‘Anti-ageing’ face creams make you look... older!
EXPENSIVE moisturisers that claim to ‘hydrate’ the skin and prevent visible ageing may have the opposite effect, shock new research has found.
Britons fork out more than £500million on lotions each year in an effort to iron out wrinkles.
Yet most of the products tested by researchers at the University of Sheffield made no difference to the skin, and moisturising daily was seen to actually have a dehydrating effect on the skin of some participants involved in the study.
The revelations will feature in a BBC1 documentary, The Truth About Looking Good, fronted by self-confessed cosmetics addict Cherry Healey, which will be aired on January 10.
Healey says: ‘I was shocked to find out that there are minimal restrictions on what companies can say about their products without providing any evidence whatsoever.
‘I’ve spent years buying so many products, but since doing the show I have become very careful about what I buy and look at the ingredients for every body or face cream I buy.’
In the trial, 25 cosmetics enthusiasts applied one of three popular moisturisers twice a day for three weeks – Nivea moisturising cream (£1.95 for 50ml); Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (£30 for 125ml); and Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré (£22.38 for 75ml).
After conducting a series of in-depth tests on the skin, including moisture measurement and scans, scientists concluded there were only minimal differences in skin hydration between the three groups, with a reduction in skin moisture noticed in those assigned to the Embryolisse group.
As for signs of ageing, skin analysis based on scans revealed no difference in the appearance of wrinkles or fine lines.
Dermatologists featured in the documentary also reveal that the one ingredient scientifically proven to reduce wrinkles – including fine lines and crow’s feet – is a class of drugs called retinoids. Consultant dermatologist Anjali Mahato, who appears in The Truth About Looking Good, says: ‘Retinoids are the only ingredient that have been shown in scientific studies to meaningfully reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation by boosting collagen production and improving skin cell turnover.
‘Many other products simply add extra hydration to the skin, which temporarily smooths out the appearance of wrinkles, but no permanent change takes place.’
The most powerful retinoid is called tretinion, which is typically prescribed to treat skin conditions such as acne and leukemia-related skin lesions.
Tretinoin is available in the UK but only with a prescription from a dermatologist.
Dr Mahato therefore recommends a less powerful retinoid called retinol, which is available in many over-thecounter face creams.
She advises: ‘It’s best to look for creams that contain at least 0.1 per cent retinol, and then increase the percentage of retinol over time as your skin gets used to the product.’
Healey concluded of her work on the documentary: ‘If we’re spending £100 on a cream, we should be able to have faith that a product will do what it says on the tin.
‘It’s staggering how much companies can get away with – they need to take responsibility for misleading consumers.’