Interview with Mr. Custodio d’Avo, the International Brand Director of Swiss line
Swiss line, a paramedical(use of advanced ingredients to deliver high results and formulated to be used in combination with medical procedures) anti-aging Swiss skincare brand, applies cellular therapy and paramedical technology to the skincare field through innovative approaches.
The brand was founded by a Russian Prince in 1989 in Zurich, Switzerland – its home site until today. Since its foundation, Swiss line has been in collaboration with Switzerland’s Clinique Lemana, a pioneer in cellular therapy. So Swiss line has continuously gained from it the latest anti-aging technology and research support and managed to apply cellular anti-aging technology to product development. Undoubtedly, Swiss line is guiding the trend in cellular skincare and paramedical beauty today.
Supported also by Dermalab S.A., Swiss line is able to pool a group of supreme biochemical scientists as its R&D team to create highly effective anti-aging formulas and product collections. The brand also closely collaborates with diverse world famous laboratories, dermatology experts and plastic surgeons to offer anti-aging solutions to its global customers. Integrating its authentic Swiss heritage, paramedical cellular therapy and Alpine plant extracts, Swiss line marks a new era for paramedical anti-aging skincare.
As International Brand Director, Mr. Custodio d’Avo is in charge of Swiss line’s global market positioning, strategy development, promotion planning, as well as providing guidance to branches and global distributors in terms of marketing plans and trading strategies. A philosophy graduate from Universida de Católica de Portugal in Lisbon, Custodio’s career in the beauty industry spans over 28 years, and includes marketing and brand development positions at world-renowned companies in Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Custodio’s early professional experiences also include comparable positions at Chanel, Nuxe and Elizabeth Arden. Prior to working for Swiss line, Custodio worked for La Prairie as International Training Development Manager. SpaChina interviewed this thoughtful and creative gentleman concerning one of the most popular topics of today – new anti-aging technology.
How does Swiss line maintain its leading position in the paramedical skincare field?
As an original Swiss anti-aging brand, we started collaboration with Clinique Lemana as early as 1989, initiating the era of applying cellular anti-aging antigens to beauty products with a paramedical approach. In 1996, Clinique Lemana equipped Swiss line with its “magic key”, the Cellvital, a unique technology to seal cells, developed by Dr. Alfred Pfister in 1952. Later in 2002, Swiss line developed its patented ingredient Cellactel 2 to replace the previous animal cell formula with plant cell formula. Cellactel 2 largely improves metabolism on the cell level and realizes better firming and lifting effects, as well as activating the skin’s performance. Swiss line spares no effort on the research and development of high-tech formulas to maintain its pioneering place in the field.
What is GLAMSCIENCE, as proposed by Swiss line?
GLAMSCIENCE is the guideline for Swiss line’s brand positioning and product design. It means to develop skincare formulas that can extend the results of medical treatments and exquisite textures, based on the cutting-edge anti-aging technology and the strict quality regulations of Switzerland. While pursuing precise results and effects, GLAMSCIENCE also aims to deliver an amazing experience and a seductive lifestyle.
We admire the perfectionism based on “precise science”, as well as the perfectionism defined by a glamorous appearance and life. Our product formulas are not only proven by scientific data, but also feature simple usage and perfect experience feelings.
Today, “luxury” covers all the aspects including high quality raw material, precise manufacturing operation, proven functions and results, simple application, perfect experiential feelings and some unique characters that one cannot find elsewhere. We have always tried our best to offer such experience to our guests. Such approach indeed limits our scale and developing speed, but, to us, the most important thing is quality. Frankly speaking, the best luxury goods in the world are never produced by quantity.
GLAMSCIENCE also means an adoration of life and perfectionism. We are professional enough to convince doctors, and glamourous enough to captivate women’s hearts. This is what we are most proud of.
Please introduce to us Swiss line’s spa philosophy?
Beyond extending the results of medical treatments, our official glam-infused 7 spa treatments, and their sensuous textures, address also all the lifestyle-induced skin damage arising from stress, jetlag, sun abuse and some serious partying. Swiss line understands that women are under a lot of pressure and regrets are pointless. We firmly believe, however, that anti-aging isn’t about what you did yesterday, it is about what you do today.
