Forget Anti-Ageing: Dr Geoffrey Heber on Why ‘Skin Longevity’ Is the Future of Skincare
As skin longevity emerges as one of beauty’s biggest conversations, Ultraceuticals founder and cosmetic physician Dr Geoffrey Heber explains what it really means, which ingredients have the evidence behind them, and the new technology changing how we think about keeping skin healthy for longer.
For decades, skincare has been dominated by the language of “anti-ageing”: soften the wrinkle, fade the pigmentation, firm the skin.
Now, the conversation is changing. Skin longevity reflects a broader shift away from simply correcting the visible signs of ageing towards supporting the skin’s health, function and resilience over the long term.
It is an approach that Australian cosmetic physician and Ultraceuticals founder, Dr Geoffrey Heber, has effectively advocated for decades.
During a recent visit to Ireland, Dr Heber sat down to discuss the science behind skin longevity, the ingredients with the strongest evidence behind them, and how emerging technologies such as Ultraceuticals recently Youth Boost ExoSignal GF² Facial Serum are designed to complement established actives rather than replace them.
What does ‘skin longevity’ mean to you, and which ingredients have the strongest evidence behind them?
“The A, B, C + philosophy refers to vitamin A – retinoids, vitamin B3 – niacinamide and vitamin C – L-ascorbic acid and sunscreen. This combination of ingredients has stronger scientific evidence than any other combination for increasing the skin’s health span. That is, they substantially reduce and reverse changes of environmental ageing and slow intrinsic ageing of the skin.
“Over months to years, you’ll expect measurably increased dermal collagen density and reduced collagen degradation (retinoids plus vitamin C working on synthesis, inhibition of degradation and antioxidant protection), a thicker, more organised epidermis, better hydration and barrier resilience, increased NAD+ and cellular energy production (niacinamide), and progressive improvement in fine lines, firmness, tone and pigmentation.”
With so many new ingredients and technologies emerging, what keeps you curious about the future of skincare?
“What keeps me curious today is researching and trialling ingredients – such as exosomes and growth factors – that act in complementary ways to vitamin A, B and C and sunscreens to include in products with them for better results.”
Ultraceuticals recently launched its Youth Boost ExoSignal GF² Facial Serum, combining plant-derived exosome technology with stabilised dual growth factor science. What exactly are exosomes?
“Exosomes are nanometre-sized lipid membranes that encapsulate molecules such as growth factors, mRNA, proteins, lipids and enzymes. The molecules they contain support skin repair and antioxidant protection.”
What changes can people expect from effective exosome formulations?
“People who experience the effects of effective exosome formulations report very noticeably firmer, plumper and smoother skin. Irregular pigmentation and redness, if present, can be substantially reduced.”
If someone wants youthful, healthy skin for the long term, what advice would you give them?
“If you’re going to follow the evidence and not experiment on yourself, follow the A, B, C + for youthful, healthy skin. I have before-and-after photos of myself 15 years apart and my medical practice bookkeeper, Monica, 12 years apart. We both look younger 15 to 12 years later, respectively, than before. During the 15 years, I used vitamin A, B and C products. I also had three laser treatments for facial redness and a few no-downtime, low-concentration AHA peels. Monica used Ultraceuticals vitamin A and C products, and had regular Ultraceuticals skincare treatments, such as microdermabrasions with vitamin infusions. She had no laser treatments.”
Finally, after almost 30 years developing skincare, which three Ultraceuticals products do you personally reach for?
“My favourite three Ultraceuticals products are the C Chebula Serum and the ExoSignal GF2 Serum, which I layer in the morning and the Ultra A Perfecting Serum, which I use at night.”
Ultraceuticals Youth Boost ExoSignal GF² Facial Serum 30ml (€148.00 / £131.00) is available from ultraceuticals.ie and Ultraceuticals partner salons and clinics nationwide.