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The European Pharmacy Skin-Care Brand About to Get a Cult Following

Why do they always do it better overseas?

Skin
The European Pharmacy Skin-Care Brand About to Get a Cult Following

A potent European pharmacy skin-care brand called Isdin recently arrived in the states, and if anything tips us off to impending success, it’s when some of our favorite smarty-pants dermatologists are buzzing about it. In particular, they love the brand’s mineral sunscreen called Isdin Eryfotona Actinica SPF 50+, which contains high-tech enzymes proven to repair DNA damage in skin cells. Basically, it’s mopping up your past sun-bathing sins while shielding you from the future offenses that lead to wrinkles and even skin cancer. Ellen Marmur, MD, loves that it’s “light as air.” Dendy Engelman, MD, the dermatologist to Sofia Vergara, also loves that it’s a zinc oxide-based formula without chemical sunscreens.

Skin-care nerds will remember that, years ago, a science-y new sunscreen came to the US from Europe called Anthelios made by La Roche-Posay (a brand owned by L’Oréal). Derms were raving, the fashion crowd were shouting it out in all their product round-ups alongside La Mer, and it was said to have next-level protective benefits from sun damage. If we may call it: Isdin will be the new must-have sunscreen for everlasting angel skin.


When we traveled to the Isdin headquarters in Barcelona to learn more, we also stocked up on their other genius formulas now sold in the US and a few others that are, currently, only available in the EU, ’cause we’re sneaky like that. (Yes, it was worth checking in our suitcase on the way back!) Fortunately, one of our favorites, Isdin’s tiny and powerful vitamin C ampoules, are available on this side of the pond. You’ve probably heard that vitamin C is great for your skin and can give you a serious glow, but the finicky ingredient can easily become inactive when exposed to light and air. So, get this: Isdinceutics Flavo-C Ultraglican Ampoules are the tiny glass vials that are meant to be cracked open when youre ready to use them and which contain just a few uses, so your vitamin C is always fresh as can be. Plus, the little tubes look both cute and mad scientist-y in your bathroom.

Elizabeth Hale, MD, also loves the Isdinceuticals Melaclear Serum, which helps reduce brown spots and redness in the skin. She’ll often use it on patients immediately after doing a Clear + Brilliant laser treatment when there are tiny channel openings in the skin that make the ingredients penetrate better. (See? Smarty pants.) She says her staff is also obsessed with Isdinceutics Skin Drops, which is basically super high-coverage makeup that you can use straight-up or diluted in your skin care. Dr. Marmur loves it, too.

And Dr. Hale tipped us off to another cult Isdin product in the making: a futuristic sunscreen that you can literally rub into your eyes and it won’t sting. It’s called Isdin Fotoprotector Fusion Water SPF 50+, but it is not in the US yet. Maybe, the brand tells us, we’ll get it here by 2019, if we’re lucky. Until then, prepare to check some bags the next time you’re in Europe.

 

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