Whether you want to plump, smooth, lift or firm your skin, No7's Advanced Ingredients Single Dose Skincare Boosters have got your back
It's been a busy week for No7. Not only did the new No7 Laboratories' Resurfacing Peel 15% Glycolic Acid , £17, launch , the brand made its first foray into skincare capsules with the No7 Advanced Ingredients Single Dose Skincare Boosters , £20 each for 30 capsules.
There are four different capsules in the family, all catering to different skin needs; No7 Advanced Ingredients Squalane to smooth and nourish, No7 Advanced Ingredients Hyaluronic Acid and Camellia Oil , to hydrate and plump, No7 Advanced Ingredients Vitamin C and E for glow and lift and No7 Advanced Ingredients Ceramide and Peptides to firm the skin and deliver line reductions.
No7 recommend using the capsules both morning and night before your serum and moisturiser; it may seem arduous to add yet another step to your skincare routine but skin health expert Dija Ayodele, who is working with No 7 on this launch, is quick to point out that these capsules are not for lifetime use. "Think of them as a treatment to dip in and out of when you have a particular skin problem," she told us. "Our skin concerns change. One week our skin might be dry and lacklustre so you'd use the Vitamin C and E capsules for glow, while another week your skin might be dry, so you'd use the Squalane capsules. Use the capsules as you would antibiotics; once the problem is solved you don't keep on taking the antibiotics and these capsules work in the same way. They solve a problem when you have it."
They're all fragrance-free and the capsules are 95 per cent plant-based and plastic-free and can be disposed of in your normal rubbish bin.
If you're yet to jump on board the skincare capsules train, let us explain why we love them. Capsules eliminate product waste by giving you the exact amount of serum you need in each dose for your whole face and neck, plus they keep the formula away from air and sunlight meaning it's completely stable. When hopping on a plane with a thing, capsules are perfect for travel because you need not take a whole tub of face cream on a weekend jaunt.
Now you're sold on skincare capsules, it's time to work out which of No7's Advanced Ingredients Single Dose Skincare Boosters is the one for you.
To hydrate and plump: No7 Advanced Ingredients Hyaluronic Acid and Camellia Oil, £20 for 30 capsules
These sea green capsules are for dry skin that needs a hit of hydration, which is delivered by hyaluronic acid and camellia oil. The formula itself is fairly thick when it emerges from the capsule but it sinks in straight away (maybe we have very thirsty skin?) and leaves zero stickiness, just a smooth base in its wake. Our makeup sat beautifully on top of this one. In a consumer trial of 30 women, 97 per cent of testers said these made their skin look smoother right away and their skin looked lifted after four weeks. Dija Ayodele recommends using these right after the Resurfacing Peel 15% Glycolic Acid to soothe the skin.
To strengthen the skin barrier: No7 Advanced Ingredients Squalane, £20 for 30 capsules
This is the first time we've seen moisture-boosting squalane in capsule form, so please forgive our excitement. In rose gold capsules, these are the classiest looking of the bunch and are proven to strengthen the skin's moisture barrier and help to prevent water loss for smoother feeling skin. In No7's consumer trial 98 per cent of women said they had softer and smoother looking skin right away and after 4 weeks they reported that their skin moisture barrier was strengthened and skin felt firmer and more elastic. Not bad going for a tiny capsule. These had a much oilier feel than the hyaluronic acid and camellia capsules so we'd probably reserve just for night time.
For younger-looking skin: No7 Advanced Ingredients Ceramides and Peptides, £20 for 30 capsules
The power couple of ceramides and peptides come together in these pink capsules to reduce the appearance of lines and firm the skin. In 95 per cent of women who tried these, the appearance of wrinkles was reduced and after four weeks, skin felt more supple and firmer. This is the creamiest formula of the four. It felt luxe and seems perfect for dryer, mature skin.
For glow: No7 Advanced Ingredients Vitamin C and Vitamin E, £20 for 30 capsules
Vitamin E and C are an antioxidant power couple that complement each other well and are often both found in vitamin C serums . The lightweight creamy serum formula is 20 per cent vitamin C to make skin look lifted, brighter and more even. Of the 30 women who tested it, 97 per cent reported more radiant-looking skin while after four weeks the appearance of dark spots reduced in 100 per cent of testers.
MORE GLOSS: Could this £19 No7 serum fix your lockdown lines?