I’m feeling very lucky today, being one of the first people in the UK to be able to try No7’s new Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex Night Concentrate (£34)!
The product racked up a waitlist of 100,040 names in 10 days, and, when it went on sale, at the end of last week, one sold every 1.8 seconds, during its first day of launch.
But why the fuss around this? Skincare by no7, of course, is known for its iconic sell-out products (because they actually work). And this is no exception. It’s all hinged around the ‘ingredient of the moment’ that’s been causing a buzz in the beauty world – retinol – known for its ‘miracle’ skincare properties. In short, it makes you look like a new, improved version of yourself! But, while it has some transforming properties, it turns out you need to go steady with it… hence not many products getting it right.
So, what’s the difference with the new launch from No7? Retinol has actually been around since the 60s, but it has historically been very hard to get the balance right in a beauty product. Some side effects, when too much is used, can include irritation and skin inflammation, known as retinoid dermatitis.
For these reasons, No7 says it has held off on bringing a retinol formula to market until now… Boots No7’s version has 1.5% retinol complex, and has been formulated to give great results while being gentle on the skin. Although lots has been written about the ingredient in recent years, the brand found there is an opportunity to help women better understand how to incorporate retinol into their regimes and to experience the many benefits it can bring.
The result is the new concentrate, which actively targets the visible sign of ageing and surface dullness, to kick start surface skin renewal from the very first application, working night after night to deliver visibly younger looking skin. As well as reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation, it also refines pores, evens skin tone and texture – so there’s no surprise that it is in demand.
After just a couple of nights using it, I can see a discernible difference. I’ve long advocated using night products, as I think they make a huge difference to the appearance and health of your skin – working as you sleep and rest.
I have found the new Night Concentrate to be ‘brilliant’ – in more ways than one. I’ve found that my complexion looks more radiant, velvety to the touch and has a ‘bounce’ to it, with dullness and a tired appearance gone. I’ve been waking up with smooth, hydrated and healthy-looking skin.
Standing it apart from others, the formula contains the following ingredients – so for those interested in the science bit – here goes:
- 0.3% Pure Retinol – the expert recommended powerful level for efficacy and skin comfort reboots the skin helping it to act like younger, healthier looking skin
- Matrixyl 3000 Plus – No7’s powerful anti-wrinkle peptide technology for helping to restore a more youthful appearance to your skin
- Retinol optimiser – an intelligent slow-release oil encapsulation system for enhanced delivery throughout the night
- Retinol Soother – helps to calm the skin
No7 has also issued some top tips on how to incorporate retinol into your regime:
- Keep up your regime: Incorporating a retinol into your regime can have lots of benefits on your skin but it’s important that this is in addition your night cream and not instead of it!
- Ramp up usage slowly to give your skin a chance to build tolerance: One in five (21 per cent) of women told us their skin found retinol difficult to tolerate at first. You can avoid this by limiting initial use to once or twice a week (on non-consecutive nights) and then ramping up to every night after about 4 weeks
- Use product sparingly: Almost half the women (52%) we spoke to who have experienced some irritation believe they used too much product (we recommend two pumps of the No7 Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex Night Concentrate)
- More is not always more: 30 per cent have used a product with a higher percentage of retinol than their skin could tolerate, which can lead to women not wanting to use the product regularly. The new No7 Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex Night Concentrate is clinically proven to be kinder to skin your skin. It consists of a 0.3% retinol, within a 1.5% complex designed to give maximum results and minimum irritation
- Use an SPF: As retinol can leave your skin more prone to damage from the sun, always wear at least SPF15 during the day
Dr Mike Bell, No7 Skincare Scientific Advisor, says: “For a long time, there has been a perception that the higher the percentage of retinol in a product, the better it works. However, our breakthrough scientific research with our partners at the University of Manchester has found that 0.3% retinol delivers virtually the same age-defying benefits as a higher concentration retinol but with minimum irritation. This is a real game changer and will enable British women to buy a highly effective skin regeneration formula with retinol that is also soothing on the skin.”
I’ve been using the Night Concentrate to cleansed skin, two to four times weekly initially. You can also start to use it nightly after a short period of time for super-boosting the appearance of skin.
In short, use it and you’ll see immediate results. I’ve been boosting my regime with Boot’s No7 other iconic products – such as the Life & Luminate Eye Cream and Serum, the Protect & Perfect Facial Sun Protection and the Triple Action Night Cream.
*This review is based on press samples
