Our latest Beauty treat: BioEffect EGF Day Serum

We are quite sceptical about high tech skincare products that make bold claims. We therefore approached BioEffect’s EGF Day Serum with caution: the Icelandic brand bills itself as “revolutionary anti-ageing skincare.” The brand uses something called Epidermal Growth Factor, a substance found naturally in the skin but as we age, the concentration of EGF found in the skin decreases which is why we develop wrinkles, sagging and open pores.

The scientists behind BioEffect managed to harness EGF from seeds of the barley plant which they grow in volcanic pumice in Icelandic geo-thermal greenhouses. All of this would be of limited interest if the serum didn’t work quite so effectively.

The serum – which has a gel like quality – feels lovely and our skin certainly felt smoother and seemed to be a bit firmer during the first few weeks we tried it. The moment that we really sat up and paid attention came about four weeks into use, however. We suddenly realised that our crow’s feet, which formerly had been quite sharp creases, looked softer. The change was not dramatic enough to be alarming but was noticeable and pleasing.

The serum is eye-wateringly expensive (even at its current price of £95, rather than £110, for 15ml) but it is effective. You don’t need to use very much, about three pumps from the dispenser a day and you can use it for a month at a time as a booster to your anti-ageing skincare.

One word of caution: the serum needs time to sink into your skin so if you tend to get ready in a mad rush in the morning – layering make up over sunscreen, over serum – this isn’t for you, as you’ll just be wiping away some of the serum before it has time to work. In that case, you may want to try the night serum instead.

This article originally appeared on a-littlebird.com