I Can Hand-On-My-Heart Say That This Is One of the Best Affordable Skincare Brands
Sarah Tarca is a beauty journalist, writer and co-founder of Australia’s first dedicated beauty newsletter, gloss etc. Her skills involve applying lipstick without a mirror, bullying people to wear sunscreen and procrastinating washing her hair. She loves her kids, skincare and potatoes in equal measure — almost as much as she loves SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic. Almost. Find her on socials @tarca
One of the greatest joys of my job as a beauty editor is finding an affordable brand that challenges the exey ones. Because, let’s face it, we all love the champagne lifestyle, but the reality is, we have a cost-of-living budget.
That means our products have to work hard, and bring in the ROI by way of healthy, glowing skin - and luckily for you, this category is my specialty.
It’s because of this, I can hand-on-my-heart say that No7 is one of the best affordable skincare brands on the market. I know, because (big flex) I’ve been using No 7 skincare for years.
There is never a time when I don’t have at least one No7 product on rotation (currently, it’s the Future Renew Day Cream), and as someone who gets sent 20+ products a week to trial, that is saying a lot.
Can you buy No7 in Australia? You sure can! All their best products including the No 7 serum (from both Future Renew and from the No7 lift and luminate range) as well as the cult No7 retinol are now availble on Adore Beauty!
This brand acts way more expensive than it is - and I’m not gatekeeping. I’m doing the opposite and sharing my thoughts on three of their ranges.
Your wallet hates to see me coming.
What is No7?
Ok, but first here’s what you need to know about No7...
It’s the UK’s number #1 skincare brand, and it got that title by being damn good at its job.
It was created in 1935 by the iconic UK Chemist, Boots, with the goal to build a high performance, high quality skincare brand, without the luxury price tag - and that they did.
Every formulation is built on innovation, using breakthrough science and years of research to create products that actually work.
Their consumer testing and research is stunning and wide - because they want to create solutions for every woman - all which is like catnip to a science-loving-research-geek beauty editor like me.
They back their formulas, and so do I.
Ok, it’s evident I’m a big fan™, so let’s dive into the ranges shall we? Let’s go.
Best No7 Products
What Is the No7 Future Renew Range?
I’m starting here, with Future Renew because this is my current favourite range.
The entire collection uses a world-first peptide technology called Pepticology™ that is backed by 15 years of research and truly impressive studies - 37 of them in fact, across 4200 subjects.
Pepticology™ blends two different types of peptides which work together to target some of the visible signs of skin damage and ageing, think fine lines, loss of tone, uneven texture, you know, all the things.
They work by essentially sending messages to the skin cells to essentially do more work, in this case to create more collagen and elastin.
The thing about these peptides is that they address all these concerns without the aggravating side effects to your skin (great news for sensitive skin girlies).
The range is expanding too, they’ve just released a Day Cream and a Night Serum so this part of your life is now complete.
Try:
- No7 Future Renew Repair Serum 25ml - A lightweight, high-performance serum clinically proven to reverse visible signs of skin damage with No7’s breakthrough Pepticology™ technology.
- No7 Future Renew SPF Day Cream - A daily SPF15 moisturiser that hydrates for up to 72 hours while reversing visible signs of skin damage.
- No7 Future Renew Night Cream 50ml - A deeply hydrating night cream that supports skin’s natural repair process while you sleep, visibly reversing signs of damage with exclusive peptide technology.
What Is the No7 Lift and Luminate Range?
Is No7 good for mature skin?
The Lift & Luminate range is another one that’s doing the work for ageing concerns, specifically the big three: wrinkles, loss of firmness and uneven tone.
What’s different about this range is that it’s been formulated specifically with mature skin in mind - speaking to 45+, and AMEN to a brand that recognises that women over 45 care about their skin too.
They also understand that concerns are different for this age group: skin is drier, wrinkles may be deeper, and firmness is generally a big concern.
So, being No7 they set out to address those concerns, and have landed on formulas that are clinically proven to visibly improve all three.
The key ingredient here is Matrixyl 3000 Plus™, anti-wrinkle peptide technology to really soften the appearance of deeper wrinkles alongside other heavy hitters like a firming complex with Hyaluronic Acid to address tone and hydration, antioxidants for protection, and a brightening complex, including vitamin C to help with clarity.
Try:
- No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum 30ml - A powerful age-defying serum that targets wrinkles, uneven skin tone and loss of firmness for visibly younger, brighter, and smoother-looking skin.
- No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Day Cream SPF15 50ml - A clinically proven night cream that targets wrinkles, uneven tone and loss of firmness while you sleep.
- No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Eye Cream 15ml - A brightening and hydrating eye cream that targets dark circles, puffiness, and visible signs of ageing for a firmer, more refreshed eye area.
What Is the No7 Pure Retinol Range?
Is the No7 Pure Retinol Range Good?
Ok here we take a small break from our beloved peptides and switch to the other icon in modern-day skincare: retinoids.
A little recap for those of you not familiar; retinoids is the umbrella term for vitamin A derivative topicals.
Most commonly that’s retinol, retinal (or retinaldehyde) or tretinoin (prescription only).
They work by accelerating skin turnover and stimulating collagen production, which of course leads to a whole host of skin benefits like softening fine lines, improving texture, and even helping with some pigmentation.
While there is no maximum age limit for those using a retinoid, it’s generally recommended to start using it from your mid to late 20’s.
For No7’s version they have used a retinol, which is considered a moderate strength, and have encapsulated it.
The encapsulation is important here: it means the retinol is surrounded by a lipid molecule which delivers the ingredient to the deeper layers on the skin, but does so without the irritation that can be synonymous with retinol.
In fact, the entire range focuses on minimising irritation, including having a post-retinol soother moisturiser designed specifically to work with the serum, which is probably why it’s one of my most-recommended retinols for first timers.
They’ve also added ingredients like niacinamide and bisabolol to further cushion the potential irritation, and added in their Matrixyl 3000+™ complex too, which you may remember is a peptide tech that helps with collagen production.
Remember, the key with any retinol is to start slow (every other night) and if your skin tolerates it, you can build up to nightly use.
I really love the eye cream (which has 0.5% encapsulated retinol) in this range because that area is notoriously hard to treat, and I find it gentle enough, yet effective for a broad range of eye concerns.
Try:
- No7 Pure Retinol Eye Cream 15ml - A gentle yet powerful retinol eye cream that targets fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles without irritation.
- No7 1% Pure Retinol Night Concentrate 30ml - A powerful 1% pure retinol night treatment that visibly reduces deep wrinkles, improves skin texture and supports youthful radiance - clinically proven and dermatologist-approved.
- No7 Pure Retinol Night Repair Cream 50ml - A nourishing night cream powered by pure retinol to visibly smooth, firm, and even skin while you sleep.
Final Thoughts...
You can probably guess my thoughts here: Big fan - huge.
No7 as a brand hits so many of the things I love and look for as a beauty editor: excellent R+D (Research and Development) thorough (and wide reaching) research, and high quality products that are accessible to all.
And, there is a range for everyone, and every skin type so it’s literally like Oprah screaming out “you get great skin” and “YOU great great skin” to, well, everyone.
No7 is a great example of a brand that is truly working towards democratising beauty, and honestly, as if you’re not sold yet.
Check out more of Sarah's favourite products and top skincare picks below:
