19 Affordable Anti-Ageing Skincare Products That Truly Work

The chances are you’ve heard all about retinol before. It’s shouted about from the rooftops by experts for all beauty buffs to hear, and for good reason. Catherine Borysiewicz, consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic explains, “Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that is widely researched and is a proven skincare ingredient.”

But what does it actually do? Well, essentially, it speeds up the rate at which our skin cells turnover, helping to improve firmness. “Through promoting cell turnover, it improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone,” adds Borysiewicz.

And because retinol is such a hot commodity right now, you’d better believe beauty brands set their prices high. Don’t get me wrong—in certain cases, expensive products are fully justified through the strength of their formulas and ingredients, however, when it comes to retinol, stronger isn’t always better. Oftentimes, powerful retinol can leave skin red, irritated and cause peeling. As a result of this, the strength of retinol that we are actually allowed to buy is very limited, meaning that one of the only things that set expensive retinol products apart from the rest is the nourishing ingredients the retinoid sits beside (of which affordable formulas also have many, FYI).