Posts tagged with "Robb Report"

Frotox may achieve the same effects as Botox, without needles. (Photo source: iStock)

No needles! Can Frotox replace Botox?

May 15, 2023

Botox is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the United States, based on its proven ability to erase fine lines and wrinkles. But new technology is offering the opportunity for similar results, sans needles, the Robb Report divulges.

Dubbed “Frotox,” (and also known as a Cryo Facial) the targeted treatment is similar to an ice bath. Liquid nitrogen brings your facial tissue to a temperature below freezing in minutes. Your blood flow increases, toxins are flushed out, and facial tissue is rejuvenated, according to the American Regenerative Clinic in Bingham Farms, Michigan.

At the now-shuttered luxury cryotherapy studio QuickCryo in New York City’s TriBeCa neighborhood, guests could book a Cryo Facial session using the Cryo T-Shock machine—a device that applies minus-160-degree cryogenically cooled air to your face, increasing blood flow by up to four times the normal average; which in turn is purported to reduce signs of aging, evens out complexion, and improve skin tone both long- term and immediately by promoting collagen growth. The machine is unique in that it alternates both cryogenic and thermal performances to create thermal shocks from cold and warm, provoking therapeutic benefits that the application of only cold cannot incite.

“It’s a shock to the skin, which, in turn, increases collagen and elastin at the same time—which is the body’s ability to heal itself,” says John Hoekman, who founded QuickCryo. “That’s what gets rid of your fine lines and aging due to inflammation. It’s an immediate effect.”

According to the Robb Report, the experience itself is also a hell of a lot more enjoyable than having needles injected in your forehead and subsequently having to hold tiny ice packs to your face to try to stop the formation of bruising, which of course inevitably ends up happening.

With Frotox, first a gel is applied to your face, next a specialist revs up the machine, moving back and forth, up and down your forehead and onto your cheeks with a device about the size of an apple. It starts as a warm, delightful temperature, then after four to five minutes starts to cool down until it feels almost identical to the feeling of gliding an ice cube over your face. After about 40 minutes—poof, you’re done, and any fine lines have seemingly disappeared.

For best results, Hoekman recommends doing a series of three treatments, followed by maintenance treatments every few months. Frotox has an immediate tightening effect, but it’s also at work long after you leave the chair. The procedure is said to stimulate collagen and elastin production for a healthier glow and a more youthful appearance in the weeks and months to come.

Research contact: @RobbReport

Above, zero-gravity flights are a good way to get a taste of weightlessness without going into space. (Photo source: Zero G)

Want to be a space cowboy? Training camps are popping up all over

December 21, 2021

Space tourism is about to blast off. This year, Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic all sent everyday citizens into the stratosphere; and the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant became the ninth and tenth civilians to visit the International Space Station on Wednesday, December 8.

In 2022, the frequency of launches and the options for leaving Earth’s atmosphere will only increase, according to the Robb Report.

For citizen astronauts who want to boldly go where William Shatner has now finally gone—or anyone who’s even thinking about going—the journey starts with space training, which is increasingly accessible through a number of companies and at varying levels of intensity and expense.

“For someone who’s considering space travel, it’s the best way to get a taste of the experience,” says Tom Shelley, the president of Space Adventures in Vienna, Virginia. “Some people do it and feel they’ve gotten close enough, while others commit to a full program.”

Stellar Frontiers, a London-based training provider, recently set up a trip for a family of four to witness a rocket blast-off from close range. “There’s a lot of demand,” says CEO Geordie Mackay-Lewis, “but people want to understand it first. They think it’s uncomfortable and complex, so they want to get a sense of the experience.”

The simplest options range from launch viewings to a one-day visit to the Gargarin Cosmonaut Center in Star City, Russia, that includes a tour of the facility at the center of the Russian space program and a chance to try on an actual space suit.

Two- or three-day packages mix in multiple simulators, space-food taste testing, emergency drills, zero-gravity training, centrifugal G-force testing and spacewalk simulations. Finally, one- to three-month full-immersion programs match what ISS visitors experience and are available even to those who never want to leave Earth.

