Welcome to a new generation of affordable skincare. These pharmacy skin care buys pack a cosmeceutical punch.
Skincare enthusiasts can rejoice as pharmacies have become legitimate and exceptional sources for potent, active, and efficacious skincare products. These items rival the more expensive alternatives found in salons and clinics, largely due to their formulation and the concentration of active ingredients. Offering great value, these pharmacy brands are often developed by global giants, benefiting from extensive research and development budgets, access to top-tier formulators, and mass distribution networks, which enable them to maintain low prices.
A recent flurry of product launches has caught our attention for their professional treatment-like qualities. If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘collagen banking’, you’re potentially overlooking a significant advancement in skin rejuvenation. We begin losing collagen from around age 24, and by the first five years of menopause, 30% of our collagen reserves are depleted. Treatments and products that stimulate collagen production and support its presence are crucial for maintaining skin hydration, strength, and overall health.
The Skin Republic Collagen 2% + SPF15 serves a dual purpose: it’s anti-ageing and protective. With 2% collagen, it hydrates to smooth the skin’s appearance, while broad-spectrum SPF15 shields against UVA and UVB rays, which contribute to collagen breakdown. This product complements home LED light therapy masks well.
Addressing crepey necks, which present multiple aesthetic challenges such as the need for firming, lifting, and rejuvenation, Boost Lab’s Edelweiss Neck Firming Serum targets this difficult area. It aims to tighten, lift, tone, and soften the appearance of lines. Edelweiss extract protects against the breakdown of collagen and elastin from environmental aggressors and revitalises the skin, while Tef seed, rich in amino acids, enhances elasticity for a visibly firmer tone.
Skin brightening treatments are among the most sought-after clinical procedures, aimed at addressing pigment, tone, and radiance. Factors like sun damage, hormonal changes, and lifestyle (e.g., lack of sleep, poor nutrition, exposure to pollution) can diminish skin vitality and glow. Vitamin C stands out as the hero ingredient for boosting radiance at home, enhancing the results of clinical treatments.
ROC’s Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Night Serum Capsules deliver a potent 20% Pure Vitamin C, working overnight to resurface the skin, enhance luminosity, and boost collagen production for a firmer, more contoured appearance. It also complements laser therapies used for treating pigmentation and melasma.
No7’s Radiance + Illuminating Hydrogel Eye Masks specifically target dark circles and the thin skin of the eye area, offering instant brightening and hydration. Makeup artists favour this product for quickly revitalising tired under-eyes.
For those shy of in clinic treatments such as microneedling, enhancing and brightening with skincare products, like Avene’s DermAbsolu Mask Recontouring Mask, could be an initial step. This mask, infused with Pro-Vitamin C and Vitamin B3, offers immediate rejuvenation with cosmeceutical ingredients. It brightens, tightens, and smoothes skin texture, supported by natural retinol alternatives and Glycoleol, a skin lipid precursor.
Sensitive or post-treatment skin benefits immensely from La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Baume B5+ Soothing Repair Balm. Now enhanced with a prebiotic, an intense hydrating complex, and Vitamin B5, it supports the skin’s moisture barrier. Its versatility is renowned, particularly for soothing post-treatment skin and extremely dry skin, from infants to adults. It can also be used over retinol to mitigate irritation.
The No7 Future Renew range is an over the counter answer to the latest buzz in aesthetics, focusing on skin’s self-repair. Developed in collaboration with the University of Manchester, its Pepticology™ ingredient supports the skin’s natural repair processes. The No7 Future Renew Eye Serum is a standout product for sensitive skin.
AHC’s Luminous Glow Real Eye Cream for the Face, enhanced with Gluta-I, is a KBeauty favourite for improving skin texture and hydration. As Hyaluronic Acid boosters become popular in clinics, this moisturiser, using microcapsule technology, delivers active ingredients deep into the skin for visible results in as little as 30 days.
Reconsideration of acne treatments in dermatology has led to a move away from medication and the adoption of chemical peels, LED light therapy, and specialised lasers like Avi Clear and Aerolase. Avene’s Cleanance AHA Exfoliating Serum, designed for adult acne, reduces excess sebum and gently exfoliates, improving skin texture and balancing the skin with Lactic Acid and Succinic Acid, a gentler alternative to traditional acne treatments.
The products in this feature are available online and pharmacies incuding Priceline and Chemist Warehouse. Some of the products featured were gifted as media review products. #AD
