Innovative face creams with impact!

Here’s a question: are you currently using a face cream? Do you pay as much attention to your choice of face cream as you do you your other skincare products? Are you using a series of essences, serums and maybe a face oil that you feel that using a face cream isn’t necessary? I’m asking because apparently many of us are not using face creams as much as they used to, simply because we think that our skin is getting sufficient moisture and hydration from the various essences, serums and face oils that we’re layering. If that’s you, you need to read on because that’s not the case and many are discovering that their skin is not being sufficiently hydrated.

Serums are great for addressing specific skin issues like lack of radiance, and they tend to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin than a face cream, so are not to be used to replace a moisturiser, which tends to work more on the surface of the skin.

Face oils are wonderful for hydration, soothing irritation, skin nourishment, fighting the effects of oxidants, light pollution and sun exposure. Different oils have different powerful qualities, so choose well.

Face creams are a different type of moisturiser, with a specific skill set, which is namely that they usually contain specific ingredients that work to attract moisture molecules into the skin, so they are perfect when used as the final step in a skincare regime.

Face cream need to knows:

• To get the best use out of your skincare products, remember to apply the lightest product first when layering, giving each product a chance to be its most effective; applying your face cream last allows it to seal in the moisture
• Be selective. Choose the right moisturiser for your skin’s needs… there is a cream for every skin type. For example, if you’re prone to breakouts avoid products that contain ingredients that could trigger break outs like petroleum or heavy oils. Equally, if you have oily skin you might want to try gel creams or oil-free creams, which deliver hydration in a light formula.
• Your day cream is just that… a day cream. While it may be tempting to use your day cream at night, it’s better to use a night cream (unless your cream states that its for both day and night) due to the fact that our skin regenerates at night, most night creams are thicker and richer and contain ingredients that support this process, slow absorbing moisturisers that work across the night like peptides retinol, glycolic acid, and hyaluronic acid. They also tend to include ingredients that are left out of day creams because products such as sunscreen would interfere with them.

Here are four innovative face creams guaranteed to get your skin glowing!

Zelens Marine Complex Deep Restorative Cream

This cream is rich and luscious. This is a jar of cream that you don’t want to let anyone dip their fingers into to try it out! Not because you’re selfish but because there are certain products that are just for you…so best to push a little further back on your skincare shelf. Somehow Dr Marko Lens has a knack for creating products that you end up addicted to, as you’ll know from other reviews I’ve done. Eg. The Z Detox Clarifying Foaming Cleanser that my skin adores and his amazing treatment drops… all of which are premium skincare items which after purchasing can often leave me contemplating living off 30 different ways to cook chicken wings… but you get what you pay for.

Anyway, interestingly this cream is designed specifically for fine lines, wrinkles, dehydrated and sensitive skins as the brand says…

“This soothing cream deeply restores the skin, smoothes fine lines and wrinkles any diminishes the appearance of visible signs of skin aging. Leaves skin looking renewed, smoother and more radiant.”

Now while my skin isn’t sensitive, wrinkled or dehydrated for now, my combination skin really likes this cream, because it really does seem to revitalise it leaving it looking and feeling loved! Smoother, more radiant and nourished… I repeat… loved. I don’t use it every day, I tend to use it for a week or two to give my skin a boost and it works really well over Zelens treatment drops or one of my face oils.

The science: When you read about the multitude of different algae’s and other skin-loving ingredients that are in this pot of cream you can understand why it provides such glowing nourished skin. I’m not going to list them all but here’s a link to the Zelens website where you can read all about it. However, it includes Wakame from Japan, Irish moss from the Atlantic coast of Europe, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA), Shea Butter and Gluconolactone which is a polyhydroxy acid (PHA) that offers all benefits of AHAs but suitable for sensitive skin due to its gentle nature.

These different ingredients are used for their ability to promote collagen production, protect the skin, protect against inflammation and oxidative issues, increase moisture, prevent moisture loss and more.

What’s to love:

• This cream has an unusual texture … cold, spongy and soothing… like seaweed.
• It’s easily absorbed by the skin and although it’s rich, it doesn’t have a greasy finish.
• Leaves your skin deeply nourished and hydrated.
• Skin feels moisturised all day.
• Good for sensitive skins.
• No parabens or sulfates.

Perricone MD Elemental Energy Hydrating Cloud Cream

This innovative cream was launched last year alongside the innovative Firming Foam Mask. The first thing that you’ll notice is that this cream is super light in texture and really has been aptly named. I have to say that its texture reminds me of Clinique ‘Moisture Surge’. This Cloud Crème is pure hydration! It is designed to be suitable for all skin types, even the driest. This feels lush and luxurious upon application. In fact, if you applied it with your eyes closed you’d think that it was a much thicker, richer crème. This cooling cream leaves your skin feeling moist and hydrated as well as looking fresh and hydrated… so much so that you feel the urge to keep touching your face to see if it’s still moist… and yes it is.

The science: this cream like all of the products in Perricone’s H2 Elemental Energy range is formulated by hydrogen. The brand says:

“H2 Energy Complex™ rapidly penetrates the surface layers of the skin with a boost of hydrating vitality so that your skin looks re-energized and radiant.”

What’s to love:

• The light but effective texture which is great for those that don’t like heavier creams and those prone to oily congested skin.
• Makes your skin feel moist and hydrated for several hours plus the cooling effects lasts for ages. Your skin feels vital and awake.
• Fragrance-free and suitable for all skin types.

Filorga NCTF Reverse Supreme Regenerating Cream

When I attended the launch of this range last spring, it was because I was curious about this brands offering, especially as I wasn’t familiar with them. I’d always heard about Mesotherapy so I was curious about a range that could be as effective as a meso injection. The brand says:

“A regenerating skincare formula, which is as concentrated as a meso-injection for a boosted pro-youth action and renewed skin quality.”

This lush cream is designed to be a part of your positive ageing toolkit and is targeted at wrinkles, fine lines, increasing firmness and radiance. It aims to do all of this through an impressive range of powerhouse ingredients that include NCTF the brands unique polyrevitalizing complex, hyaluronic acid, collagen, vitamins A, E &H, shea butter and more.

What’s to love:

• Feels rich and lush and sinks into the skin easily.
• Has a semi-matte/matte finish depending on what you’ve used under it.
• After a couple of weeks of use, skin appears smoother and more radiant.

DHC Astaxanthin Collagen All-In-One Gel

DHC never fails to harness the power of interesting ingredients in their skincare ranges and this innovative gel cream is no exception with Astaxanthin (a super antioxidant that’s found in salmon and green algae, being more than 6000 times more powerful than vitamin C).

This also contains collagen and elastin to firm the skin and hyaluronic acid to help the skin to maintain its moisture levels.

This is a lovely rich product that leaves my skin feeling very moist, hydrated and glowy. It feels thick like a night cream and I’ve even found myself using it on the body too.

The brand says:

What’s to love:

• The gel-cream texture is easily absorbed.
• A little goes a long way … a pot of this will last at least 2 months.
• It fights free radical damage… perfect for those in the city.

Zelens Marine Complex Deep Restorative Cream for £125 from Zelens
Perricone MD Elemental Energy Hydrating Cloud Cream for £69 from Perricone MD
Filorga NCTF Reverse Supreme Regenerating Cream for £75 from Feel Unique
DHC Astaxanthin Collagen All-In-One Gel for £40 from DHC

(*PR gift/sample)