Alchimie Forever
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Skin care |
| Founded | Geneva, Switzerland Washington, D.C. |
| Founder | Luigi Polla Barbara Polla |
Key people |
|
| Products | Skin care line |
| Website | AlchimieForever.com |
Alchimie Forever is a Swiss dermatologist-formulated plant-based skin care line created by the Polla family. The line includes anti-aging products for the face and body and products created specifically for men's skin.
History
Upon completing his studies, Luigi Polla opened a dermatology practice in Geneva, Switzerland. He became recognized as an expert in the use of laser treatment in dermatology.[1]
Dr. Polla opened his dermatology practice in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1986, and was the first dermatologist to offer pulsed dye laser technology to treat children suffering from Port Wine Stains and hemangiomas. Parents brought their children from near and far to have him erase these debilitating birthmarks, an endeavor that required numerous treatments over a period of months, sometimes years.
Ada Polla was already working with her father back then (at the front desk) and remembers hearing the children crying from the pain, as the laser treatment created heat and discomfort, redness and inflammation, and a burning sensation. And if there is something Dr. Polla can’t stand, it is a child in pain (he switched his medical specialization from pediatrics to dermatology after realizing he could not handle seeing terminally ill children). He needed a product to help make them feel better – to help heal their skin.
Not finding the right product, Dr. Polla created his own “recipe.” He would send his patients’ parents to a neighborhood pharmacy with a compounding prescription, the pharmacist would whip up a magical product in little white jars right there and then, and the child would stop crying. The prescription was for what is known today as our Kantic® Brightening moisture mask. This compounded product, meant to help heal the kids’ skin post procedure, smelled so good that the mothers ended up also using it, and asking for more at the follow-up appointment: “it makes my skin glow,” they would say. For their convenience, we ended up “pre-making” the product.
One product led to another, and to another, and finally to the brand that became Alchimie Forever.
In 2000, they began selling their own line of beauty products, originally called Forever Choice, at Forever Laser Institut. Luigi Polla said that "the line was created to enable patients with all skin types to benefit from naturally derived medical-grade skin care without side effects."[2]
The products sold well, and the Pollas decided to expand distribution beyond Geneva.[3] In 2003, Ada Polla, started Alchimie Forever LLC, in Washington, D.C., to distribute Alchimie Forever products in the United States.[4]
Alchimie Forever is distributed throughout Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, France, and the United States, mostly through spas and independent beauty boutiques.[1] Ada Polla is the president and CEO of Alchimie Forever.
Products
The Alchimie Forever line includes anti-aging products for the face and body and products created specifically for men. Common ingredients include extracts from basil, blueberries, grape seeds, green tea, rosemary, tomatoes, turmeric, and watercress.[5]
An independent third-party study found that Alchimie Forever's Age-Defying Serums tightened skin an average of 20.4% shortly after application, with the effect fading to 10.2% after an hour's time.[6] These products are a combination of rosemary and green tea extracts.
The same study found that Alchimie Forever's Firming Gel for Neck and Bust provided an average skin firmness increase of 9.2% after 30 minutes, with the effect increasing to 11.6% after 60 minutes.[6] This gel uses antioxidants derived from green tea and rosemary.
Alchimie Forever products are sold primarily through spas to dermatology offices and independent beauty boutiques. They are also available online to consumers in France, Switzerland, the United States, and Canada.
Reaction
Alchimie Forever products have appeared in numerous fashion magazines including Elle, Vogue, Lucky, Redbook, and Men's Journal.[citation needed]
Other interests
In 1991, the art gallery Analix Forever in Geneva was launched by the Pollas. It has also opened another location in Paris.[7]
Artist Martin Creed created a photo piece called "Lights On and Lights Off" to launch the Lights On day cream product and Lights Off night cream product at the Hayward Gallery.[8] Marc Horowitz created a short film featuring courting male and female feet that was inspired by Alchimie 532 nm foot cream.[8]
References
- ^ a b "Luigi Polla Bio @ Alchimie Forever". Alchimie Forever. Archived from the original on 2007-06-06. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ Caridad, Ava (May 2006). "Forever young: skin care continues to target aging consumers with youthful desires and money to spend". Household & Personal Products Industry. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ "Alchimie Forever". BeautyInterviews.com. 2008-11-02. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ Sullivan, Melissa (2004-06-23). "Textbook startups". Washington Business Journal.
- ^ "The Science of Alchimie Forever". Alchimie Forever. Archived from the original on 2004-09-21. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ a b "Alchimie Forever Tightens, Firms Skin". Inside Cosmeceuticals. 2009-05-19. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ Analix Forever
- ^ a b "Art world gets back to bare essentials". The Art Newspaper (192). June 2008.