"Ageing can be really complicated"

In her mid-thirties, Gabrielle Requena was feeling increasingly conflicted about ageing, the visible impact it was beginning to have on her skin, and what, if anything, she was going to do about it.

"Ageing can be really complicated,” she admits. "I feel like we're shamed for wanting to do something about the way it impacts our skin but also shamed if we don't! Most days, I accept that these changes are a very natural part of growing older and I'm ok with that — but there are also days, when I'm tired, travelling, or when I have a big work or personal event, that I'm less ok with my crow's feet, my forehead lines or the crinkles on my chest I wake up with from sleeping on my side."

Gabrielle Requena

Founder of Wrinkles Schminkles

In 2013, Gabrielle went looking for a non-invasive skincare solution that (really) refined lines and wrinkles, without having to invest in 12-step skincare routines or expensive professional procedures — not that there’s anything wrong with either of those approaches! She learnt about the healing benefits of Medical Grade Silicone, commonly used by doctors and dermatologists to encourage wound and scar healing. Inspired to create a treatment that was a more sophisticated, targeted use of Silicone, Gabrielle wanted to harness the same skin-refining powers to help improve the appearance of unwanted lines and crinkles caused by sun damage, side-sleeping and the ageing process.

Gabrielle went in search of a reputable manufacturer who could meet her brief: for reusable Silicone Patches for the face, chest, hands and neck that were transparent, safe for all skins and that made a visible difference when worn for a few hours at a time or even better, overnight. A line-refining Silicone Patch that was easy to add into a normal skincare routine (including helping to boost the effects and longevity of injectables) and that was guaranteed to stay comfortably in place for hours while you sleep, work from home, travel, and multi-task.

About 36,999 prototypes later, working with a FDA-registered facility in the USA, I was finally happy. Even more so when our patches sailed through extensive clinical testing to prove they visibly smooth lines and wrinkles in a matter of hours and improve hydration and collagen reserves over time.