Brave of Philosophy to give their new wonder-product such a bold name, but do you know? I’m quite taken in by claims that this cutting-edge age-reverser will dramatically improve appearance of wrinkles and skin discoloration! This morning I listened very attentively to lots of sciencey information from a forty-six-year-old woman with the skin of a toddler, and came away feeling very excited indeed about the new Anti-Aging Retinoid Pads.

Philosophy’s new wonder product consists of a pack of 60 dry pads, and a bottle of ‘fresh-pour’ liquid that is the high-performance retinoid solution. You add the solution into the pads yourself, pouring in the entire bottle which then soaks into the pads. You sweep the pad over your face and neck after cleansing and before moisturising, only in the evening, and the retinoid works to support natural collagen and speed up cell turnover.

I’m just going to go into a tiny bit of science here, so please feel free to switch off.

The active ingredient in the HPR (High Performance Retinoid) is Vitamin A, which, in the right form, supports natural collagen and helps to speed up cell renewal, to give plumper skin and reduce wrinkles and pigmentation.  There are different types of Vitamin A used in skincare, and the strengths vary enormously. Retinoic Acid is the strongest – this is the ‘right’ form for the skin to use, but it’s so strong (and works so well!) that it’s a pharmaceutical grade product that’s only available (strictly!) with prescription. Then there’s Retinol, which is used in many easily-bought products; the strength is actually too low mostly to see any real change to the skin – this is because the Retinol (alcohol form) has to be converted into the acid form in order for the skin to make use of it.

Are you still with me?

Philosophy uses Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate which does not require conversion into the acid form, and so is stronger than your standard Retinol, but is gentler on the skin with less chance of irritation. Does that make sense? I’ve done a bit of scientific digging, and this does seem feasible, so I’m looking forward to giving these Retinoid Pads a try.

I have a 60 day course, but I have already sampled one pad, this morning. The solution is a dry-finish, non-oily liquid that is barely noticeable on your skin – so far, so good. There are two complementary products launching a little while after this one (a concentrate and a moisturiser) but for now, I’m excited about this one!

Philosophy’s Miracle Worker Retinoid Pads launch next week in Selfridges, and will cost £61.50 for a 60 day supply.

What do you think about Miracle Worker? About Vitamin A/Retinol products in general? It seems to be one of the only tried and tested beauty ingredients that gets proper scientific backup! I’m hoping that I have my science right here… A level chemistry seems like a lifetime ago!

PS: Philosophy fans; their new mineral blush launches tomorrow on QVC – it looks lovely, a duo with one natural and one highlighting blush! It’s exclusive to QVC at £18.