Professor Chris Griffiths, Foundation Professor of Dermatology at the University of Manchester, led the year long clinical trial which reveals that the product produced a clinically significant improvement in facial wrinkles after 12 months of use. 70% of the volunteers using the product showed a marked improvement in the appearance of photo-aged skin over the test period.

Professor Chris Griffiths comments: “This trial was conducted to the very highest of scientific standards. The results show that, when used long term, the product produces a clinically discernable improvement in wrinkles in photo-aged skin. This test paves the way for larger studies with more statistical power.”

The improvement is associated with the restoration of fibrillin-1 – the major component of fibrillin-rich microfibrils – in product-treated skin. Fibrillin is essential to the elastic structure of the skin, the skin’s equivalent of the springs found in a mattress, but it is destroyed by the effects of the sun and ageing.

The long term clinical trial was the next step after an initial study by the University of Manchester showed that original No7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum had a structural effect on the skin and stimulated production of fibrillin. The results of this initial test were shown in the BBC TV programme Horizon and resulted in a sales rush on the original serum. At that time, the challenge was set by the scientific community and the press to see what the results would be of a long term test on an advanced beauty product.

Boots skincare experts had such confidence in the sister product of No7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum, No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum, that they were prepared for an independent dermatologist to run a clinical trial over 12 months and put the results into the public domain.

Stewart Long, Boots Skincare Scientific Advisor, comments: “With this research, we have shown a commercially available anti-ageing product can actually improve the appearance of facial wrinkles when used in the long-term. To our knowledge, this is the first time such benefits have been reported for a non-prescription, commercially available cosmetic ‘anti-ageing’ product. We feel that this approach to testing is the way that anti-ageing products should be evaluated and will be continuing our research with further, more powerful studies.”

Stewart Long continues: “Consumers purchasing cosmetic skincare products can choose from a variety of products, which have only limited published data regarding their efficacy. In undertaking this study, we feel we have answered our customers and the market proving that Boots No7 products really can help to improve skin’s appearance. This study sets the bar for all beauty companies to test their products as rigorously as possible and make the results public.”

No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum will be available at Boots in the UK and boots.com nationwide, priced at £19.75 for 30ml from Thursday 30th April 2009.

ENDS

For more information and samples, please call the No7 press office on 0207 908 6591 or email No7pressoffice@lexispr.com

Notes to editors:

- 1. No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum is the new name for No7 Refine & Rewind Beauty Serum.
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- 2. For a full copy of the British Journal of Dermatology paper or details of the previous study on the No7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum, please contact the No7 press office on 0207 908 6591 or email No7pressoffice@lexispr.com
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- 3. Dr Stephanie Ogden is the independent dermatologist responsible for measuring the visible improvement in the skin using the well-characterised Griffiths photonumeric scale for photoaged skin. The scale ranges from 0 to 8, where 0 represents no evidence of photoageing and 8 represents the most severe photoageing. Pigment and tactile roughness of the skin were also measured using a similar 0 to 8 scale.