“We have some set packages, but we also put together custom programs,” says Shelley, whose company trained Maezawa. “Anything is possible depending on someone’s time commitment and budget.”

The multi-day packages can range from $20,000 to $100,000, but they include comforts that viewers of The Right Stuff could never imagine. Visits to Star City, which any of the companies can arrange, include five-star hotel accommodations and bespoke services.

“We’re adding a level of luxury and accommodation that are worthy of the experience,” says Nicolas Gaume, a long-time hospitality executive and co-founder of Orbite, a French company that plans to build the luxe Space Gateway Complex designed by Philippe Stark at an undisclosed location in the United States.

For now, Orbite holds sessions in the south of France and Orlando, Florida, that include zero-G and G-force testing and intense virtual reality simulations of the hanger, the various spacecraft available and the trip itself. “It gives you a chance to see the vehicles to scale and feel what the trip will be like,” says Gaume. “It’s real enough that we’ve had a few participants break down in tears from the beauty of the experience.”

The emotional and mental preparation for space is a surprising but potent aspect of training. “We’ve dispelled this myth that you have to be some sort of super fit, crazy adventurer to go to space,” says Shelley. “But many people who have gone have a deeply spiritual experience. Seeing the planet from above allows them to see how small and fragile it is. They come back changed.”

Indeed, Captain James T. Kirk was so moved he cried upon his return to Earth after just ten minutes on the edge of the final frontier.

Research contact: @RobbReport

Above, a passenger on The Jet. (Photo source The Jet).

A luxe new NYC-to-D.C. bus has ‘HoverSeats’ that cancel 90% of bumps

Noember 9, 2021

A bus trip from New York City to Washington, D.C., doesn’t exactly scream luxury, but one travel startup is hoping to change that, according to the Robb Report.

 The Jet, based in Arlington Virginia—with stops at Manhattan’s Hudson Yards (at 565 West 33 Street) and in Washington D.C.’s Metro Center (at 555 13th Street NW at F Street)—just launched a new upscale bus service between the two cities that it claims will bring travelers all the comforts of a private jet without the sky-high price tag.

Founder and CEO Chad Scarborough said the idea arose while he was doing the intercity jaunt years ago. “I’ve done this trip hundreds of times and often thought there had to be a better way from both a comfort and cost perspective,” the native New Yorker explains. “At $99, it’s a first-class experience most of us couldn’t otherwise afford.”

The Jet’s fleet will comprise four custom 45-foot motorcoaches featuring a full suite of amenities and personalized service. Each coach comes complete with just 14 seats (a typical bus would have closer to 50), a spacious restroom and a galley with an attendant to cater to your every whim.

Beer and wine are complimentary, of course, and the Jet has partnered with an array of local eateries, breweries and distilleries to bring you a rotating menu of nourishing health-conscious items.

The company claims that, while onboard, you’ll have access to lightning-quick WiFi that keeps the world at your fingertips. There also will be all the appropriate COVID-19 safety measures in place, including high-tech UV filtration and a vaccination requirement for all crew.

The real pièce de résistance, though, will actually be the thing you’re sitting on. Billed as “the world’s first motion-canceling passenger seats,” the new HoverSeats make for the “smoothest ride on the planet,” according to Scarborough. Two years in the making, the innovative design actually takes cues from Bose’s noise-canceling technology. Much like the tech titan’s headphones block out background sound, the active-suspension seats supposedly  read and then cancel out 90% of all bumps and vibration from the road.

“It’s unlike any experience you’ve had in travel,” Scarborough tells Robb Report. “A comfort so unique you have to experience it to fully appreciate it.”

The seat itself features a gel-foam base and a memory foam back with lumbar support to keep you nicely cocooned. You can recline a full 70 degrees and make use of a built-in tray table. You’ll also enjoy ample legroom and a pneumatic leg rest.

The Jet says it will run multiple daily trips and round trips—but book quickly because the 14 seats will fill up fast.

Research contact: @RobbReport