Is this cream the solution for a wrinkly neck?

AFTER years of applying moisturiser, many women hope their skin will retain its youthful bounce.

And while it may help their face stay firm, the effects can seem to dwindle on the neck.

Now a British product is being touted as the first to iron out the crepe-like appearance of this delicate skin as it ages – as well as taking years off the face.

The new Restore & Renew Face and Neck Serum by No7 is being launched this week on the back of trials showing that it both evens out wrinkles and firms up skin.

The lead scientist behind the cream claims it can effectively turn back the clock by up to ten years.

It follows an endorsement from researchers at the University of Manchester a decade ago for the No7 Protect & Perfect Serum. Sales shot up by 2,000 per cent after the cream – created by a team at Boots – was featured on a BBC Horizon programme.

Dr Mike Bell, scientific skincare adviser for the chemist, said of the product’s latest incarnation: ‘The face gets a lot of attention, it is there in the mirror, but the neck gets forgotten.

‘Unlike the skin on the face, [skin on the neck] doesn’t have the bone structure to support it, so the effects of gravity are more apparent. Neck skin is also thinner, making the effects of structural changes more apparent.’ The key ingredient in the existing versions of the serum is the protein-boosting Matrixyl 3000 Plus.

The latest Restore & Renew Serum has extra calcium amino acids to help boost skin strength – specifically targeting skin fragility and the crepey appearance of the neck. Tests have shown that these help mature skin cells behave like younger cells again.

A 12-month clinical study of the serum involving 100 women aged over 55 found the majority had improvements across key measurements for ageing.

The face felt firmer, with wrinkles visibly reduced and skin tone more even. The neck also looked firmer and visibly smoother. The findings have been independently vetted by advertising compliance firm Clearcast, and will be used to back up the age-defying claims in TV promotions.

Dr Bell said the majority of people using the serum see the benefits within eight to 12 weeks. ‘This doesn’t happen instantly, it does require time,’ he said.

He added: ‘We have accumulated lots of clinical grading data on a large number of women. The kind of changes that we are getting are equivalent to five to ten years.’

Over 1,000 women have tested the serum throughout its development at laboratories in Nottingham, either in the clinical study or through user trials.

An eight-week study with British women found 84 per cent said that Restore & Renew was the best facial serum they had ever used. Some 83 per cent stated it was the best serum they had ever used on their neck.

Meanwhile 85 per cent saw better results when adding the serum to their current skin routine, for example alongside moisturiser.

The product has been improved several times since the initial University of Manchester study, with the No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum becoming the first British product clinically proven to deliver anti-ageing results that improve over time.

Ten years ago, a 30ml container of the original No7 Protect & Perfect Serum cost £16.75. The latest Restore & Renew version costs 67 per cent more at £28 for 30ml.