Top 5: Irene Forte
The founder tells the stories behind her personal favourites from the Italian botanical skin care range
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Irene Forte
The founder tells the stories behind her personal favourites from the Italian botanical skin care range
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A quintessential Sicilian farm. The sun beaming down, crickets chirping, air heavy with the aroma of freshly grown herbs; the home of Irene Forte skin care. Yielding some of the world’s most nutrient-rich organic produce – the basis of the Mediterranean diet – Verdura Società Agricola is what inspired the founder’s foray into to back-to-basics beauty. Here, Irene takes us on a tour of her five most prized formulations, breaking down the organic botanicals and biomimetic ingredients within.
1.
Lemon Toner
“We have a copse of 20 lemon trees at the farm, so I wanted to introduce a product that champions this traditionally Sicilian ingredient. Along with lemon, this toner contains a number of other AHAs, including a fermented blend of nutrient-rich red grape and apple – ingredients that leave skin feeling brighter and purified. With a natural affinity to the skin, Saccharide Isomerate helps hydrate, while rose and witch hazel waters soothe and clarify. After cleansing, I like to pitter-patter it over my face with my fingertips to boost circulation.”
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Hibiscus Serum
“This is essentially a super concentrated, lightweight moisturiser with anti-ageing benefits. It contains a unique combination of age-defying peptides including hibiscus seed (the ‘botox plant’), green pea polypeptide and tetrapeptide. Multi-molecular weight hyaluronic acid delivers multi-penetrative hydration, while a synergistic ceramide complex helps nourish the skin’s natural moisture barrier to plump and smooth from within. This is my ultimate skin saviour – I never miss the serum step in my skin care regime.”
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Pistachio Face Mask
“Like all of our oil-based products, this triple-award-winning face mask features organic olive oil from the farm. It also contains rice fractions, panthenol B5 and aloe leaf juice to help condition and protect, while pistachio, pumpkin seed and avocado oils replenish the skin's natural moisture barrier for smooth, supple skin and an all-important hydration boost. I leave it on overnight or during a long journey, two to three times per week.”
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Hibiscus Night Cream
“This is everyone’s absolute favourite, and our hero product. It’s extremely rich, with a unique combination of botanical peptides from hibiscus and green pea that smooth and minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid and antioxidant-rich olive oil fractions – naturally high in squalene – nourish and protect skin, working in harmony with the body’s natural circadian rhythm to help reduce the effects of overnight moisture loss and rejuvenate the moisture barrier. I use this cream every night that I’m not using the Pistachio Face Mask.”
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White Wine Body Cream
“An extremely decadent yet lightweight moisturiser that contains Di Giovanna’s Organic White Wine; one of my favourite Sicilian wines. I became convinced one day while drinking it in Sicily that it would work wonders in a skin care product, so I consulted our chemist Dr. Ferri, and we created this supremely hydrating body cream. It also contains hyaluronic acid, panthenol B5 and beech bud to nourish and condition, whilst vitamin E and grape seed, sweet almond and olive oils support the skin's natural barrier against environmental stress.”
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