This works, really

I’ve heard of This Works a few years ago, but never got around to see their products, let alone try any. It changed a couple of months ago because I run out of my Korres Rose moisturiser. Off I went to purchase another portion only to see that it was out of stock. More over, I was told that it wasn’t suitable for my age and I needed something different because physical age is a physical age and one just has to get on with it. I did a quick research and ended up purchasing Materia Herba anti-aging moisturiser. I didn’t like that moisturiser at all. The packaging looked cheap and the feeling of the product on my skin was, how should I put it… well, it was strange, like a layer of sticky film without stickiness as you touch your face. It was my first disappointment. Next one came after I realised that some of Korres products do actually contain parabens and although this particular cream was ok, I didn’t feel comfortable any more. So I choose  not to continue using Korres skin care as wonderful as some products can be (I still adore and use the make-up range, though).

My next task was to find a product that

a) didn’t have parabens or mineral oils

b) was anti-aging

c) contained essential oils

d) was made in the UK or France

After selecting a few creams and thoroughly filtering the list, I finally choose No Wrinkles Extreme Moisturiser. Made by This Works, a UK-based company founded by Kathy Phillips who spent 7 years working at Vogue as a Health and Beauty Director, it was free from phthalates, sulphates, synthetic colours and fragrance, parabens, GMOs, mineral oils, petrolatum and propylene glycol.

It was also packed with some wonderful active ingredients including Retinol known for its anti-aging properties, hydrating and collagen-boosting hyaluronic acid, and moringa and UK sourced organic crambe oil that provide a generous supply of essential fatty acids. Plus the magic potion contained amino-acids, shea  and cocoa butters, castor  and jojoba oil and, of course, essential oils.

Then there was the jar. I took my own picture of it because I believe what you see on-line doesn’t really do it any justice. It looks gorgeous and expensive, it’s heavy when you hold it and smooth as you touch the surface. It’s like a large ice-cube that holds a frozen scoop of ice-cream inside. Even my husband commented how beautiful that jar looked on a bathroom shelf.

The cream itself is a pure indulgence. I always think of my beauty routine as a ritual and having to use this moisturiser every morning and evening makes me feel spoilt, relaxed and happy. A little goes a long way. I pick a small quantity, apply it with the palms of my hands and after pressing it into my skin, follow with a quick massage while inhaling a wonderful light fragrance of bergamot oil with a touch of lemon and cedarwood as undertones.

This cream really works. I can’t comment on the anti-aging effects yet, but my skin always feels comfortable and never – dry, even in this strange winter environmental mix of radiators and cold winds.

It costs £45 for 48g and will most likely last a couple of months. You can also get a No Wrinkles Get Srarted kit that costs £25 and contains two products: the moisturiser (15g) and a serum (15g).

The entire range, the story behind each product and a list of retailers can be found on This Works website.

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As some people may be sensitive to essential oils, I’ve decided to list all the ingredients here as a health&safety part of my post.

No Wrinkles Extreme Moisturiser Ingredients: Aqua (water), butylene glycol, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, coconut alkanes, ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, glycerin, crambe abyssinica seed oil, moringa oleifera seed oil, glyceryl stearate SE, theobroma cacao (cocoa) butter, caprylic triglycerides, candelilla/jojoba/rice bran polyglyceryl-3 esters, glyceryl stearate, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) peel oil, citrus limon (lemon) peel oil, cedrus atlantica (cedarwood) wood oil, citrus aurantium amara (petitgrain) oil, phenoxyethanol, cetearyl alcohol, sodium stearoyl lactylate, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, coco-caprylate/caprate, xylitylglucosides, mannitol, arginine, serine, sucrose, hydrogenated castol oil, mica, parfume, anhydroxylitol, sodium hyaluronate, benzyl alcohol, limonene, PCA, citruline, glycogen, histidine HCl, cera alba (beeswax), xylitol, ethylhexyglycerin, rtinol, linalool, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax, alanine, threonie, glutamin acid, lysine HCl, dehydroacetic acid, sodium hydroxide, citral, geraniol, Cl 77891 (titanium dioxide).