North American women spend billions of dollars each year on cosmetic creams and lotions, but just how well do they really work at fighting aging?
Consumer Reports did some lab testing to see if those lotions and potions really can make fine lines and wrinkles disappear.
Testers tried out seven products ranging from $8 to $80. The creams included big names like L'Oréal and Lancome, as well as some cheaper drugstore brands.
"We used an outside lab and a total of 79 people. The test took 12 weeks. The people applied two different creams in the morning, one on each side of their face," said Judy Rohlena of Consumer Reports.
Then the lab took before and after photos. Consumer Reports panelists examined the results. There were more than 600 photos in all. The creams were also rated on how they felt on the skin and their smell.
"All of the products smelled pretty good and they didn't leave much of a tacky residue behind, but they didn't make that much of a difference," said Rohlena.
After 12 weeks, only one cream did a little better than the others. That cream was Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift. But it only helped about half the people in the test and judging by the before and after photos the results were not that dramatic.
"The thing with wrinkles, once you get them, they're very hard to get rid of. So the best thing you can do is prevent them in the first place," said Rohlena.
When it comes to prevention, there are a few products on beauty store shelves that contain the magic bullet to warding off wrinkles.
"The number one anti-aging ingredient is always sunscreen. So if you really want to know how to keep your skin looking younger, avoid the sun," said Marc Brunet of Beauty Mark.
Consumer Reports also says to make sure you read the label and watch out for creams that list retinyl palmitate on the ingredient list. That chemical has been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer in animal studies.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lynda Steele
