We’ve heard it umpteenth times: Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, at least according to showgirl Lorelei Lee. Now, it seems the shiny, pricey rocks are making fast friends of skincare shoppers looking to upgrade their bathroom cabinets.
111SKIN, founded in 2012 by plastic surgeon Yannis Alexandrides, offers a collection of serums, creams, and masks formulated with diamond powder. The most expensive product in the “Intensive” line — Celestial Black Diamond Cream, a moisturizer that purports to plump wrinkles, even skin tone, and stimulate collagen production — will set you back $665. It’s not far off from competitors like Omorovicza’s $420 Blue Diamond Super Cream and KNESKO’s $155 Diamond Radiance Collagen Face Mask. These ultra-luxe products look good, and boast descriptions that sound even better. But are they really the secret to a 100-carat glow?
Diamonds aren’t exactly new to the world of dermatology. Geeta Yadav, board-certified dermatologist and founder of FACET Dermatology, says the stones are particularly effective exfoliators thanks to their hardness (in fact, diamonds are some of the hardest materials on Earth). When ground to a powder and applied to the skin, the gems act like a scrub, sloughing off dead skin cells to reveal a brighter, smoother surface beneath.
Those seeking microdermabrasion, a medical-grade exfoliation technique, might come face-to-face with a diamond-tipped wand, often used to buff the stratum corneum (the outer layer of skin). “Skincare professionals can adjust the intensity of the treatment by using different diamond tips, making it suitable for various skin types and conditions,” says cosmetic chemist David Petrillo, founder of skincare brand Perfect Image. “Diamond microdermabrasion provides more uniform exfoliation than other methods, like traditional scrubs or chemical peels. This uniformity reduces the risk of uneven skin texture or damage.”
Size matters when dealing with diamonds — and…
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