Damage prevention, sun protection and skin perfection ALL in one.
Let’s face it, sun damage is the biggest concern when it comes to looking after your skin. To cut to the chase, it is the single most influential cause of,
- Premature ageing,
- The prime suspect of pigmentation, and
- The singular amplifier of rosacea, redness and capillaries.
Outside of its capacity to completely destroy the aesthetics of your skin, its the key culprit in developing skin cancer. In fact 2 out of 3 Australians will develop at least one skin cancer in their lifetime so protecting against the harshest sun and UV conditions in the world is paramount.
Learn more about the Concentrated CC+.
The two biggest excuses when it comes to not wearing SPF.
As a dermatologist with over 15+ years experience, one of the biggest issues I come across is that people simply do not know how to choose a sunscreen let alone how to apply it adequately.
The number one excuse I’m fed is - “i’m not really out in the sun that much”. Well here’s your wake-up call! This is where subliminal cumulative damage creeps up leading to ageing, pigmentation, capillaries and wrinkles. This means when you walk to work; are driving the car, or duck down to a cafe for lunch you should be protecting yourself (don’t even get me started on visible light).
Excuse number two - I hate the way SPF based products feel on my skin. They are heavy, oily, greasy and mess with your make up, increasing congestion and exacerbating breakouts.
Introducing the Concentrated CC+
It was with this in mind that I started to develop and formulate the new Concentrated CC+ to prevent sun damage, provide SPF 30 broad spectrum protection (using only physical blockers) and even your skin-tone with skin perfecting particles all in one. I’ve spent over ten years on this!
My brief was SPF 30, zinc and titanium only, no chemical sunscreens; a luxurious feel as good as my high end make up and like I wasn’t wearing sunscreen at all. We added in some hydration and skin perfection to boot. Looking beyond UV protection we added 5% B3 to protect the immune system and prevent damage from infrared and visible light.
So what’s makes the Concentrated CC+ so much more?
"I wanted to create a CC cream with sun protection that people couldn't wait to put on!"
The biggest problem with most CC creams on the market is that they provide inadequate protection and feel heavy on your skin without any additional benefits.
The Concentrated CC+ combines 5% multi-tasking vitamin B3 with Zinc, Titanium Dioxide and skin perfecting particles to ensure your skin repairs whilst it is protected and perfected.
My perspective has always been that your skin should be your foundation, so using the correct skincare is vital to ensure you ‘maintain the canvas’. Incorporating light reflecting particles gives you a skin perfecting boost, providing a more lightweight alternative to heavy foundations. The formulation is designed to integrate into you skin so if you choose, it will sit well under your makeup without messing with it.
Buy the CC+ now.
So Why Add B3?
Let’s get straight to the point B3 (niacinamide) has been proven to have benefits for a range of issues including;
- Ageing,
- Acne,
- Rosacea,
- Pigmentation, and most importantly
- UV damage. (1)(2)
B3 is immune protecting; the most stable antioxidant (combating free radical damage from UV and infrared heat); anti-inflammatory and non comedogenic (great for acne). This is why I’ve included it in a 5% concentration in our new CC+.
Studies show that Vitamin B3 protects against UV induced skin damage and prevents the formation of early skin cancers (premalignant actinic keratosis). To really understand how B3 delivers these incredible results you need to deep dive into how vitamin B3 reboots cellular energy; repairs environmental and UV DNA damage and restores the skin’s immune system (1)(2) (read here).
And finally why formulate a physical blocker and chemical filter sunscreen free:
There are two types of sun protecting agents on the market : Physical blockers (Zinc and titanium dioxide) and chemical filters (eg oxybenzone etc) and not all are created equally.
The the reason why this formulation has been 10 years in the making is precisely due to how tricky it is to provide adequate SPF 30 protection, without feeling like you are wearing a thick mask. So let’s get into what the difference is between chemical and physical blockers - and why I prefer the latter.
Chemical blockers: Chemical sunscreens use chemical compounds to absorb the sun’s rays and then convert them into non-harmful energy, pushing them back out into the environment so that they are not absorbed by the skin. However during this process some 'by-products' of the conversion do get absorbed into the skin BUT the good news to date is no harm has been shown so far.
These chemical blocking agents are the ones that can create allergic reactions in sunscreens. Again not common, but not great if you have sensitive skin.
Side note - I worked in a contact allergy skin clinic and actually wrote a paper on these agents when I was completing my dermatology training. I saw first hand the impact this had on the skin and peoples quality of life.
Physical Blockers: These formulations use naturally occurring minerals such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to essentially create a mask, reflecting rays so they can’t penetrate the skin. They are inert which means they DO NOT create skin allergies or reaction.
I have formulated the CC+ using a combination of zinc and titanium dioxide (yep the 2 physical blockers are better than one as they increase the broad spectrum coverage).
Buy the CC+ now.
Lather it on!
This month I’ll be focusing on all things sun-protection and on a final note for this post, remember to apply your sun protectors liberally. I’ve spent an enormous amount of time working to ensure this product delivers incredible protection, without feeling heavy on the skin - so make sure you apply it correctly!
For more information about the Concentrated CC+ click here.
To discover the rest of our range click here.
Studies referenced above:
1.New England Journal of Medicine, 'A Phase & Randomized Trial of Nicotinamide for Skin Cancer Chemoprevention',, C.Chen Et Al., 2017
2.Australasian Journal of Dermatology , "Nicotinamide and the Skin", Andre C. Chen & Diona L. Damien, 2014