A groundbreaking study comparing expensive and cheap anti-aging skin serums found that a preparation selling for just £3.99 came out on top.
The trial, conducted by experts at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, was paid for by a company that makes high-priced skin care products.
Scientists have been tasked with testing a luxury serum made from human platelet extract (HPE), taken from donor blood samples, which costs from £200 for 15ml.
But when put face to face with a widely available beauty product (a vitamin C serum), researchers had to admit that the budget option was superior.
Versions of vitamin C serums can be purchased for as little as £3.99, with Boots, Superdrug and supermarkets such as Tesco selling options for under £20.
When applied to the hands, the low-cost product was most effective at reducing common signs of aging, including age spots, wrinkles and uneven skin tone.
After six months of daily use, the effects of the vitamin C serum were significantly more noticeable.
Lead researcher, dermatologist Dr Saraya Wyles, added: “Both serums could work better than laser treatments in reducing age spots.”
The images above show the hands of a 55-year-old volunteer: she applied the high-priced serum to her right hand (top row) and the inexpensive serum to her left (bottom row). Photographs were taken at the beginning of the trial and at six, 12 and 26 weeks.
The images above show the hands of a 59-year-old volunteer; As above, he applied the high-priced serum to his right hand (top row) and the inexpensive serum to his left (bottom row). The low-cost product was best at reducing common signs of aging, including age spots and wrinkles.
After 12 weeks, participants showed approximately a 32 per cent reduction with vitamin C. Revuele Vitamin C 15 Percent Serum is available online from £3.99
To test the serums, the research team recruited 60 participants (mostly women) with an average age of 52 years.
Each participant was instructed to apply HPE (Skin Science Intense Silver Serum) serum to their right hand twice a day.
They were instructed to apply vitamin C serum to their left hand.
During the trial, researchers used SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic, which contains 15 per cent vitamin C and costs approximately £125 for 30ml.
However, there are several cheaper options with the same concentration of the key ingredient.
Inkey List Serum with 15% Vitamin C and EGF, available at Boots, costs £15 for 30ml. Revuele Vitamin C 15 Percent Serum is available online from £3.99.
Instead of relying solely on before-and-after photographs or participants’ subjective opinions, researchers used high-tech imaging technology to measure skin changes.
They tracked several markers of aging, including brown spots, wrinkles, skin brightness, and color uniformity.
The researchers used SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic, which costs approximately £125 for 30ml. However, there are cheaper options with the same concentration of the key ingredient.
Another low-cost option is The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum, available at Boots, which costs £15 for 30ml.
Evaluations were carried out at the beginning of the trial and at six, 12 and 26 weeks.
The results were “stunning” for both treatments, they said.
After 12 weeks, participants showed approximately a 27 percent reduction in brown spots with HPE and a 32 percent reduction with vitamin C.
Both treatments also improved wrinkles by 15 to 17 percent.
These improvements surpassed those typically seen with more invasive treatments such as intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, which only showed a 7.5 percent reduction in brown spots in previous studies.
IPL prices can range from £800 to £1500 and even more for premium packages and additional services.
Brown spots, also called age spots, appear on the skin due to prolonged sun exposure.
Vitamin C works by reducing them by interfering with the action of tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for the production of melanin, the compound that provides pigment to the skin.
It is found in a wide range of skin care products such as serums, cleansers, moisturizers and masks; However, experts suggest that a concentration of between 10 and 20 percent of vitamin C is most effective in reducing hyperpigmentation.