Could you share with us any effective medical level ingredients?
Medical-level ingredients are found in many star products of Swiss line. One of them is the Bio-Molecular Skin-Patch. It is originally used by doctors when severely burnt skin needs wound closure to complete the healing process. Swiss line successfully develops Bio-Molecular Skin-Patch with high molecular weight polysaccharide obtained from bio-fermentation and adds it into the products. With lamellar structure, it reduces epidermal water evaporation, and supplies damaged skin with essential recovering fatty acids to restore the barrier function.
Another medical-level substance is Bio-Mimetic Growth Factors. They can stimulate cellular renewal, drive collagen and epidermal tissue synthesis and delay aging process. Our R&D partner carried out a clinic test with 60 volunteers and divide them into different groups according to their ages. After using the Bio-Mimetic Growth Factors for 42 days continually, their skin appears firmer and more elastic. Moreover, the skin status of the 50-60 group is similar to that of the 40-50 group.
What are your newest high-tech innovations? Which products do you apply them in?
Recently, we have introduced a high-tech item to the Cell Shock White Collection: Brightening Diamond Serum. This unique dual serum combines diamond whitening serum and pearlescent rose serum, a representation of Swiss line GLAMSCIENCE. It’s an all-function serum that helps combat and remove hyperpigmentation spots, reduces the skin’s sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation and oxidative stress, and make the skin completely younger, brighter and firmer. The small transparent dual bottle consists of the following high technology:
Diamond Clusters: Due to the combined use of marine polymers which trap the diamonds in micro-capsules without a membrane, once they touch the skin, the diamonds are evenly dispersed without leaving any residue, in an unparalleled sensory experience that imparts immediate brightening.
Syn®-Ake Peptide: This is an award-winning laboratory fostered peptide. With similar composition to Waglerin-1, it delivers instant smoothing and relaxation of expression lines by mimicking the muscle-relaxant actions of viper venom to create as smooth a surface as possible for the diamond dispersion.
Cellactel 2 White Complex: Cellactel 2 White Complex contains the same cellular nutrients as Swiss line’s unique Cellactel 2 Complex, as well as an additional combination of Rumex occidentalis and Vitamin C. It can effectively lift up the skin, delay fine lines formation, improve pigmentation disorder and lighten the existing color spots to make the skin appear natural and bright.
HD-White Complex: It consists of powerful whitening ingredients and antioxidants that produce a visible brightening effects such as arbutin, glutathoine and ascorbic acid, being transported in a targeted, fast-penetration delivery system to effectively delay melanin formation.
Spot-off Complex: It boasts a “dissolving” action that goes beyond that of melanin-inhibiting active ingredients by combining two active substances that deliver visible results by tackling the different causes of the pigmentation problems behind the spots, particularly effective to target sunburn and age pigments. The main ingredients include Swiss-origin garden cress sprout extract and Genistein, the biologically active isolated fraction of soy isoflavones, which features high anti-oxidative functions and prevents the generation of melanin and lipofuscin.
How do you see the future trends for beauty, spa and wellness?
I think we are entering a very interesting time where consumers are seeking products and locations providing more than mere pampering! In other words, wellness has gone far beyond a notion of well-being, it is now largely defined by results …ones you can truly see in the mirror. Consumers are starting to understand that being “well” is far more valuable than simply feeling well, so they are increasingly looking for lasting benefits as opposed to transitory bliss. The trend that excites me the most – and reinforces what I just said – is the recent emergence of luxury-med SPAs (often housed in 5* hotels or luxury resorts) where advanced anti-aging technologies are being combined with high-end skincare products infused with glamour.
More and more discerning spa-goers can now identify the treatments that really work, and as a Swiss brand we can only be proud to witness this growing momentum as it is exactly what Switzerland represents: proven results with a touch of glam. There are so many other parts of the world that are famous for their essential oils, thalassotherapy, massage techniques and holistic beauty… but this is not what you expect from Switzerland, is it? The Swiss contribution to the spa world stems from the medical and pharmaceutical advancements that have been a constant in this country for decades.
