Naturally: Taking the radical approach

Liz Edlich had spent more than 15 years in the skincare industry and created more than 100 products before anyone stopped her and asked, "What do you use on your skin?" She had been using a new antioxidant-rich product for two weeks, one she developed with her sister Rachel, just for themselves and their friends, without any intention of selling it.

“My girlfriends started calling and saying, ‘alright, everybody hold the phones, send me more of that little goop in that little bottle because this stuff works!’ ” says Liz. Together the sisters transformed that goop from personal project into the global beauty brand Radical Skincare, an LA-based luxury line that is now available in 800 stores in 15 countries.

I recently spent part of a rainy afternoon with Edlich in Dublin talking about Radical over tea. Personable, commanding and clearly passionate about her product, she scooped blobs of serum and moisturiser and gel onto the backs of my hands with her teaspoon. As we chatted, it became clear that the story behind the bottles is just as important to the brand as the potent ingredients that go into them.

Liz and Rachel's father Dr Richard F Edlich was a renowned, trailblazing plastic surgeon who founded the burn unit at the University of Virginia. They spent time in his lab as kids. "We had access to the best in medicine because of our dad, because of how we grew up," says Edlich who, at 46, was able to call upon her own team of chemists to create a new product. It had to be strong enough to fight visible signs of ageing but sensitive enough for Rachel, who had developed rosacea after having her second child.

When it comes to anti-ageing products, skincare brands are all about antioxidants – substances believed to prevent and repair damage caused by free radicals – and Radical claims it uses more antioxidants and in higher concentrations than most. Its Advanced Peptide Antioxidant Serum (€145) serves up a cocktail of antioxidants that has tested 300 per cent more potent than leading beauty brands. These antioxidants – such as resveratrol, green tea, acai and pomegranate – are combined with skin soothing agents to reduce inflammation. Edlich noticed improved firmness and evenness after a couple of weeks, and Rachel’s rosacea cleared up after about a month.

“The bottom line is if it’s not potent then it doesn’t work,” says Edlich. “More performance, because that’s what women want. They just want performance.” She seems keen to deliver this message to women, that here’s a no-nonsense brand that assumes its customers are savvy consumers who don’t have time or money to waste on products that don’t do what they say on the tin, consumers like Liz and Rachel who, at 51 and 46 respectively, are the face of their brand. Their policy is no models, no celebrities.

Radical does not test on animals and its products are free of parabens, sulfates and phthalates. I’ve been using the Extreme Repair (€115), an intense, creamy moisturiser that has a delightful citrus scent. This is a product that has genuinely surprised me. In less than a week, a stubborn dry patch on my forehead and dry, sore, itchy skin under my eyes completely cleared up. The cream absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a shine, making it a great make-up base. My skin is smoother, brighter, plumper and more hydrated.

This is luxury, no doubt about it – products range from €35 to €145 – but if you’re going to splash out, rest assured I’ve been hard-pressed to find a review anything short of “rave”.

kharris@irishtimes.com