London: Dermatologic Cosmetic Laboratories (DCL), a bespoke range of skincare products from the US for men and women goes on sale at the London store Selfridges this Friday.

DCL is high tech, innovative range formulated from the latest research to produce high-tech ‘cosmeceuticals’ which in the US can only be found in dermatologists’ clinics, are designed to tackle skincare issues head on.

There are products and regimes for every skincare concern from anti-ageing
to acne-healing, but you won’t need a degree in science to work out which to choose.

All DCL’s staff have been intensively trained by dermatologists to recognise specific skin complaints and know exactly how each should be treated. That means they know their squalene from their salicylic acid, and, more pertinently whether or not you need it. Using the latest skin-imaging technology, DCL staff can help identify your skin’s particularneeds, and then pinpoint the specific products required to treat it.

THE EXPERT: The man advising the brand is leading Manhattan dermatologist Dr Neal Schultz, who is DCL’s medical director. Over the past 25 years, Schultz has seen every skin-concern under the sun presented by his demanding clients.
If you ask him, we have become so obsessed by lines and wrinkles that we ignore the real problems that make us unhappy with our skin. Besides, Botox, fillers and even face-lifts can’t improve the quality and texture of the skin itself. The issues that really matter: colour, texture, dryness, sensitivity – are all ones that can be tackled if you simply use the appropriate products – which don’t have to cost the earth.
And once the skin issues are resolved, and skin restored to its optimum, glowing state, it is easier to make a decision about whether further work is actually,
after all, necessary. “It’s a no-brainer,” says Dr Schultz. “When we look better, we feel better. The bottom-line result has always been a meaningful enhancement of my patients’ self-esteem and overall sense of well-being.” Taking the complexity out of skincare is DCL’s mission – along with listening to the customer’s needs. The result is trade secrets of the world’s most discerning dermatologists made available and accessible to every consumer.

THE KEY PRODUCTS: five key products in the DCL range work synergistically to diminish wrinkles, fine lines and blotchiness • Balancing Cleanser (£27 for 117ml) – a formulation to prepare the skin with thorough cleansing, gentle exfoliation and dual-action moisturising (it contains humectants to draw moisture into the skin from the deeper layers of the epidermis, and also improves the barrier function
of the skin, which helps retain moisture). • Eye Refining Matrix (£40 for 15ml) Treats fine lines, puffiness and dark circles (with arnica extract) around the eyes while moisturising (with hyaluronic acid), and protecting the skin with antioxidants (derived from Green Tea Extract). • Skin Renewal Complex (£65 for 30ml) – a daytime treatment that provides all the skin-refining benefits of AHAs without the irritation, plus • Vitamin Infusion (£65 for 30ml) a complete night-time antioxidant
complex designed to increase collagen synthesis and help repair the signs
of ageing • Hydrating Serum – (£55 for 30ml) which delivers a powerful dose of
moisture to restore ageing skin to its ideal state and can be layered on
over one of the treatment products.

The DCL Centre at Selfridges is designed to provide a welcoming, clinic-of-the-future type space where customers can have their skin assessed by a trained professional and have the benefits of the DCL range explained.

If deemed necessary a further consultation can be arranged with a medical and/or cosmetic doctor making the DCL Centre the first of its kind to offer comprehensive skin health to the retail customer.
Visia/DCL Medical Imaging is the latest complexion analysis system and is popular among skincare professionals. Both normal and ultraviolet images are captured in high resolution and the system measure the extent of wrinkles, pores and spots and gives scores for the level of porphyrins (evidence of bacteria lodged in pores, which can lead to acne), UV spots (which are indicative of skin damage) and evenness (by judging colour variations in the skin tone). The first consultation provides a baseline; at subsequent visits, customers can see in detail the improvement to their
skin..

All of DCL’s products are supported by extensive and detailed clinical trials. In a clinical trial of DCL’s Acne Treatment System, 90 per cent of the patients observed overall improvement of acne after 30 days and 100 per cent of them would recommend the Acne Healing System to others.