• by Christine Bittar , September 25, 2006

Look for Catherine Zeta-Jones to be the face of anti-aging next year, when cosmetics company Elizabeth Arden launches an "age-delay" product it calls Intervene Pause & Effect SPF.

Zeta-Jones, who has been the face of Elizabeth Arden for several years, will appear in print ads for Intervene starting early next year. (Her official bio sets her age at 37 today, Sept. 25).

Recently, Elizabeth Arden has added skin care products that seem more scientifically advanced to its lineup of fragrance and color cosmetics. Last year Arden joined forces with Allergan--the drug company that made a household name out of Botox--to market a weaker, over-the-counter version of Prevage, another prescription/dermatology anti-aging product made by Allergan.

Intervene Pause & Effect SPF will at first be offered in a cream and a lighter lotion--and will be marketed to pre-empt aging, or "Pause" it rather than correct or cover up lines and wrinkles, making the target demo women in their 30s and early 40s. The line will be available in January at Elizabeth Arden counters in the U.S., and will roll out internationally in February.

The prestige level anti-aging category has become somewhat split in product type: high-tech, dermatologist-like products (such as Estee Lauder's Diminish anti-Wrinkle Retinol Treatment), and those which boast natural ingredients to fight aging and promote cell renewal, like La Mer's Lifting Face Serum.

Unlike Prevage (which is considered high-tech), Intervene contains a botanical ingredient, extracted from narcissus bulbs, which Arden calls "Biodomin technology." Other ingredients include soy peptides, red clover and glycerin.

The key product, Intervene Pause & Effect, will retail for $55 for 1.7 oz. The line will also include a 3-in-1 Cleanser Exfoliator Primer at $20 for 5 oz.