Why Melt-in Skin Formulas are the Future

In an age where instant everything is in vogue, it’s debatable whether instant is actually better. In cooking, the slow-marinated, carefully prepared dish maintains much more of the nutritional value than processed, microwaved food. However in skincare, where in the past we put on thick creams and waited ages (and I mean ages) for it to absorb into the skin, now top skincare products assert instant ‘melt-into your skin’ formulas. And this actually works better, especially for oily and combination skin.

Sonya Daily Skincare, our latest skincare products, are gel-based and deliver just that – a melting formula that goes deeper into the skin layers at a quick absorption rate.

What are melt-in formulas?

Like many beauty trends, the origins of melt-in skin formulas can be traced back to Korea and Japan. Skin science has seen that for combination and oily skin, to help control oils and give hydration, skincare products should be formulated to transform from a gel into a light liquid that goes deeper and doesn’t just sit on the skin like the creams of the past.

Experts state that these new formulas for top skincare products are gentler and more easily absorbed, which is great news for those with troubled or fluctuating skin.

Samantha Freedman, previously Associate Beauty Editor at Grazia magazine, is now a freelance beauty journalist and the founder of the retailing concept Just Add Beauty. In November 2018, she spoke at Forever Living’s ‘Illuminate with Sonya’ blogger event.

She explained, “We’re all part of a generation where we want fast results, and we want them now. So waiting for creams and lotions to sink in is just not an option. That’s why skincare brands have become much savvier and smarter with their formulas, creating gels, jellies and essences that quite literally melt into the skin.

“I believe this texture trend has come over from Korea, where their 'ten-step beauty regime’ requires fast absorbing results in order for products to successfully perform when layered, and not sit on top of the skin. It’s definitely not going anywhere soon, and I am so grateful for this. Once you use a melt-in formula you definitely won’t go back to anything else!”

What skincare ingredients help the process?

Hydrolyzed collagen is collagen that has been broken down through a scientific process called hydrolysis which reduces the size of molecules for better skin absorption. The result is small, intact amino acids which have not been damaged. These are quickly absorbed and are used as the building blocks of healthy collagen within the skin (something which decreases in production as we age, causing wrinkles).

Though gel formulas contain oils, they are specific kinds that don’t sit on the skin. Low or non-comedogenic facial oil (which means it doesn’t clog the pores) is good for oily skin as it leaves the skin feeling airy and light. These oils are fantastic for retaining moisture in a daily skincare routine.

For example, our Sonya Soothing Gel Moisturizer has a combination of citrus (orange/tangerine-based) and floral oils that are known for their effect on balancing and soothing angry, troubled or fluctuating skin.

Aloe is one of the top ingredients in Forever Living’s skincare products. One of the many topical benefits of aloe is that it assists other skincare ingredients to reach deeper levels in the skin than they could on their own. Aloe contains natural polymers called lignins. These create structures and penetrate to the deeper layers of the skin as well as acting as a carrier for the other active ingredients which creates a synergy between aloe and these ingredients.

Skincare products for combination skin

On a personal note, when the Sonya Daily Skincare came out, I sat down with my 15-year-old daughter to discuss how to use the products. We had been waiting with excitement as she has had rather ‘teenagerish’ (as she calls it) unbalanced and sometimes angry skin. She was thrilled with the lightweight Sonya Refreshing Gel Cleanser, was a bit in awe of the fast-acting Sonya Illuminating Gel that brought an instant matte finish, and loved the overnight Sonya Refining Gel Mask that left her skin soft and silky.

Yet when we got to the moisturiser her response was, “But Mum, my skin is so oily, why would I want a moisturiser? I never use moisturiser!”

I explained that actually her skin, like all skin, needs balance. The Sonya Soothing Gel Moisturizer brought both the hydration her skin needs as well as helping to balance the oil production in her skin.

After the first night, she was impressed that the melting gel didn’t stay on her skin and leave a greasy layer and I’m pleased to say that my daughter has now adopted a skincare routine with Sonya Daily Skincare. She has even started to tell her friends that she has the best skincare routine out there, because her skin has been more noticeably clearer and healthier recently, despite its ‘teenagerish’ tendencies.

Sonya Daily Skincare is leading the future trends for those who wish to balance their combination or oily skin. So try it out! Maybe do a comparison of your favourite hand lotion on one hand and the Sonya Daily Soothing Moisturizer on the other. Rub each one in and see the difference in the absorption rate. Let us know what happens in the comments!

 Written by Forever’s skincare specialist Jeannie McGinnis