Let’s face it, if you’re serious about skin care, you should have a product- apart from sunscreen- that contains some form of retinol, as it’s one of the most important ingredients that is used to combat any signs of ageing, like wrinkles and uneven tone. It’s a great anti-oxidant and the fact that it encourages the skin to produce yummy collagen (which is like the skin’s Wonderbra- lifts and plumps out) should in turn encourage you to use retinol based products.

 The bad news is that not many of us tolerate this ingredient well and how much you use depends on skin type. Side effects are usually redness and flakiness, which are not at all attractive. Here’s where skin experts Neostrata have come up with a really good formula which includes a patented ingredient, NeoGlucosamine® (NAG), (a non-acid exfoliator which increases cell renewal).This works together with time-released, microencapsulated retinol, maximizing stability and tolerability. Meaning that you're not likely to look like you're shedding.

After two weeks, (I’ve used it every other day- Mediterranean skin, high tolerance, it's a serum-like formula) and my skin is definitely smoother and firmer, albeit a little dry around my nose, but that’s because of my enthusiasm- you might want to start by applying it once or twice weekly, as this is quite an expensive product as well. It delivers 0, 5% of retinol to the skin, which is ample for anti-ageing!

Neostrata Skin Active Retinol & NAG Complex is available from Aesthetic Clinics, Dermatologists and Plastic Surgeons. It retails for R1368 and comes in an airless, opaque pump-top tube.

Shop online: https://www.skinmiles.com/shop/shop-by-brand/neostrata/skin-active-...