This came out about a week ago, in the Kitchener, Canada news:
The anti-aging skincare market is a staggering billion-dollar industry. And that's just for facial products.
Product testers at Consumer Reports recently rated nine popular anti-wrinkle creams to see if there really is hope in a jar; the creams ranged from moderately priced lines like L'Oréal and Neutrogena to more expensive creams like La Prairie, which costs $335 for its day/night regimen.
Testers focused on the crow's-foot area around the eye because that's where wrinkles are quite visible and easy to measure. The test consisted of 204 women and lasted 12 weeks--a good amount of time to see whether a product really works.
Using a high-tech optical device, testers precisely measured changes in wrinkle depth and skin roughness. Later panelists examined enlarged photos taken before, during, and at the end of the 12-week trial. But the panelists didn't know which photos were which. They just rated the depth and length of the wrinkles. It turned out in some cases there was hardly any difference between the before and after shots. But others showed more visible differences.
Testers didn't find any relationship between price and performance. In fact, the most expensive product tested, La Prairie Cellular, was less effective than most.
Olay brand Regenerist, which costs far less, earned top ratings, and the company says it's improved since Consumer Reports' testing. The Enhancing Lotion, Perfecting Cream, and Daily Regenerating Serum cost a total of about 80 dollars.
But be aware - testers found even the best products only reduced wrinkle depth an average of less than 10 percent--and won't necessarily work for everyone.
The best way to treat wrinkles is to avoid damaging your skin. Wear sunscreen every day, avoid tanning parlors, and if you smoke be aware it's second only to sunlight in damaging effects to your skin.
