Across the world, beauty is moving in two significant and diametrically opposite directions. One is the strong resurgence of products that look to nature's bounty to give you beauty solutions delivered in as pure and unadulterated form as possible. The other is a range of offerings that uses high-end, cutting edge technology which links in closely with advancements in scientific research and adapts these to beauty concerns. The subject of this piece is the latter arena - the use of a new technique that is significantly changing the way we consume beauty.

Nanotechnology is the hot new term in cosmetics. Not that it is a term used by the beauty industry alone. It is hailed as the next big thing by NASA, by the field of medical diagnostics, carmakers and the textile industry. But international cosmetic companies are out there putting nanotechnology into instant application.

This technique involves the use of nano particles, (imagine micro-micro-micro-mini) that can penetrate deeper than before to repair, replenish, rejuvenate or then replicate the skin and hair's processes to repair or restore. To give you a sense of scale, a nanometer is one tenth the diameter of human hair. This system can help deliver precision as much as penetration. Think dental bonding which can permanently give you a fabulous new smile and do away with the need for dentures forever. Or stain-resistant fabric. Nanotechnology in the beauty industry involves making products with nanoparticles that can go deep below the skin's surface to give you longer lasting, more obvious results.

International cosmetic giants, L'Oréal and Estee Lauder, are making an effort to implement this technique with over the counter applications. There are others who are looking at their product lines but it is L'Oréal that is known to be out there with its research labs working on several trademarks and patents in this technology. L'Oréal's Revitalift, for instance, uses targetted nanosiomes of pro-retinol, known for its anti wrinkle properties to deliver an even toned and smoother end result.

Lauder's Resilience Extreme Advancement make-up range works along similar principles. Lancôme has Primordiale Optimal which claims to visibly reduce signs of ageing in five days. First, fine lines and wrinkles are targetted with duplex vector, which delivers two types of plant extracts that improve the skin's elasticity and texture on the surface and plump it up from the inside. SkinFibre immediately creates a 'peach skin' effect, blurring the look of fine lines. Exfoline gently exfoliates the face while glycerol hydrates to instantly banish dehydration lines. Thermo-adaptive technology works on the surface, to regulate the ageing effects of daily temperature variations. Nanocapsules of pure Vitamin E insulate the dermis from free-radical damage and SPF 15 protects from sun tan. It is possible to see how the process of reaching deep down through targetted nanosiomes is based on nanotechnology.

At a basic level, nanotechnology is a delivery mechanism that analyses which products work on skin and hair and then gets them to reach these places in an easy to penetrate form. Vitamin E for example does not mix well with lotions and other carriers, so it often does not penetrate deep down though its effects on skin are known. In the form of a nano gel it can reach the parts that need it most. Ceramides which are found in the lipid layer of the dermis are responsible for the plump, filled out appearance of youthful skin. Nanotechnology could replicate these ceramides and deliver them in a way that would reach the cells and replenish them.

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Lip Moisturiser with SPF30 works on this principle. Its application is largely in the protective space in sunscreens or in the preventive arena of anti-ageing. The logic of many beauty products is that ageing has less to do with chronology and more to do with the ravages of pollution and the rays of the sun. However, there are murmurs of discontent from natural aficionados - can chemical intervention and deep cellular penetration be good in the long term? There is little evidence of harm. In fact, nanotechnology is seen as an enabling technique. The scientists at L'Oréal have published a paper that states nanotechnology in a nascent form was being used by the Egyptians for hair products four thousand years ago. In reality, the effects of this novel procedure are often dramatic and visible but a good touchstone in this space is the famous Elizabeth Arden line that asks us to look for 'Proof not promises'. To believe that something works for you when you see its benefits and understand the process at work. But next time you wonder what actually makes your lips fuller, your skin plumper and your hair more volumised, it may reassure you to know that the technology NASA is using to design a breakthrough concept of putting an elevator into space is the same that is at work in your beauty products.