Product Review: Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew Serum
According to some sources, like the July 2008 issue of Oprah magazine, for instance, women can’t get enough of Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew Serum ($21.99, Amazon.com). Previously only available in Great Britain, Americans are loving the hydrating and smoothing texture of this serum.
Unfortunately, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew Serum is incredibly hydrating - the very high concentration of silicones (cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, and cyclohexasiloxane) will hydrate the skin, fill in fine lines and wrinkles, and give the skin a smoother appearance overall. That’s the good part.
The bad part is that Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew Serum is not really an effective anti-aging product in the long run. While it is true that almost any hydrating moisturizer will provide some benefit in the long run, there aren’t really any restoring or renewing ingredients in proven concentrations in Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew Serum, or any new or exciting technology, for that matter. There is a small unknown concentration of vitamin C as sodium ascorbyl palmitate, which will brighten the skin and act as an antioxidant, as well as retinyl palmitate, which will increase cell turnover, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and smooth the skin.
Overall, I love h of Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew Serum as a cosmetic primer, but the key word here is cosmetic. For your best skin in the long run, use it in conjunction with a good retinol/retinyl palmitate, antioxidant(s), niacinamide, and, of course, sunscreen. Product rating: 6/10 (High concentration of well-established ingredients: 1.5/3. New technology: 1.5/3. Value for the money: 3/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
Ingredients in Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew Serum
Cyclopentasiloxane; Aqua (Water, Eau); Butylene Glycol; Dimethicone Crosspolymer; Cyclohexasiloxane; Glycerin; Dimethicone Copolyol; Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate; Polysorbate 20; Magnesium sulfate; Phenoxyethanol; Sodium PCA; Retinyl Palmitate; Methylparaben; Propylene Glycol; Lupinus Albus Seed Extract; Carbomer; Butylparaben; Ethylparaben; Propylparaben; Isobutylparaben; Panax Ginseng Root Extract; Morus Alba Leaf Extract; Tocopherol; Palmitoyl oligopeptide; Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3
