NeoStrata Bionic Face Cream

RRP: £25.50 for 40g from Only Nature

--What does the promo say?--
"An anti-aging cream which provides intensive moisturisation for all skin types, including rosacea and atopic patients. It is ideal for use on dry skin and in post-procedure care with glycolic acid peels, non-ablative laser, IPL and microdermabrasion."

--About the brand--
"NeoStrata products improve the visible signs of aging or sun-damaged skin and treat various dermatological conditions including acne, dry skin hyperkeratosis and hyperpigmentation. Uniquely formulated with alpha hydroxyacids (AHAs), polyhydroxy acids (PHAs), and Bionic PHAs, these products can also enhance the therapeutic treatments and skincare recommended by physicians. These products contain various concentrations of AHA and PHA ingredients as well as sunscreens (SPF), lightening or anti-acne agents so that the appropriate therapy can be matched to any skin type or condition. The AHAs and PHAs with antioxidant properties provide help with repairing past damage as well as helping to prevent future skin damage."

--Packaging--
Very medical-looking, with just green and orange stripes to adorn a simple white plastic tube.

--Application--
After cleansing and toning, rub into face and neck. It's also recommended that sunscreen is used with this product (presumably due to the alphahydroxy acids, or AHAs, which can make skin more sensitive). Not a problem - there are plenty of decent suncare products for face out there, and many makeup products also contain an SPF as standard.

--Scent--
None, it appears.

--Appearance--
A translucent white cream. However, once rubbed into the skin, I find that it makes the face look a little shinier than I would like (though I do have oily skin anyway).

--Texture/consistency--
A very stiff cream that nevertheless is absorbed easily by the skin.

--How does your skin feel afterwards?--
Soothed, calmed and moisturised.

--Effects over time--
I noticed virtually no change in terms of appearance or overall skin quality; acne didn't get worse, but it didn't get better either, and I'm still pretty young at 23 so don't have that many wrinkles to fight. There may have been a slight improvement in the lines that were beginning to appear in my forehead, so I'd definitely be interested in seeing how the Bionic Eye Cream fared on the more severe eye area wrinkles. However, in order to give a more accurate assessment, I will be passing this on to a family member with older, more sensitive and less oily skin, to see how this works on the cream's target audience.

--Value for money--
Honestly? This strikes me as being a tad expensive for what it is (though with not being part of the target market or having the target skin type, I appreciate that any miracle effects may have passed me by), and I won't be trading it in for my Liz Earle moisturiser any time soon. While I was initially also a little surprised to see Only Nature selling it on their website (since it's chock-full of parabens and doesn't exactly read like a Lush ingredients list), I have since been informed that while the company started out as an aromatherapy retailer, it has since expanded to include high-technology products as well. I can therefore forgive them for this, especially since I can believe that the Neostrata face cream would be effective on skins recovering from medical or cosmetic procedures and on skins that are especially dry or sensitive, and the cream is at least not tested on animals (quite right too, since testing on animals for cosmetic purposes has been illegal in the UK since 1996). Stand by for a fuller report.

perfect partners
Neostrata Bionic Lotion, £22.50 for 100ml
Neostrata Bionic Serum, £26 for 30ml
Neostrata Bionic Eye Cream, £25.50 for 15ml