Plane passengers flying over Iceland have been known to spot an unusual landmark glowing in the dark down below.
It is the light from a vast greenhouse, the size of three football pitches, where a very special crop is being cultivated. It is barley plants that are being grown in volcanic ash and fed with pure spring water.
This is biotechnology. It is being used to create EGF or Epidermal Growth Factor, a skin protein that can trigger cell renewal, assist in wound healing and initiate the production of collagen and elastin in the skin.
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The human EGF gene has been copied in the barley which then produces its own EGF that has the same activity as the growth factor found in skin. The benefit of this pioneering green method is it bypasses the risks associated with conventional production. EGF can be used for medical purposes such as wound healing and the treatment of burns.
And like other products that have been created to repair badly damaged skin, those same restorative properties have been used in creams and serums intended to treat the ravages of time.
BIOEFFECT was launched in Iceland four years ago by SIF Cosmetics, a subsidiary of ORF Genetics. Founded by three scientists a decade ago, ORF Genetics is the first and only company to start producing proteins using barley grain.
Thirty per cent of Icelandic women over the age of 30 now use BIOEFFECT to reduce wrinkles and the size of their pores, improve skin texture and diminish age spots.
When an article appeared about the product in the Evening Standard, the resultant clamour for it was so great that Selfridges sold out of the BIOEFFECT EGF Serum within the hour. The only thing left were the dregs in the tester which one desperate customer offered to pay full price for.
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Perhaps its highest accolade – quite literally – is the fact it is the best selling cosmetic product on British Airways.
BIOEFFECT has now been launched in the new beauty rooms at Selfridges Birmingham. It is a select range comprising the award winning anti aging serum (£125), a new eye serum (£65), a nourishing day cream (£55), and a body product (£80). A 30 Day Treatment which acts as an intensive anti-ageing boost is available for £210.
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Put yourself pout there
Practise your perfect pout at the Estee Lauder counter in Selfridges Birmingham and you could win yourself £500 worth of lipstick. To promote the Color Envy lipstick collection, an Instaprint kiosk has been set up in store. Try out a different lippy look with the help of the beauty advisors, take a picture and upload to your Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #lipstickenvy and @esteelauderuk.
Your selfie will appear on the big screen at the Estee Lauder counter which you can print out to keep.
Everyone who uploads their picture with the hashtag #lipstickenvy will be entered into a prize draw with one winner receiving the entire Pure Color Envy lipstick collection worth more than £500.
The competition is running up until June 12.