Inspired by the movement of light reflecting and refracting over the waters on Lake Geneva, La Prairie’s scientists sought to recreate that glimmering luminosity in skin. But to do so, they first had to establish the Equation of Light, which is that light is a function of colour and reflection.
Using that discovery as a baseline, the Swiss beauty house began to find parallels between the way rays of light interact with water as it does with skin, to better understand how to enhance luminosity. After all, skin’s ability to reflect light is one of the most important characteristics of a beautiful, healthy complexion. Not to be mistaken with brightening, which alludes to lightening benefits, luminosity refers to the illumination of one’s natural complexion.
The Secrets of Light
La Prairie’s scientists found that reflection of light occurs both on the skin’s surface and from within. The smoother the surface, the more light can be reflected. Within the skin, having a dense and highly structured network of collagen fibres acts like an internal mirror to boost luminosity.
However, as we age, our complexion loses its smoothness as lines and wrinkles appear. At the same time, our network of collagen fibres also starts to lose its density and structure. These two elements negatively affect the reflection of light from the skin.
To combat these issues, La Prairie created the White Caviar Essence Extraordinaire. Greg Prodromides, chief marketing officer of La Prairie, explains: “Its action against factors that impede a glimmering luminosity, through the prism of the Equation of Light. In 2019, La Prairie had established that light is a function of colour and reflection. Within this established framework, we observed the encounter of light and water in Switzerland. We found parallels with the way rays of light interact with the skin, to better enhance skin luminosity. White Caviar Essence Extraordinaire provides a dual effect of plumping and smoothing the skin surface. It also improves skin tone evenness and densifies the collagen network. Thanks to these complementary actions, and by working on both elements of the Equation of Light, colour and reflection, skin luminosity is magnified.”
The star ingredient of the White Caviar Essence Extraordinaire is Lumidose, a molecule that was discovered only after 15 years of research and the screening of over 50,000 ingredients. Lumidose is said to be the most potent inhibitor of tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for melanin formation, in the market currently.
To increase its efficacy, Lumidose has a unique double encapsulation delivery system made up of intelligent disk-shaped structures, which are in turn enclosed in an outer sphere. The intelligent structures can recognise and respond to the different environments of the skin, which enables them to target specific skin layers, making treatments more effective. In clinical studies, the molecule was able to lighten brown spots better and faster than the current gold-standard tyrosinase inhibitors. By targeting the formation of pigmentation at its source, Lumidose is able to reduce light-absorbing spots and boost skin luminosity.
However, Lumidose is not the only secret weapon the La Prairie’s White Caviar Essence Extraordinaire has. Its formula contains Swiss Golden Caviar Extract, the signature caviar ingredient of the White Caviar collection, which supports natural collagen production to help plump and firm the complexion, increasing light’s ability to reflect back to the skin surface. The essence is also infused with Swiss Golden Caviar Water, which captures the most delicate and volatile components of golden caviar, to enhance its sensoriality. Your complexion is left feeling smoother, more hydrated and utterly refreshed.
This trio of magic agents compliments each other and work together to boost elements of the Equation of Light—colour and reflection—to magnify skin luminosity instantly.
Stepping into luminosity
To be used as the first step in the White Caviar ritual, White Caviar Essence Extraordinaire was designed to improve the absorption of the rest of your beauty routine and to help enhance their efficacy.
The lotion has a transformative gel-to-water texture and a subtle opalescent hue, refreshing the complexion with a light watery feel. It provides an immediate dual effect of plumping and smoothing the skin surface, while also improves skin tone evenness and densifies its collagen network with constant used.
Continuing in its founder Paul Niehans’ love and passion for art and beauty, and to celebrate the launch of White Caviar Essence Extraordinaire, La Prairie commissioned Taiwanese dancer, new media artist and choreographer Wen-Chi Su to pay tribute to the magical encounter of light and water.
In her dance performance, Wen-Chi Su interacted with her installation to express a story of Swiss nature, glimmering light, fluidity and femininity. This is the first time the Swiss house has entered the world of performance art where body, movement and femininity come together to enrich the brand with a new paradigm. This latest commission was also the perfect occasion for La Prairie to cement its support to female artists from different cultures, perspectives and art practices.
Su muses: “Art and science are not two separate notions. People love to say that art is based on the sense, a sensorial experience, and that science is based on rationality and realisation. At first, I believe this myself. However, working with scientists changed my perspective. I think both come to a natural consensus as we approach things in a very similar way but in different time frames. Science for me is the incarnation of research and trying to rationalise and prove hypothesis. To do so, scientists have built their own language—graphs, fractions, calculation—all stem from scientists’ imagination to create a common language of understanding. Art is not different from this logic. When dancing you rely on something abstract and create techniques, shapes, movements considering weight shift, energy control. All of this becomes its own language as well.”
La Prairie‘s White Caviar Essence Extraordinaire, $680, is available at the ION Orchard flagship boutique and all La Prairie counters at Metro Paragon, Takashimaya D.S and TANGS at Tang Plaza.
