The £27 gooseberry potion that ‘gives you perfect skin’

IN the quest for an eternally youthful complexion, women have tried everything from Botox to ‘vampire’ facials.

But it seems the secret to keeping wrinkles at bay is... the Indian gooseberry.

Researchers have claimed the berry is key in reversing the signs of ageing, and today Boots is launching a new serum containing the much-hyped ingredient.

The chain’s Protect & Perfect cream saw sales soar after it was clinically proven to soften wrinkles in 2009.

But Boots says its No7 Lift & Luminate triple action serum delivers even better results – and is clinically proven to improve the appearance of wrinkles, skin tone and firmness. Trials of the serum found that a whopping 90 per cent of women saw a reduction in their wrinkles after using it for six months.

On sale for £27 for a 30ml tube, the serum is being fronted by Boots’ new international ambassador, Italian ballerina Alessandra Ferri, 52. It keeps Protect & Perfect’s key ingredient Matrixyl 3000 Plus. But it also includes emblica, which is derived from the Indian gooseberry tree. The gooseberries are packed with collagen-boosting Vitamin A, which gives skin its elasticity.

Emblica is one of the most effective ingredients for improving skin tone, said scientists from the University for Bradford. It is contained in the serum’s ‘lightening complex’, designed to fade dark spots for a more even skin tone.

In a six-month US trial on 100 women aged 45 to 65, 90 per cent saw a reduction in their wrinkles and 91 per cent reported their skin was firmer after using the serum twice a day. Eighty per cent saw an improvement in skin tone. In separate trials on 1,500 women, 87 per cent said their skin looked younger after just two weeks. Dr Mike Bell, of No7 skincare, said: ‘This is our first serum with three clinically proven results.’