Want to rev up your radiance?

The latest miracle creams for 50-plus skin will work their magic – whatever your age

When it comes to skincare, we’re all very used to hearing about Gen Z and what the youngsters are keen on. But as Marie Hélène Lair, scientific communications director for Clarins, said recently: ‘What about Generation S, as in silver? The ladies of 60-plus – or as I prefer to say, two times 30.’ What indeed? Everyday ageism is probably what.

But things are changing, and lately a raft of skincare brand launches have focused on older women. This isn’t simply out of the goodness of their hearts: the 50-plus market is growing and by 2050 it will represent one person in six, totalling 1.6 billion (double that of 2015).

Practising what it preaches,

Clarins has focused on postmenopausal skin with the launch of

Nutri-Lumière (from €65, nationwide). As its name suggests, this range tackles a loss of luminosity (caused by a slowing of the skin’s microcirculation and resulting decreased nutrient supply) and uses horse chestnut extract to boost the complexion. Of course, creams are not time machines, but after a month of use, testers found that luminosity increased by 12 per cent. Other ingredients promote suppleness (wakame extract), hydration (leaf of life) and smoothing (oat sugars).

Vichy also has postmenopausal needs in its sights with Neovadiol Rose Platinum Night Cream (€34, boots.ie), which was found to provide a similar radiance boost and reduction in sleep lines.

Prai, too, is in on the act with its

Platinum range (from €36, marksandspencer.ie). ‘Drastic changes happen to skin after the menopause,’ says Prai’s founder and CEO Cathy Kangas. ‘I know first-hand that it’s the most dramatic change we will see in our skin.’ Her focus is on the fact that we lose up to 30 per cent of collagen in the first five years after the menopause, along with the effects of dips in oestrogen such as loss of elasticity. What’s more, oil glands aren’t as active and skin can become drier. To combat this, Prai is deploying its bestselling tightening and lifting technology along with vitamin E and almond oil to smooth, platinum and kombucha to fight environmental factors and red algae for hydration. This is a skincare powerhouse.

Meanwhile,

Shiseido Vital Perfection Uplifting And Firming Day Cream (€120, shiseido.com, from 5 March) is pitched at the 40-plus market and works on loss of elasticity, wrinkles and dark spots. After eight weeks, 89 per cent of testers saw a decrease in sagging, 45 per cent in dark spots, and

80 per cent in wrinkles.

And on a general hormonal tack, whether you’re experiencing the effects of monthly cycles, the perimenopause or beyond, Veneffect (from €58, spacenk.com) delivers topical plant-based phytoestrogens (from seeds, nuts, roots and bark) to help balance the skin. Founded by a gynaecologist and her sister, its focus is on giving skin the look of vitality.

The menopause changes women’s skin dramatically