Neo Strata – Active Anti Ageing for the over 30’s

Galloping towards 40, 2018 was the year of trying more cosmeceutical type skincare and in the first half of the year I dedicated my routine for three months to cult favourite Neo Strata. I think I am one of the longest standing beauty editors that loves this brand and have always championed it even before I’d ever collaborated with them. Why? Well firstly I saw results. Secondly the price point isn’t too expensive. And finally it was a brand that slotted quite easily into any routine I have ever had. I have dipped in and out of the active range whenever I felt like I needed something a little more expecially when I suffered with dullness or had a special occasion coming up. Lets face it I always have an event or something on and my poor skin gets the brunt of it with make up and alcohol.

The Tri Lift Serum launched in February 2018 to great fanfare. The aim of the serum was to plump and help the appearance of fine lines and generally give a more youthful tone to the skin. Success! At €85, it is average price for a high end serum so I really wanted to test it out and see if it lived up to the hype I has seen about it online.

Honesty is the best policy

I am honest in my reviews and it is very hard for me to say some adds volume to the skin, the serum will defintely enhance clarity and hydration as well as make any fine lines less pronounced. As my skin is still quite taut I didn’t notice any major improvement to my marionette area but to be fair it’s not a really problematic area for me. I don’t believe a serum has the ability to fill or lift, that is a job for dermal fillers in my opinion, but it does help the firmness and that accounts for a lot. It certainly felt active and cleared my skin as there was a gentle exfoliation in the serum, so the clairty of my skin was good. I used it for around eight weeks which gives you a good idea of how it works.

The Intensive Eye Therapy is one of my favourite eyecreams ever. The gel texture is lovely and cooling and offers a depuffing action like no other eye cream I have used. It delivers a nice level of hydration to the crows feet area and there is no tingling or weird sensation. Sometimes the best eye depuffers can be a bit menthol smelling but this one has no scent at all. It has the magic peptides as well which are essential in a good cream. Peptides need anti oxidants and this eye cream has both. They can’t work alone. Peptides can be a great addition to your skincare routine because they can address so many skin concerns. But as with all anti-aging ingredients, the best approach is to products such as moisturisers and serums that use  including antioxidants and skin-restoring substances (plus daily broad-spectrum SPF) to visibly improve the health and appearance of your skin.

This brings me to the next product which was so handy. The Matrix SPF 30 which is a broad spectrum cream that I used for three months, even during that cold snap. It seemed so weird wearing a bobble hat and SPF but this one was nicely hydrating and a great base for make up, which sort of shocked me to be honest. I binned the primer for those months and it was rather liberarting to have something that did all of the jobs.

The Exfoliating face wash is great to keep as part of your double cleanse. You can remove heavy make up and eye products with an effective cleanser and then use the handy foam to clean your skin. If your skin is dry or sensitive it may not love this cleanser, but combination and normal skin types will see some excellent glowy results.

The other product I love is the Glycolic Peel, that does a great job at resurfacing. The Retinol NAG complex is also an incredible purchase. This is hands down my favourite Retinol as you can use it once a week with splendid results. There is nothing nicer that the smoothness obtained from retinol.   Many refer to it as the only proven anti-ageing ingredient and that’s kind of nail on the head. Murad, neatly summarised the action of a retinol as ‘exfoliating, aiding in the production of collagen, and fighting free radicals.’ Those three jointly are a pretty powerful skin overhaul. Retinol causes redness, dryness and even flaking – however this can easily be avoided or minimised by gradually introducing the ingredient into your skincare regime and building a tolerance to the ingredient. You must however be diligent with your use of SPF afterwards. Retinol breaks down in sunlight, which is why most retinol products are held in opaque packaging. Exposure to UV light renders the product less active, which makes the use of it less beneficial. The pump and completely opaque packaging on NAG complex mean the products stays fresh and thus effective

As a brand Neo Strata impresses me and I have repurchased all the items I tried. Ii think the fact it is results driven is what appeals to me most. It is available at Minihans Chemist and Ruth their skincare expert is nice and really helpful.