Is this the best anti-ageing weapon of all?

Serums sound serious and maybe a touch extreme - especially those that promise to mimic Botox. But forget needles and scary procedures. This time, we're talking strictly skincare - the only commitment required is to finish the bottle.

‘While moisturisers work from the outside in, serums work from the inside out,' explains Janine Bird, head of education and artistry at Prescriptives. Richer creams are designed to stay in the skin's surface layers, forming a barrier against UV damage and moisture loss. Because serums are more fluid, they penetrate more deeply, nourishing new cells and encouraging stronger collagen and elastin.

The concentrated formulas mean serums are skincare's most potent anti-ageing weapons - hence the high price tags. The boffins at L'Oréal are proud that, at six times the strength of the day cream, their breakthrough Age Perfect serum for menopausal skin is their most active anti-sagging agent to date.

Yet serums can't do everything. ‘It's difficult to include oil-based actives at meaningful levels, so serums can't treat dry skin the way creams do,' says cosmetic scientist Colette Haydon, the lady in the lab behind new luxury range NuBo. But creams can't give you that instant lift. ‘Proteins that are used to tighten the skin's surface are broken down by the oils in creams,' Colette explains. For serious anti-ageing, she believes it's serums every time.

How should we use serum?

Use a serum under day or night cream to allow the ingredients to penetrate. If your skin is oily, they're great smoothing bases for make-up, but make sure your foundation has an SPF - serums are too lightweight to support big-molecule sunscreens.

Do they make a long-term difference? Janine Bird says serums are like bullet-proof vests that protect newborn cells from damage. ‘Skin gains a radiance you get only from nourished cells,' she claims. Think of serums as magic knickers for skin. Now there's an uplifting notion...

Supercharge your skincare

Serums may cost a little more, but results are instant as well as cumulative and a little goes a long way. We recommend:

Cash

L'Oréal Age Perfect Intensive Reinforcing Serum, £14.99. Jasmine and soy seed plump, firm and bring a glow.

Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum, £23.98, at Boots nationwide. This fast-absorbing, non-pore-blocking serum is packed with amino-peptides to help speed up cell turnover. After two weeks of daily use, you should see a blurring of wrinkles.  

Sanctuary Pro-Collagen Youth Serum, £13.65, at Boots nationwide. Marine pro-collagen helps visibly plump and smooth skin. Plus, it's immediately hydrating, so unless your skin is very dry you won't need a separate moisturiser.

Cheque

Dr Lewinn's Line-Smoothing Complex S8 Super Hydrator, £40 (01892 750333). A ‘Botox alternative'. Snap-8, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol and cocongrass extract keep skin frown free and well hydrated.

Estée Lauder Perfectionist CP+ Wrinkle Lifting Serum, £41.11 (0870 034 2566). Peptides plus ‘grip tight' polymers shrink wrinkles, while light diffusers and antioxidants blur age spots.

Elizabeth Arden Intervene Timefighting Radiance Serum, £42. Peptides boost collagen and silicone elastomer hides pores.

Lancôme Renergie Morpholift RARE Advanced Contour Repositioning Serum, £55. An invisible mesh tightens instantly, while rice peptides encourage long-term firming.

Credit

NuBo Cell Dynamic The Essence, £200 (Harrods; www.nubobeauty.com).Yes, the cost is sky-high, but the results are impressive. Peptides boost collagen and manganese salt converts free radicals into energising oxygen.

 More great beauty advice

Get some beauty sleep with these great products

Try these anti-ageing products for spring 

Twiggy reveals her anti-ageing makeup tips