Anti-ageing skincare guide

We investigate the hype behind the latest anti-ageing products and tell you what really works

Do you regularly buy the very latest miracle cream in the hope that it will turn back the clock or do you think anti-ageing potions are a lot of hype? Beauty addict or beauty cynic, there's no doubt that most women, after discovering their first lines, do want something to get rid of them. But is there anything that can really help?

 

In among all the PR-speak and pseudo science, there are some proven ingredients and great products that really do deliver results. Of course there's nothing that will make you look 21 again, especially if you've sunbathed and smoked all your adult life. However, you can certainly smooth fine lines, restore a youthful bloom and lessen dark spots, not to mention slow down further signs of premature ageing. The key is knowing which ingredients to look out for.

 

Vitamin A

One of the ingredients with proven efficacy is derived from vitamin A. The prescription form, retinoic acid, also known as Tretinoin, has been used to treat acne since the 60s. Alongside its effects on acne, it was noted that it seemed to have anti-ageing powers. Research shows that it increases collagen formation and stimulates cell production.

 

As the eminent dermatologist Dr Nick Lowe says in his book 'The Wrinkle Revolution' (Kyle Cathie, £14.99), 'by increasing cell production, [Tretinoin creams] shed blotchy, dark pigment from the skin and also increase collagen formation in the dermis, both directly and as a result of increased outer skin layer production. The result is a brighter, healthier-looking and more supple skin with fewer lines and dark patches and a more resilient feel.'

 

Now that does sound like a miracle cream. You can only get Tretinoin on prescription (and that's likely to be a private one for a brand like Retin-A) from your GP or a dermatologist, but, amazingly it will only cost in the region of £10. The downside with it is that it can make your skin red, irritated and peel. However, there are ways around this – using it twice a week instead of daily, mixing it with moisturiser or applying it and rinsing it off after 10 minutes, for instance. A dermatologist would be able to advise you further.

 

Retinol

 

The ingredient also appears in beauty creams, albeit in a milder form – retinol (and retinyl). Just because it is a milder form, it doesn't mean it doesn't work though.

 

Do you remember all the fuss about Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum when it was launched?

 

One of the reasons it got the thumbs-up on a 'Horizon' documentary and sold out as a consequence was because of a quote by the Foundation Professor of Dermatology at the University of Manchester, Chris Griffiths. He said that 'at both basic science and clinical levels Boots No7 Protect & Perfect has been shown scientifically to repair photo-aged skin and improve the fine wrinkles associated with photo-ageing.'

 

Further confirmation of the power of retinol came with the publication this year of a study at the University of Michigan in the Archives of Dermatology, which showed it did have an effect on wrinkles, albeit after six months.

 

Products to choose

 

RoC was the first brand to stabilise retinol for use in an over-the-counter beauty cream and it offers a large range of night and day moisturisers, serums and eye creams containing the ingredient. It's also contained in products from many other companies including Clarins, Dr Nick Lowe, L'Oréal Paris and Clinique. The optimum period for significant wrinkle reduction, as well as improved elasticity and radiance is 12 weeks, according to RoC. So use your retinol-containing product consistently and you should be pleased with what you see.

 

For more information on what to look for in anti-ageing products, click here