Cecil Booth, a beauty expert, and Rebecca Booth, a gynecologist & expert on hormonal wellness, were discussing the vital role of estrogen in women’s radiance and beauty when it dawned on them that hormones were never discussed in the beauty industry—despite their huge relevance.  The sisters decided it was time to start the broader conversation and to give women the tools to hold onto this vitality. They combined their areas of expertise and spent a decade developing and refining their skincare line, VENeffect.  With VENeffect, the Booth sisters became the first (and only) to develop a skincare line that fully addresses and tackles what used to be a gaping void in the anti-aging beauty industry: hormonal aging, which is an issue unique to women.

About Hormonal Aging

         Anyone who assumes that hormonal aging only becomes relevant during menopause is sadly mistaken. The truth is, peak estrogen for women occurs at around age 27 and then rapidly declines throughout the entirety of our 30s, accompanied and followed by an accelerated loss of collagen and elasticity (see below).  Yikes, right?  Luckily, all hope is not lost; keep reading.

As someone who has seen the glow that two pregnancies (one a twin pregnancy) could bring with their estrogen surges, as well as the increasingly dry, fragile, thin and aging skin of subsequent years, I feel like I have seen firsthand how important estrogen is to overall radiance as well as collagen/elastin content. When I started looking for skin care that acknowledges the role of hormones in skin aging, it led me straight to VENeffect, which is still the only line with this important focus.

Phytoestrogens to the Rescue

               VENeffect products use a proprietary blend of phytoestrogens (which are found naturally in found in plants) that latch onto and stimulate estrogen receptors in the skin, mimicking the hormonal highs that make a woman’s complexion glow.  The VENeffect phytoestrogen blend includes grapeseed, soy, red clover, and resveratrol.  Given the role estrogen plays in skin aging and the fact that we have more estrogen receptors in our faces than any place else, I believe that VENeffect’s unique approach to skincare has the potential to be truly invaluable in not only looking one’s best with time but also to maintaining healthy skin with the years.  Given my intense interest in the line, I was thrilled to have the chance to try two VENeffect products: Firming Phyto-Lift Serum and Anti-Aging Intensive Moisturizer.

Firming Phyto-Lift Serum blends phytoestrogens to brighten and boost collagen production with natural oat extract for an immediate firming effect.  The result is an anti-aging product that gives immediate gratification and long-term results. Anti-Aging Intensive Moisturizer has an ultra-luxurious consistency and provides rich hydration along with VENeffect’s phytoestrogen technology. The result is hydrated, supple skin.  VENeffect is designed to reverse the signs of hormonal aging (enhancing collagen and elasticity—that golden ticket combination). VENeffect’s Firming Phyto-Lift Serum and Anti-Aging Intensive Moisturizer are a powerful duo that is effective at combatting signs of aging while restoring the subtle radiance of skin at peak hormonal vitality. VENeffect’s use of phytoestrogens also confers additional benefits: increasing hyaluronic acid production, providing antioxidant and photoprotection, and even improving

wound-healing.  If that’s not enough, phytoestrogens even suppress unwanted body hair (can I get an amen)!

                                                                         Results?

            Is there any science on phytoestrogens as topical skincare?  While not abundant, there are studies (e.g., Bayerl & Keil, 2002) that demonstrate an anti-wrinkle effect.  In my own experience, I did not have to wait very long to start seeing some improvements in my skin, and this is consistent with the line’s clinical trials, which demonstrated that 50% of users saw improvements in their skin including a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles within just 2 weeks, and 90% saw results in 4 weeks. VENeffect products achieve these rapid improvements by nourishing skin, and the line is appropriate for a variety of skin types, even sensitive skin like mine. VENeffects products are never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, gluten free, paraben free, and made in the USA, and I recommend them to women without hesitation.

What VENeffect delivers is a smart and in some ways revolutionary approach to anti-aging.  Their products are uniquely effective and beneficial for any woman in her late 20s and beyond. Yes, their products will make us look younger, but the founders’ purpose goes beyond that as well. The team at VENeffect is actually committed to increasing awareness about an important issue that is rarely even acknowledged by the beauty industry: hormonal aging. Moreover, they address is from more than just a looks perspective. Dr. Booth even wrote a book titled The Venus Week: Discover the Powerful Secret of Your Cycle…at Any Age to help her patients–and those of us who wish we were her patients–better understand how hormones influence the constant physical, emotional, and sexual changes we feel as women. With lifestyle, diet and beauty tips, this is an empowering and revealing guide for women of all ages. (Having read much of it, I can recommend the book as well.) The mission of the Booth sisters and VENeffect is to educate women about the beauty of our hormones in order to empower us in this knowledge . . .  not only in order to look better, but to live better, too.  That is something I can get behind.

CONCLUSION: I highly recommend VENeffect for women in their thirties and beyond. It is suitable for sensitive skin yet delivers visible benefits. VENeffect is the first (and still the only) anti-aging skin care line specifically designed and formulated to address the significant and under-discussed issue of hormonal aging.  With a proprietary blend of 100% natural phytoestrogens, VENeffect products restore the lost elasticity that is directly related to a decline in estrogen with aging.  With this unique blend, VENeffect products are backed by science to restore radiance, delay sagging, boost skin repair, and even suppress the unwanted body hair that starts to creep in as we age.

Sources: Bayerl C, Keil D. Isoflavonoide in der Behandlung der Hautalterung postmenopausaler Frauen. Akt Dermatol 2002: 28: 14–18.