Wrinkles / Sun
Wrinkles
What about all these fabulously expensive creams on the market - do they work? All we can say is that by law in the United Kingdom it is impossible to sell a cream that will make a permanent change to your face without a prescription. We know women who swear by this or that cream - it's up to you.
A great temporary solution can be what you eat. Nico Perricone, in his book The Wrinkle Cure, states that salmon (not smoked) and cantaloupe a day or two before a big event (eaten at every meal, mind you) works wonders. We've tried this and it does plump up the skin.
We can both vouch for water as a great de-wrinkler. Other temporary solutions include CACI, the non-surgical face-lift; Dr Sebagh's miraculous cheekbone-lifting technique (as we get older they slip down our faces); and various pulsed light therapies.
The most permanent solution - the eye, brow or full face-lift - is a drastic measure, and if you don't want to end up looking like dear Joan, make sure before you proceed that you have all the info and that this is really what you want.
DDF Wrinkle Relax helps in the medium term.
Short term
- Estée Lauder Idealist Micro-D Deep Thermal Refinisher
- Mark Traynor's Face and Neck Lift
Medium term
- Aveda Firming Fluid
- Barefoot Botanical Rosa Fina Intensive Facial Radiance Cream
- Crème de la Mer Face Serum
- DDF Wrinkle Relax
- Eve Lom The Cleanser
- Givenchy No Surgetics range
- Jan Marini C-Esta Serum
- Korner Prove Real Serum
- Lancaster 365 Cellular Elixir
- NV Perricone ALA Face Firming Activator
- The Organic Pharmacy Super Antioxidant range
- Peter Thomas Roth Max Retinol Wrinkle Repair with SPF20
- Thalgo Wrinkle Control
Long term
- Lift 6 facial (latest treatment from the CACI people)
- Polaris Tissue Tightening treatment using radio frequency, from the French Cosmetic Medical Company; treatments are also available at good aestheticians and cosmetic clinics
- Surgical face-lift - before making a decision, talk to more than one surgeon and get them to show you loads of before and after photos. Never feel that there is a question you cannot ask. A face-lift is a huge step and will have results that stay with you forever
Sun
As teenagers, neither Susannah nor Trinny felt any guilt about using olive oil on a bed of tinfoil to change their lily-white complexions to something akin to a horse's saddle. But now they have realised the importance of sunblock and the effects of sun damage on the skin.
The safest option for a golden glow is a fake tan, but if you are in the sun, remember to apply sunblock on every exposed part of your body. Skin cancers are often found in overlooked areas, such as the soles of the feet and ankles. Dark and black skin needs equal protection.
The bottom line is that sun protection should be worn every day in order to avoid long-term sun damage - there are great daily moisturisers with a SPF of 15+. If you already suffer from sun damage, there are solutions. The best are for the pigmentation that can develop over the years, especially among pregnant women.
Some of these products contain strong ingredients, so if you use them and want to go in the sun soon afterwards, wear very high factor protection - or your problem will return with a vengence.
St Tropez Whipped Bronze self-tanning system.
Fake tanning
- Boots Soltan Easitan
- Clarins Auto-Bronzant range
- Clarins After Sun Shimmer Oil
- Dr Hauschka Toned Day Cream
- Fantasy Tan: the original airbrush tan applied by a beauty consultant
- Jan Marini Bioglycolic Sunless Self-tanner
- Jean-Paul Mist-On Tan: spray tan, from Heidi Klein
- Lancaster Self-tan range
- Model Co's Tan Airbrush in a Can: do it in the shower!
- Phytomer Bronzinstant
- St Tropez self-tanning system
- Vichy Auto Bronzant
Sun protection
- Oenobiol Solaire: a supplement that helps your body prepare for tanning
- Clarins Sun Protection range
- Dr Hauschka Sun Care range (mineral only)
- Esthederm Sea & Tropics Sun Tan Lotion, from Space NK
- Garnier Ambre Solaire Sheer Protect SPF30
- Jan Marini Daily Face Protectant SPF30
- Lancaster Sun Care range
- Origins Out Smart Face Protector SPF25
- Riemann P20 Once-a-day SunFilter
Sun damage/age
- Barefoot Botanicals Rosa Fina
- Intensive Facial Radiance Cream
- Dr Sebagh Pure Vitamin C Powder Cream
- Environ Intensive range
- Futur-Tec Aged Hands Treatment
- Helena Rubenstein Life Pearl
- Jan Marini Even-Tone Pigment Lightening Gel
- Jan Marini Glycolic Acid Peel
- Korner Prove Real Serum
- Korner Look Famous Purifying Mask
- Aurora Photo-rejuvenation Intense Pulsed Light treatment from The French Cosmetic Medical Company; IPL treatments are also available at good aestheticians and cosmetic clinics
