Skin Care Product Review: Boots No. 7

Last month, I wrote about my search for an anti-aging product to keep those evil fine lines at bay. I had heard a lot of hype about the Boots No. 7 product line and I decided to give Boots No. 7 a try. I have used the following products for 4 weeks.

Restore & Renew Beauty Serum (retail $21.99) - This product is a light, non-greasy serum that quickly absorbs into your skin. There were definitely noticeable differences in my skin. My skin feels silkier and my fine lines appear softer. I am definitely happy with the results. It's not a miracle serum by any means and my wrinkles have not disappeared but it did make a difference. That is all I can hope for. From this point forward it is all about preventing those wrinkles!

Time Resisting Night Cream (retail $19.99) - I really liked the texture of the night cream, it is nice and lightweight - more like a lotion than a cream - yet provides enough moisture for me. I have combination skin that is a little more on the oily side, so this product is just enough to not make my face feel oily, rather it makes my face feel softer. I really like this product, it feel luxurious to put on. I put this on after cleansing my face and using the Restore & Renew Beauty serum. Prior to this product, I had been using the Arbonne night cream (retail $79) and I definitely prefer Boots No. 7 for the texture of the night cream and for the cost.

Time Resisting Day Cream (retail $19.99) - This day cream contains SPF 12 which is very important in preventing wrinkles. It is thicker than the night cream and I think it does a decent job. I do not like it as much as the other two products but I do not dislike it. I guess I am ambivalent. It does the job it needs to do but I don't find it to be anything special.

There is no "quick fix" or fountain of youth, however, after a month of using these 3 Boots No. 7 products there are noticeable differences in my skin. My skin appears smoother, the tone has evened out, and my fine lines are softer. I find that I am using less make-up because my skins looks better. I have switched from using foundation to a tinted moisturizer. So all in all, I am happy with the Boots No. 7 products, it works well for my skin and it is less expensive compared to other products that I have tried. A little seems to go a long way and I still have plenty to last me a few more months.

The verdict? The best thing about Boots No. 7 is the price tag. Boots No. 7 works as well as other more expensive, high-end products that make similar claims for a fraction of the cost. I will stick with Boots No. 7 and I highly recommend it based on it is a great price and the results.

Fountain of Youth?

For some reason, we as a society seem to constantly be in search of the fountain of youth. There are so many options out there, like botox, face lifts, and many other quick fixes to look younger. What ever happen to aging gracefully?

I am fortunate to be graced with great genes and so I look young for my age. I am also very good about keeping up a beauty routine. I wash my face every night and do my best to take care of my skin. However, I have been starting to see some of those fine lines around the eyes start to creep up. I guess I am no different from many women in the world, because I have recently been looking at different anti-aging products to help prevent those fine lines from inviting any more friends to the party that is my face. Because I do research for a living, I have difficulty purchasing many things without doing some research (Just ask Mr. Bear about my spreadsheets on digital cameras). But researching beauty and anti-aging products is different from researching digital cameras or TVs. There are a lot of anti-aging products out there and there are a lot of websites and consumer reviews. But what it all comes down to is that each person is different and each individual's skin has different needs. So how do you assess what is best for you? Research is important and can help, you can read reviews as to what works for different skin types. But a lot of it comes down to knowing your skin and trial and error.

I've currently been using Arbonne NutriMinC® RE9 product line. This is a product that is only available by direct sales and my friend had an Arbonne party and I bought the eye cream (retail $49) and night cream (retail $79) and actually became a consultant to utilize the consultant discount. The product worked pretty well and lasted quite a bit of time (over 3 months). I just ran out and was going to place another order in, but the price just seemed higher than what I really wanted to be spending. So I thought I should see if there was anything else out there that might be a better fit for my budget. After all, I wasn't absolutely set and in love with the Arbonne product as some other women are and there are still so many anti-aging products out there on the market. So I started to do a little research.

In my research, I've been hearing a lot of hype about Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew Beauty Serum. Apparently, this product is all the rave in Britain and it has just recently became available in the US sold at Target and CVS. When it first arrived to the US it was sold in limited quantities and quickly sold out. Women were scrambling to find it and buy it, it was being sold for more than it's retail price on ebay and amazon.com. So I wanted to find out what this hype was all about. What is it? From their website:

No7 Restore & Renew Beauty Serum

Reveal younger looking, beautifully refined skin with this powerful blend of caring and skin restoring ingredients. Light and non-greasy, it glides on instantly softening and smoothing your skin. Then, with regular use, it works to renew your complexion, restoring radiance and helping to reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles in just 4 weeks. With No7 Time Resisting Night Cream concentrated levels of our unique antioxidant complex and skin-firming pro-retinol complex to boost and maintain skin's elasticity. Known in the UK as No7 Protect & Perfect, Britain's #1 anti-ageing sensation proven by independent scientists to really work.

Does it work? Well the reviews I have seen have all been really positive. So I went to Target to check it out. Target sells a No. 7 Anti-Ageing Essentials Skincare Pack which include the Restore & Renew Beauty Serum (retail $21.99), Time Resisting Night Cream (retail $19.99), and Time Resisting Day Cream (retail $19.99) all for $39.99 (a savings of over $20). All that was half the cost of the $80 night cream I was using, so I figured why not give it a try. If it works, I will use it again and save money in the long run by using a less expensive product, if it doesn't then I didn't waste a ton of money. Since it takes time and consistent use of a product to really see and changes, I will try it and report back after 4 weeks of use.

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