products before knowing of SK-II. But with ageing, she realises that she needs to do more to delay the Skin Tipping Point.

"Because of dry and sensitive skin, I had trouble with using skincare products and my beauty routine was very simple, with water to cleanse the skin. I formerly thought that anti-ageing claims were just a marketing gimmick," said the 30-something Suquan. "My skin's compatibility with SK-II products allows me to take better care of the skin, which becomes more and more important with ageing in order to still look good in my 40s and 50s."