BRAINS & BEAUTY: Ada Polla Tray of Alchimie Forever

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in the Polla family. Ada Polla Tray, co-creator of the cosmeceutical skincare line Alchimie Forever, launched the antioxidant skincare line in North America in 2004 and is leading its further development stateside and in Europe. Created by Ada's parents, Drs. Luigi and Barbara Polla, in 2000, Alchimie Forever first launched in Geneva, Switzerland. This is a family that has devoted itself to the science and care of skin. Luigi Polla, MD is a world-renowned dermatologist and European leader in the field of cosmetic laser therapy. Barbara Polla, MD is a leader in biomedical research on antioxidants and stress proteins. Both are specialists in cellular aging. Their skincare line is based on a combination of powerful natural antioxidants including green tea, rosemary, basil, turmeric, blueberries, grape seeds and tomatoes.


Known for their love and promotion of art (they have the Analix Forever Art Gallery in Geneva) as well as science, the Polla family is without a doubt making their mark.


You may be thinking, "...sure, Ada just had everything spoon-fed to her". Wrong! This sassy, ambitious woman is forging her own trail here in the USA. Ada followed up her undergrad degree from Harvard (magna cum laude at that) with an MBA from Georgetown and travels extensively to promote the skincare line. Her efforts have landed the company's high-end anti-aging products in the pages of French Vogue, InStyle, Vivre and more.


The products marry anti-aging technology with botanicals. Aside from what's already at top, what other ingredients can you find in the line? Yummy, fabulous, good for the skin ingredients like oats, wild pansies, jojoba and shea butters, watercress, willowbark, papaya, cucumber, grapefruit, vitamin E. In some of their body products (Q-Switch for instance), you can also find infusions of caffeinated mate' leaves, Amazonian guarana, ginger, and marine algae for toning effects.

Controversially, perhaps, what else will you find in some Alchimie Forever products? Parabens.

Ada offers no apology for using parabens. She believes that studies indicting parabens as cancerous are deeply flawed. "We don't know if parabens are implicated in cancer because the researchers did not study this. We need large-scale studies to prove or disprove causation, and there hasn't been a single one." Until there's an antibacterial agent that's equally effective and doesn't irritate the skin, Ada says Alchimie Forver will continue to use parabens (noted: albeit at very low, fractional percentages) and "not using them with our natural ingredients would pose a health risk".

What I can tell you of the products I've tried from Alchimie Forever is I completely adore them! They feel wonderful on the skin, are incredibly effective, their light, fresh aromas are a treat to the senses and a joy to use.

GIVEAWAY

Sooooo . . . to close out our wonderful week of Earth Day explorations, we're giving away a jar of Alchimie Forever's new gentle antioxidant facial scrub: Excimer+.

This isn't just any scrub, this is an ultra-gentle creamy exfoliant with cranberry and jojoba beads that work synergistically to remove dead skin cells and brighten the skin, while papaya enzymes exfoliate. Lychee extract rejuvenates and brightens as rosemary works to calm inflammation and prevent breakouts. Shea butter hydrates, ensuring this scrub is gentle enough for the most sensitive skin types.

TO ENTER:

• 1) Post a comment to this feature letting what your favorite skincare ingredient is;
• 2) Send me an email with GIVEAWAY in the subject line, and include your email address and US mailing address (failure to send this information will prevent my being able to send you the product, thus disqualify entry)

That's all there is to it! Some restrictions may apply. Contest open to US residents only. Winners will be chosen at random from among entrants. This giveaway is limited to one winner. Duplicate entries will not improve your chances of winning. Giveaway sponsored by Alchimie Forever and by For the Love of Beauty. Entries will be accepted through 11:59 pm on Sun., 05/11/08.