The new Guerlain Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil Serum contains, for the first time, a trio of honeys.

French beauty house Guerlain has relaunched its famous Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil Serum, drawing on the latest scientific know-how in anti-ageing skincare and featuring, for the first time, three black bee honeys known for their repairing properties. 

The new Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil Serum, which was unveiled on 20 January, features Ouessant honey as well as two new honeys chosen by Guerlain researchers from isolated biotopes – one in Ireland and another from Norway – all blended with royal jelly from Guerlain channels.

It builds on the original Abeille Royale formulation, which is born from more than 200 years of heritage and 15 years of research, and draws upon nine patents and several scientific publications.

In its creation, Guerlain’s research teams were first guided by Ouessant Island, a remote area off the coast of Brittany, which is home to the black bee.

These black bees are said to produce an exceptional honey on the island, with its repairing properties firmly under the microscope.

Indeed, the development of Abeille Royale is supported by BeeLab, a research platform dedicated to the topic.

The Abeille Royale collection incorporates all of Guerlain’s knowledge in this area and the effects it can have on skin ageing.

The reformulated Guerlain Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil Serum launched on 20 January.

The technology at the heart of the latest formulation for the Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil Serum explores what is described as ‘a new rejuvenation pathway’ identified by scientists at the Restore laboratory in France.

There, researchers specialise in understanding mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) and how they behave under different types of stress, including how this links to healthy skin repair.

By chance, the scientists discovered during a cosmetic procedure called ‘lipofilling’ (which is used to help restore facial volumes) that skin tissue quality and texture, as well as visible signs of ageing, were improved in the months following this procedure.

As a result, MSCs inspired Guerlain to establish a research programme in the lab to investigate the potential benefits of MSCs and ways to help them stay revitalised.

The new Guerlain Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil Serum features a blend of Ouessant honey with honeys from Ireland and Norway.

These insights have been combined with the new trio of honeys, which are said to contain more than 100 different complexion friendly phytochemical compounds.

Ouessant honey, the long-standing honey in the Abeille Royale line, is rich in polyphenols, amino acids, vitamins and trace elements. Guerlain research demonstrates that it plays a key role in the skin’s self-repair processes

The Ireland honey comes from the west of the country in the Connemara region, with a test showing it can greatly increase hyaluronic acid synthesis in skin cells*. The Norway honey, sourced from hives in the wild regions of Rena and Amli, is also particularly rich in amino acids.

The new formulation maintains the product’s signature lightweight watery oil texture infused with microbeads.

Guerlain states that the combination of bee products can ‘initiate the mobilisation of stromal cells’ which, in turn, can help to fight the signs of ageing and stimulate the synthesis of collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin, among other benefits with impressive results gleamed from clinical, instrumental and consumer studies.

The new formulation maintains the signature lightweight watery oil texture infused with microbeads.

All the ingredients are traceable and produced using beekeeping methods that are kind to bees and the environment.

This ties into Guerlain’s decade-long commitment to protecting bees through its Guerlain For Bees Conservation Programme, which encompasses more than 10 partners and initiatives worldwide.

The new Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil Serum is available in a 15ml, 30ml and 50ml format.

*In vitro test on ingredient.

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