Healthy living
Anti-ageings
Anti-ageing creams
Do your homework when choosing anti-ageing creams
The search for an anti-ageing miracle cream goes on. Every week a new product lands on my desk, usually fraught with impossible promises.
I keep an eye on them all and reject quite a few, simply because they don't do a thing for me.
I don't mind paying good money for results but I don't believe that just because a product is expensive, it has to be good. Sometimes, quite the contrary.Solid dermatological research is essential.
Once, when I asked a dermatologist how to tell a good skin cream from another he said simply, "Ignore price, look at the size and excellence of their laboratories. Some of the fanciest claims are made by those with the least back-up."
I always pay attention to new products from Elizabeth Arden and Estée Lauder, because both companies really understand mature skin and have big, research-intensive laboratories. Ditto L'Oréal and Olay.
I also listen to personal recommendations. If a cream is mentioned time and time again, I'll really jump on it.
So, this month I have selected anti-ageing creams in every price range. Some are brand new and at the cutting edge of science; others have been around for a few months but have been attracting rave reviews.
Finally, because too much science and too many chemicals bring some people out in a rash, I've looked at natural creams from Green People and Neal's Yard.
It's a tricky word, natural, and much over-used, but these two companies do their utmost to use absolutely pure ingredients, and organic ones wherever possible.
'Prevage' by Elizabeth Arden
£145 for 50ml; Telephone - 020 7574 2722
The price is a shocker, but for once I believe the science.
Arden have got together with Allergan Inc , a pharmaceutical company and a market leader in dermatology (they make Botox).
The secret ingredient in Prevage is idebenone, an antioxidant originally used in medicine to protect organs from the oxidisation process before transplant surgery, and previously only available from dermatologists.
Essentially, it protects skin as well as repairing the effects of environmental pollution and sun damage (the major cause of ageing), reducing fine lines and dark spots and discoloration.
The clinical trials are impressive, and so is my personal test. My skin is covered with brown blotches after a childhood spent in the tropical sun and I'd say this stuff is definitely fading them, as well as slightly reducing fine lines, although not the deeper ones.
A warning: you need moisturiser too. Prevage is a treatment cream, made to go under moisturiser, not replace it.
Estée Lauder 'Resilience Lift Extreme' Ultra Firming Crème SPF15
£47 for 50ml; Telephone - 0870 034 2566
This contains a sunscreen, a crucial ingredient in the anti-ageing wars. The emphasis is on 40-plus women following extensive research by the Lauder labs on skin changes during ageing and menopause.
I have to confess it gave me a really bad allergic reaction but I am super-sensitive to some things.
However, I gave it to Rosie Boycott to trial for me. Rosie, who often appears on television, insists on good results.
She reports: "A very good cream. Not at all clogging, disappears quickly, makes skin feel instantly moisturised and lasts well through the day. I may well buy it again and would definitely recommend it."
She recommends the night cream too - Estée Lauder Resilience Lift Extreme Overnight Ultra Firming Crème (£49 for 50ml; 0870 034 2566).
Olay 'Regenerist' range
Olay's 'Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum' (£19.50 for 15ml) is one of those word-of-mouth products, consistently getting rave reviews.
The Regenerist range contains an amino peptide complex known as Pal-KTTKS which is also an ingredient found in one of the latest cult anti-ageing products, StriVectin, which costs a small fortune.
I'm a devotee of the recently launched Olay Regenerist Continuous Night Recovery Moisturiser (£19.50), which really does seem to give a promised lift.
I'm also keen on the brand new Olay Regenerist Thermal Skin Polisher (£7.50) because anti-ageing starts with a good cleansing routine. It gently clears away dead skin cells, allowing moisturisers to work. Great stuff, available nationwide.
L'Oréal 'RevitaLift' Facial Cloth-Mask
For a quick, easy blast of anti-ageing ingredients, there's L'Oréal RevitaLift Facial Cloth-Mask (£13.99 for a carton of four, available nationwide). It's an intensive treatment comprising a cloth mask infused with a mega-dose of anti-wrinkle and firming cream, which you fit to the face and leave for 10 minutes.
Best done when you're alone, as it makes you look quite mad, but it does give you a smoother, rosier skin.
Neal's Yard Frankincense Nourishing Cream
£10.50 for 40g
This has been around for some time but I often go back to it when my skin needs some tlc. I know women who swear by it - for good reason. It's one of the best creams on the market, in any category, and it smells delicious too.
Neal's Yard White Tea Eye Gel
£16 for 10ml
This is brilliant in the morning if your eyes are puffy and heavy. It's super-light and contains natural, anti-inflammatory ingredients such as rose and aloe vera. For mail order call 0845 262 3145 or order online.
Green People 'Fruitful Nights'
£11.99 for 50ml
Charlotte Vohtz, founder of Green People, says it's important to exfoliate regularly. "Skin can accumulate a build-up of dead cells that make it appear more leathery and wrinkled."
Rather than using harsh chemicals, Fruitful Nights contains a cocktail of fruits which naturally removes dead cells.
It was also best night cream in the Natural Health & Beauty Awards 2005. Charlotte recommends using it under Green People Vita Min Fix moisturiser (£11.99 for 50ml) as a really effective anti-ageing treatment.
Both are nearly 100% organic, smell delicious and leave skin super-soft. For mail order call 08702 401444 or order online.
Written by Sally Brampton
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
