Does The New Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serum Really Work?

What's all the fuss about?
Boots had extraordinary success when they first unveiled their No7 anti-wrinkle cream Protect & Perfect back in 2007. There were stampedes for the reasonably-priced anti-ageing product and every woman wanted to get their hands on a tube. Seven years later and the pharmaceutical company have developed an advanced version which they say is clinically proven to be even better at reducing fine lines and wrinkles. There's one for the first signs of ageing (25-35 year-olds) and one for deeper lines and wrinkes (the 35s to 45s).

What's the science behind it all?
Boots have been working with universities and dematologists ever since they brought out P+P to create a more powerful formula. The new cream (which comes in two forms, for 25-35s and 35s-45s) claims to both repair AND protect better than its predecessor. The new formula contains greater amounts of Matrixyl 3000, which repairs the skin's structure, and has a more powerful protection against unstable free radical molecules which break down the structural proteins in ageing skin.

What's THEIR evidence it works?
Boots trialled the new products on 2,600 women, conducting 22 consumer and clinical trials and four other trials which include two wrinkle studies. Clinical trials have reportedly produced “outstanding results”, while consumer trials showed that within four weeks eight out of 10 women who used the new products experienced “significant anti-ageing benefits”.

What happened when Yahoo Lifestyle's Julia put it to the test?
Intrigued by the claims and with the knowledge that Protect & Protect has been a hero product since it arrived on our shelves, I trialled the 25-35 cream morning and evening for two weeks. I'm 31 and have yet to work an eyecream into my daily regime. I think I'm probably in denial. As most of my lines are around my 'smile' zones, I focused the serum on the fine lines around my eyes and continued to use my ordinary moisturiser on the rest of my face. I then applied Dior skin-glowing make-up as usual.

How did it feel?
The cream was an easy addition to my daily skincare routine and felt light and soft to apply. Although the focus isn't on the immediate affect, it did give an instant glow around my eyes and make my skin feel less tight after washing. It didn't feel at all greasy - something I were worried about because I've suffered from problem skin and acne for 15 years - but there were no adverse affects at all.

Did friends and family notice the results?
I asked my husband whether there was any change to my eyes towards the end of the trial. My other half (whose own skincare routine consists of washing his face with shampoo) said "is it trying to make your eyes look puffy?" and "it looks like you've ironed your wrinkles", both of which are positive observations I think - if he was taking this seriously. Colleagues didn't seem to notice a difference but they were able to identity the before and after pictures when quizzed. Personally, I felt the lines had lessened, but I did spend a lot of time in restaurant bathrooms squinting at myself.

What were the end results?
Although the majority of the deeper lines arond my lower eyelids/top of my cheeks remained visible, there was a clear reduction in the fine lines in the outside corner of the eye, closest to the lashes. This suggests that with time the cream could attack the stronger creases. Having only two weeks was probably not long enough to give it a fair trial so I'll be continuing for the full four-week period they used for testing and will report back. I definitely have reason to hope!