Every time a new “miracle” cream launches, you can’t help but wonder if it
might work, whether it costs £10 or £250. Take Boots No 7 Protect &
Perfect Beauty Serum. A Horizon documentary earlier this year reported that
this £16.75 potion was the real deal. Result: it sold out overnight. (My
testers had mixed views on it, showing that skincare products can yield
quite individual responses, no matter what the “experts” say.)
The bottom line is, if you’ve spent half your life sunbathing, smoking and
drinking, no cream will turn back the skin clock. If, on the other hand, you
have the first signs of ageing – lines, pigmentation, dull skin – but you
don’t live too debauched a lifestyle, creams can help. That said, they must
contain active ingredients in therapeutic doses, and you must use them for
months to see results.
A recent study at the University of Michigan showed that retinol (a derivative
of vitamin A), applied in a 0.4% lotion, had an effect after six months.
That is a higher concentration than is usually used in beauty creams, and in
any case not the sort of disclosure you’d find on a label, as companies are
secretive about formulations. But all you really need to know is that
vitamin A derivatives, in whatever concentration, are a good thing because
they repair the skin and increase the production of collagen and
water-retaining glycosaminoglycan.
In fact, the perfect anti-ageing routine is straightforward. It’s about
protection and repair: sun protection and antioxidants in the morning,
peptides and vitamin A derivatives to repair at night.
Does price matter? The view that all you pay for is marketing and packaging is
partly true, though there are other factors that determine cost, including
patents, ingredients and testing. However, just because a cream is
expensive, that doesn’t mean it will perform better. Here’s your guide to
what really works.
DAY CARE
Protect with sunscreen
“The gold standard of antiageing skincare would be to apply SPF 30 every day,”
says the consultant dermatologist Susan Mayou.
“There’s a study that shows sunscreen not only protects from further sun
damage, but leads to improvement in terms of elastin degeneration and
stopping pigmentation getting worse – evidence of reversal of photo-damage
[sun damage], in effect.”
Most of us won’t be so conscientious, even though sunscreen is a wonder cream
as far as antiageing is concerned. As well as using sun lotion on holiday,
we might manage to use a daily moisturiser with built-in SPF 15 protection.
That should protect from any accidental exposure to sunshine, but the SPF
number mostly refers to protection from UVB rays, which are minimal in
winter. UVA, which penetrates deeper into the skin and passes through
windows, is more of a threat in terms of ageing. While there is some UVA
protection in most moisturisers containing sunscreen, what isn’t clear is
the level of protection and whether it is adequate. There are a number of
reasons for that, including a lack of both standard testing methods and of a
consensus about what minimum levels should be (in beach-type sun-protection
products, the EU guideline is a 1:3 ratio of UVA to UVB protection).
The best advice is to use moisturiser containing sunscreen, because it’s
better than nothing; or you can be ultra-cautious and apply daily a
broad-spectrum sunscreen that works under make-up (don’t forget your neck,
chest and hands). Try Clarins UV Plus Protective Day Screen SPF 40 (£25) or
Clinique City Block Sheer SPF 15 (£12.50). Both are oil-free. And look out
for the leading dermatologist Dr Nick Lowe’s new range in Boots. His Super
Charged SPF 15 Day Cream (£16.95) has high UVA and UVB protection, and
contains antioxidants.
Added defence: antioxidants
While sunscreen is key, UV rays will always get through to break down collagen
and elastin in your skin, so antioxidants can provide another protective
layer during the day. They are also a good bet if you smoke or work in a
polluted city – research has shown that they mop up damage caused by free
radicals stimulated by sunlight, pollution and cigarette smoke. It is
thought that a cocktail of antioxidants is more beneficial than high doses
of just one type – look out for labels that list coenzyme Q10, ferulic acid,
green tea, pomegranate, resveratrol (from grapes) and vitamins C and E in
the ingredients.
Where to find them Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Cream SPF 15,
£33; 00 800 4429 2424. Zelens Skin Science Cellular DNA Protection Day
Cream, £135, from Space NK. Nivea Visage Anti-wrinkle Q10 Day Cream, £6.79.
Skinceuticals C E Ferulic serum, £60; 020 8997 8541.
Before bed
Time for repair
Look out for the following ingredients in night creams. Generally, you won’t
find all of them in one cream, or at least not as active ingredients, so
it’s a case of picking one and seeing how you get on. Remember, it can often
take months to see the results.
Top of the class: vitamin A
Vitamin A derivatives, known as retinoids, found fame in the dermatologist’s
office as acne treatments, but their antiwrinkle benefits were also noted.
