Living Proof Launches Neotensil, So-Called 'Shapewear for Skin'

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Grid View

Expand

Kendall Square is home to many a game-changing company, but when it comes to the beauty space, none has a farther reach than Living Proof. Having established itself on the market through high-performing hair products (endorsed by part-owner Jennifer Aniston, who has possibly the most influential set of strands on Earth), the science-backed company has made its first foray into skincare this year. Following years of research, its leading team of scientists launched the trademarked Strateris platform—a second skin of sorts that serves as the backbone to specialized products like their first release, Neotensil for under-eye bags.

Dubbed "shapewear for skin," Neotensil is the only topical, non-invasive solution to remedy the dreaded eye bags caused by fat pads—and we're not talking the droopiness you get after a wild bachelorette party. Rather, the target audience for this breakthrough product are those affected by genetics without other courses of action. As such, the regimen is only available through select dermatologists, given that not every bag sufferer is an ideal candidate. To help determine that candidacy, the scientists developed a Bag Scale outlining various increments of severity based on a clinical study of 100 women with a moderate to severe condition.

So how did Living Proof conceive Strateris and Neotensil? A superstar team, of course: Co-Founder Dr. Bob Langer, Vice President Dr. Betty Yu, Dr. Rox Anderson of MGH and Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Barbara Gilchrest of Boston University and the American Skin Association. The challenge was to invent a polymer that tightens immediately, trying to mimic the properties of elastin-heavy youthful skin. At first, they found inspiration in contact lenses—a flexible, breathable, invisible material—but the hurdle was that they don't adhere, which is where the patented Strateris comes into play. Bonding to skin, it also hydrates continually for up to 24 hours. Though its first application is the under eye bag, future uses may include treating dermatological conditions like eczema, long term foundations, sun protection, or cellulite reduction.

The Neotensil kit is not particularly cheap, though it does work out to $10 per use and is accessible relative to comparable, invasive procedures. It runs $500 for a seven week daily usage supply, including remover and pads with the patented applicator tools required of the two-part elixir: a pre-dosed, 50 microns thick film coats bare under-eye skin with a second layer that activates the polymer. Results are visible within an hour and last up to sixteen hours. Should you require further under-eye concealing, a mineral powder rings in at $45 with SPF 15 and five shades.

Strateris and Neotensil aren't the only new developments at Living Proof this year. Boston magazine recently sat down with Jennifer Aniston herself to discuss the consumer-facing Style Lab planned to open in Kendall Square late summer. Much like its current internal test labs, consumers will receive "personalized hair 'diagnoses'" to experiment with existing and yet-to-launch Living Proof formulas.
· Eric Spengler of Living Proof Talks Frizz and Hair Science [Racked Boston]
· Jennifer Aniston Talks Living Proof's Forthcoming 'Style Lab' [Boston]
· Neotensil [Living Proof]