I turned 41 on the weekend. Most of the time, this knowledge doesn’t faze me, since I still feel 28, but lately the emergence of fine lines and wrinkles has been reminding me that I am, indeed, getting older.

I’ve always tried to look after my skin and, until recently (about the time I concluded a salaried position to run my own small business), I spent a pretty penny on some Australian-developed medical grade skincare. But, you know, after they recently increased their prices to mean that I would be paying $900 EVERY SIX MONTHS I decided I’d better look for an alternative.

Then fate stepped in. I gave a presentation at Canberra Business Point a couple of months ago, and in the audience was a bloke called Des Linehan. We got to chatting and he said he was in the ‘anti-ageing’ market…well, of course my ears pricked up.  After a couple of coffee catch-ups, where Des attempted to explain the science behind the Nu Skin product to my mostly blank gaze, and showed me some pretty impressive ‘before and after’ photos (like the ones of Canberra’s Misty, below), he asked if I’d be interested in trialling the products and writing about the experience. And here we are.

The ground rules

One of the things I’m most proud of about HerCanberra, is that we will give you our honest opinion on a product. We take that responsibility seriously. So, before I agreed to trial Nu Skin, I did a bit of research.

So, the first thing you need to know is that Nu Skin is very big on ensuring people understand that there is an anti-aging science behind their products. It’s not just about randomly mixing some test tubes together – these guys are serious about their research and scientific approach.

If you Google Nu Skin, you’ll find there is quite a conversation about whether the products – and a device called a Galvanic Spa (seen below – more on that later) – actually work. There are arguments for both sides – but on the ‘pro’ are also clinical tests, 18 approved patents, and a lot of pretty convincing success stories. I decided the only way I would know if they worked for me was to try them myself

How do the products work?

So, if you’re anything like me, scientific information can be somewhat intimidating. But let’s take a look at how Nu Skin’s ageLOC products claim to work.

There are apparently internal sources of ageing that contribute to how we look and feel as we age (what Nu Skin calls age-related super markers). These are the ultimate sources of aging that can influence how we age. Based on this discovery, Nu Skin has found ways to identify critical super markers called Youth Gene Clusters, which are functional groups of genes that regulate how we seem to age.

By modelling skin and human tissue in laboratory experiments, Nu Skin claims to have “learned how crucial gene expression is to retaining youth” and says they understand how to target and reset these Youth Gene Clusters to their youthful patterns of activity.

The products I’ll be trialling

Ok, so I’ll be putting the ageLOC Transformation Kit and the Galvanic Spa System through their paces. These products work together to produce results.

Firstly, the ageLOC Transformation Kit: it consists of four products: ageLOC Gentle Cleanse & Tone, ageLOC Future Serum, ageLOC Radiant Day SPF 22, and ageLOC Transforming Night. It “cleanses, purifies, renews, moisturises and reveals younger looking skin in up to eight ways beginning in just seven days.”

So, not too different in terms of a product line up to your standard ‘cleanse, tone, moisturise’ regime, but with some pretty big scientific claims behind them. In a clinical study, 100 percent of subjects who used the kit twice daily for 12 weeks showed an improvement in overall appearance including fine lines, skin smoothness and radiance as determined by a clinical grader.

The Galvanic Spa is a curious little hand-held device that you use to massage facial treatment gels into the skin using positive and negative charges, causing the skin to ‘lift’ and become fresher and ‘newer’ looking. You can read more about how it works here.

Look, I am no scientist, I kinda get it, but here’s what I can tell you so far. I’ve seen some pretty amazing ‘half face’ before and afters from demos with the Galvanic Spa…and these are people are Canberrans I’ve actually met, so I know it’s not a PhotoShop job.

I already had pretty good skin before starting, so the dramatic ‘eyebrow lift’ that I’ve seen in others hasn’t happened to me. But I’ve been using the products for about six weeks now, and I’ve noticed the difference in my skin – especially immediately after a ‘spa’ treatment. It looks and feels plump and moist, and I have to say it’s looking pretty good for its 41 years.

So, six weeks down; six weeks to go – what will the results be at the end of the trial period? I’ve taken a ‘before’ so you can judge for yourself! Stay tuned…

Oh, and if you want to find out about the products yourself, visit the Nu Skin website, email linehan27@gmail.com or like the Skinside & Inside facebook page.

N.B. The author received the ageLOC Transformation kit and the loan of the Galvanic spa for the time period. This is not a paid endorsement.