There’s now hard evidence that they repair photo-damage. Mayou says: “As a
dermatologist, I rate retinoids. Tretinoin, branded Retin-A, is one that I
prescribe. In America, tazarotene, another retinoid [brand name Zorac], is
also licensed for photo-damage. Here, it’s licensed only for psoriasis,
though dermatologists can prescribe off licence.”
Prescriptions can sometimes be slipped through the NHS, though usually you
would need a private prescription. While you have to factor in the
consultation (£90-£200), the creams are less expensive than you might think.
A private prescription for Retin-A costs around £10 (yes, that’s £10 for an
anti-wrinkle cream that really works). There is, however, a downside:
prescription-strength retinoids can irritate the skin – so much so that the
dryness, redness and peeling initially caused can make you want to stop
using them. You may be able to get around this by trying a weaker
concentration, or by using them just twice a week to build up tolerance.
Milder forms of retinoids are found in over-the-counter beauty creams.
Although they are not as strong, that doesn’t mean they won’t work. They can
still irritate sensitive skin, in which case move on to peptides (below).
Pure retinol is used by RoC, the first company to stabilise this
sun-sensitive ingredient and deliver it in packaging designed to keep it
active. Others use a less potent form that doesn’t require special
packaging, but still has an effect, such as the derivative used in No 7
Protect & Perfect. Chris Griffiths, professor of dermatology at the
University of Manchester, says: “At basic scientific and clinical levels,
Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect has been shown to repair photo-aged skin
and to improve the fine wrinkles associated with photo-ageing.”
Where to find it Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative
Capsules, £52 for 60. L’Oréal Dermo Expertise Revitalift AntiWrinkle Night,
£12.99. RoC Retin-Ox Plus Night, £24.95. MD Formulations Vit-A-Plus
AntiAging Lotion, £45; www.hqhair.com.
Next: peptides
The importance of peptides was discovered in 1992, as part of research into
the healing of wounds. When assaulted, the skin starts a damage-limitation
process; then the mending process beings, and the peptides initiate collagen
repair. Peptides in anti-ageing skincare plump up the skin, keeping
it youthful and springy, and smooth away fine lines. Olay compared peptides
with a retinol product over four months and found a similar performance in
the reduction of wrinkle depth. In addition, peptides don’t irritate the
skin.
Where to find them Olay Regenerist Night Cream, £19.50. Estée Lauder
Perfectionist (CP+) Correcting Serum, £42. Nude Skincare Advanced Smoothing
Complex, £48; 0800 634 4366. Lancôme Rénergie Morpholift Rare, £51.
Want more? Vitamin C
As well as being a lower-concentration anti-oxidant, in higher concentrations,
vitamin C (on the label as ascorbic acid) is thought to stimulate collagen
growth, which smoothes out lines. It also inhibits melanin production, which
fades sun spots, so it’s worth trying if you have pigmentation. Make sure
you use sunscreen to stop the problem getting worse.
Vitamin C can be unstable and, on exposure to air, can become inactive, but
most cosmetic companies have perfected delivery systems that ensure it is
absorbed. It’s worth noting that it works slowly – you could be looking at
six months to see results.
Where to find it Philosophy Hope and a Prayer Topical Vitamin C Powder,
£28; 0870 990 8452. Alpha-H Vital C, £55, from John Lewis. Skin Wisdom Age
Delay Vitamin C Youth Boost Serum, £7.97, from Tesco (from October 22).
Vitage Vitamin C Serum, £45, and Mask, £24; 0845 555 2121.
Also: alpha and beta hydroxy acids
Glycolic acid, lactic acid and salicylic acid, found in night creams and
exfoliating kits, have all been shown to stimulate collagen production. They
increase cell turnover, which makes your skin look fresher and allows other
ingredients to penetrate slightly deeper into the skin’s upper layers. As
with retinoids, dermatologist-strength acids are used in facial peels (they
can use up to 99% glycolic-acid concentration, while beauty therapists use
about 25%) and the milder beauty-cream versions, which are more likely to
contain 5%-10%. Even that can irritate sensitive skin. Lactic acid is the
mildest – an entry level, as it were. Don’t indulge if you use retinoid
creams, as these acids can make skin supersensitive and won’t give any extra
benefits – go for one or the other.
Where to find them L’Oréal Renoviste Anti-Ageing Glycolic Peel Kit, £18.99.
Ren Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask, £28. Dermalogica Night Bright,
£35.60. Clinique Turnaround Concentrate, £30.
SKIN SAVERS: THESE WORK
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules, £52
Alpha-H Vital C, £55, from John Lewis
Dermalogica Night Bright, £35.60
ClarinsUV Plus Protective Day Screen SPF 40, £25
Nude Skincare Advanced Smoothing Complex, £48
Dr Nick Lowe Super Charged SPF 15 Day Cream, £16.95
